Some secrets are more likely to cause mind wandering and it’s that, not the secret itself, that interferes with contentment, says Ben Ambridge

Psst! Keeping secrets may not actually be such a great idea. So how many do you currently have? And are you keeping any that include the following?

List A

Sexual orientation, habits or addictions, ambitions, finances, insecurities regarding your physical appearance.

List B

Cheating at work, petty theft, poor work performance, lies, thoughts about someone who is not your partner.

If you’re keeping any of the secrets on List B, don’t worry about it too much. These types of secrets won’t keep you awake at night. Only rarely do people dwell on them, just once or twice a month on average, according to a new study from Columbia University.

Secrets on List A are potentially more problematic. On average people who have these type of secrets will have to conceal them between three and eight times a month, causing 8-12 episodes of mind wandering, ie thinking about the secret.

Counter to what you might expect, this study revealed no link between the frequency with which people conceal their secrets and wellbeing. It was mind-wandering that was the problem. The more people felt their minds wandering to their secrets, the less contented they felt – presumably because the content of the secret is often stressful in and of itself.

Order Are You Smarter Than a Chimpanzee? by Ben Ambridge is published by Profile Books at £12.99. To order it for £11.04, go to bookshop.theguardian.com