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Americans (and everyone else for that matter) have long used alcohol as a means to ease feelings of anxiety and stress. Heck, we can barely concentrate at work sometimes while thinking about that nice cold beverage waiting for us at home or at the local bar.
Well, we have good news for all you day dreaming drinkers out there. Based on a recent article in Current Directions In Psychological Science, CNBC reports that even just thinking about having a drink may help relieve feelings of stress.
The idea, known as the “phenomenon of suggestion”, is similar to the well-known placebo effect. The phenomenon asserts that the expectations of how the drink would feel play a major role of how you actually feel. As the researchers behind the study note, “once we anticipate a specific outcome will occur, our subsequent thoughts and behaviors will actually help bring that outcome to fruition.”
We’re not so sure that merely thinking about a drink is going to satisfy our palate, but that isn’t going to stop us from trying.