Every once in a while, someone asks if I drink copious amounts of coffee while I write, or if I have some special ritual I must do to create. I don’t have anything quite that dramatic. But there is something I often do when I’m writing. I chew gum.
And when I discovered research suggesting gum chewing may help people stay focused longer on tasks that require sustained attention, I have to admit I felt a little vindicated.
In one study in the British Journal of Psychology, gum-chewers held up better as time went on, showing less of that “focus fade” that tends to happen when you’re doing something that requires continuous attention.
So yes, now I smile a little when I unwrap a piece of gum at my desk. It feels less like a habit and more like a tiny writing tool.