Are you being a pain in the but? 

Neuroscience shows that negative words release stress and anxiety-inducing hormones--whether spoken, heard, or thought. Yes, words can hurt you. Words influence the expression of genes that regulate physiological and emotional stress. 

‘But’ is perhaps our greatest offender. The three letters--only one syllable--so simple, frequent and innocuous. The moment ‘but” enters the sentence, all the goodness in the preceding words is erased.  The listener hears ‘but,’ and the brain starts firing.  

This week, practice avoiding the word altogether. 

• At work, launch an awareness game this week. Count just how often the word enters your team’s communications. Maybe the colleague with the largest ‘but’ tally has to sing a song or tell a joke.

• At home, for one month, put a dollar in the family jar if you say ‘but.’ Maybe the family member with the lowest count gets to pick how to use the funds in the jar.

• In your head, listen for ‘buts’ in your own thoughts. Try replacing the word with an ‘and,’ or complete the sentence without it.  Maybe each ‘but’ is an extra 10 minutes added to your walk. (My walk got extended by 30 minutes yesterday:))

When it comes to neuroscience, you’ll be rewarded for sitting on your but.