Love, in terms of both emotional and physical closeness to our loved ones can reduce stress levels. Being physically close or holding hands with our loved ones help to reduce stress.
This was seen in a study where 66 adolescent girls had to give a spontaneous speech, with their mothers holding their hands at random times. The aim of the study serves to test the effect of emotional and physical closeness had on stress levels.
It was found that girls who were emotionally and physically closer to the mother coped better with stress. This highlights that physical closeness or how we feel in our relationships to our loved ones can affect how prepared we are to deal with stress and overcome life’s difficulties.
However, it is worthy to note that the mothers’ stress did not change much even with the physical closeness. Thus, emotional load sharing in this context was only applicable through the daughters’ perceptions of how stressful it was to give a speech. Even so, the study still highlights that maintaining close relationships – physically and emotionally, helps us to better deal with the obstacles that life throws! With that being said, why not start to build and form such meaningful relationships now?
Category(s):Mental Health in Asia
Source material from Psyblog
