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Don’t Pee Just Yet!

Ever need to pee before making a big decision?

Maybe you should hold it.

Research suggests that resisting the urge to pee can help you make more rational decisions, a technique David Cameron, the UK Prime Minister, has used for years.

By holding it in, the theory goes, you activate your inhibitory network, which reduces impulsiveness and allows you to take a longer-term view of your decision. Even being reminded of the experience of needing to pee can trigger the response and make you more rational.

But be careful. Research published in the journal Neurourology and Urodynamics indicates that waiting until you have an extreme urge to pee can increase the time it takes to process information. While your accuracy won’t be affected, your reaction time can degrade to the equivalent of being drunk.

And holding it in can cause other problems, like urinary tract infections.

Still, used occasionally and not taken to the extreme, skipping the bathroom break may be a useful technique to make a more rational decision.

Consider that next time you’re stuck in a meeting and feel the need to step out for a break before a big decision.

Have you ever tried this technique, either on purpose or accidentally? How did it work out?

Credits: The photo used in this article was taken by Tnkntx.

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