Lifestyle

Lucky You: Science Says Good Luck Charms Actually Work

by Helena Negru
Melanie Defazio

Have you ever fallen in love with an evil eye bracelet? It's happened to me and, I swear, I'm not the superstitious girl who blames the moon and black cats for breaking her nail before an interview.

But a study found that lucky charms actually work!

From superstition to science.

People who believe in the power of a good luck charm are called superstitious, as they have an irrational belief that an object can alter the future. While Kim Kardashian is exposing her evil eye jewelry to the press and Miranda Kerr is releasing good luck charm jewelry lines, scientists found those little eyeballs really work.

It turns out people who rely on good luck charms to land a better job and find a date really do have luck on their side. It all starts from a belief that a small item can help you perform better, the study says. Believing you are protected makes you stronger and increases your confidence.

In the sports world, there are a ton of superstitious athletes who believe in their good luck charms. The study proved that people who were given a ball and told it was “lucky” performed a lot better than those who weren't given a lucky item.

The rational side of the lucky charms.

Apart from being beautiful, evil eye jewelry and their equally lucky peers, the clover, horseshoe and Hamsa hand, help increase your confidence. Even if you don't believe in lucky items, when you look good and you wear something you like, you are more confident. In return, this makes you strive for higher goals and carry on when you stumble along the way.

Wearing a charm also blocks our fear of failure. When you are not afraid to fail, you are more likely to take calculated risks and win.

Psychologist Lysann Damisch talked about the chain-link reactions of a talisman in an interview for the Association for Psychological Science, stating the term for this confidence boost: self-efficacy.

Which good luck charms should you wear?

If you're now ready to pick your own good luck charm, there are plenty of options, each one with their own ancient meaning. Before you start browsing these fashionable inspiration sources, you need to know which symbols are lucky, yet not too cheesy. After all, you want to be fashionable AND lucky.

The Clover

The clover is a lucky charm by definition. But remember, four-leaf clovers are only really lucky if they're found accidentally.

The Wishbone

The wishbone is one of the lesser known lucky charms, so you can definitely get jewelry that features this good luck element without having other people know you're a bit superstitious. Where does the wishbone come from? It's the bone you find in the chest of birds, such as turkeys and chickens.

The Dream-Catcher

Why rely on your home dream-catcher, when you can get a jewelry version? Wear the dream-catcher with you at all times, so you can catch dreams and stay away from nightmares, such as your boss.

The Evil Eye

The simple evil eye charm is going to protect you from evil looks and harmful thoughts. If I think of how many evil eye jewelry pieces Kim Kardashian wears, she must have a lot of evil looks to repel...

The Hamsa

Many people wear the Hamsa hand along with the evil eye, as it is said to have the same effect of repelling evil.

A Mix of the Charms

Modern designers explored the world of charms and managed to mix multiple charms in one piece of jewelry. This way, you can find a charm that embodies an evil eye, a Hamsa and a dream-catcher in one, so you can have all the luck you need.