WORDS LAURA POTTER
Feeling stressed? Your greatest tool could be surprisingly close to home. Researchers gave 40 couples a challenging task. Half the couples tackled the task alone, as individuals; the other half did it while holding their spouse’s hand. An infrared camera measured pupil diameter, which is a direct signal of stress response. Both groups showed signs of stress during the task, but the group with spouse support calmed down significantly sooner, allowing them to work on the task at reduced stress levels. This also supports previous research that showed simply calling your mum provides as much ‘chemical comfort’, as a hug, by helping us to release the hormone oxytocin, so when facing a challenge, sign up your loved ones for support.
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August 2019
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