Why sitting on the sofa is good for your health

Admittedly, when I peer out of my window the view is less than optimal; parked cars rather than a pastoral panorama. But eventually my gaze settles on my neighbour’s silver birch tree. I pay close attention to the bark and the patterns of tapering branches and find myself sighing deeply.

Add a restorative cup of tea and the benefits multiply quicker than you can say: “Ooh yes please, a custard cream would be lovely”.

It’s been proven that tea and other herbal infusions provide us with a variety of beneficial compounds, including polyphenols which help reduce stress and L-theanine which is associated with mood regulation.

“Black tea, that’s the humble cuppa with milk or without, has been shown to improve the biochemical markers of immune system activation,” says nutrition expert Dr Pamela Mason from the Tea Advisory Panel. “The anti-inflammatory effects of tea’s polyphenol action helps improve immune function and drinking tea has also been shown to improve the balance between healthy and less healthy microbes in the gut.”

While many of us unthinkingly drink tea throughout the day, the idea of pausing for a whole 20 minutes to do so smacks of self indulgence – but it shouldn’t. In fact, it’s the very definition of self care.

Cue the family stomping in to find out why I have deserted my post, which is to say the cooker-store-cupboard-dishwasher axis.

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The scientific reason why rest is so important

A lack of down time is detrimental to our mental and physical health due to the release of high amounts of the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol, which is made in the adrenal glands, puts the body in fight-or-flight mode. 

The autonomic nervous system, which controls unconscious processes like breathing and heartbeat, is placed on high alert, while the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs the “rest and digest” state is less active.

Cortisol enables us to cope with short-term threat, but when we burn the candle at both ends without taking a proper break, the adrenal glands become fatigued. 

Symptoms include severe tiredness that is not relieved by sleep, brain fog, low mood and both salt and sugar cravings. 

The immune system is also affected, which is why we are likely to succumb to viral and bacterial infections.

Another major downside is the impact on our midriffs. Even if you’re eating very little and exercising a lot, you will still see your waistline thicken. 

Here too, cortisol is the culprit, as it prompts the body to lay down fat stores for energy. But the good news is that even small changes in behaviour will dramatically reduce cortisol production.