Benefits of Physical Touch To Cope With Stress - Directorate of P2PTM

A man hugs a doll, research says hugging a teddy bear can be beneficial for health and suppress stress levels (Freepik Photo)

In an increasingly digitalized world, where people send messages more often than meet, it's important to remember the benefits of physical and mental touch. Positive physical contact and not forced health support, among others, overcome stress.

Early detection of each other's attitudes can be done through touch, especially in those closest to us. Our skin is often the beginning, how we respond to situations and interact with others. Researchers found that people can detect certain emotions, such as love, anger, gratitude and disgust through touch. Positive touch can reduce aggression and promote social behavior. It can also form and maintain emotional bonds.

Touch and stress reduction

As reported by panorama page, human contact can improve physical and mental health conditions, increase endurance, lower the risk of heart disease, and suppress levels of stress hormones such as cortisol in women.

But don't just hug. Zaborney suggests asking our potential opponents first to be sure of the response that will be obtained. No matter what we hug family, friends or strangers the health effects turned out to be just as high.

Couples who hugged for 20 seconds had the same oxytocin levels as those who were in love. In addition to affecting oxytocin, hugs also increase levels of dopamine, a hormone that makes humans feel happy. According to the American Psychosomatic Society, a 10-minute hug with your loved one can relieve stress, and the various physical effects it causes.
Warm relationships between partners such as holding hands or hugging can contribute to heart health and reduce stress. The positive sign lowers the heart rate, reduces stress hormones and lowers blood pressure. Couples can even adjust heart rate and brain waves just by touching.

Hugs as a sign of support
Hugging is a sign of support that can reduce stress. It can also help eliminate turmoil after a conflict. A study showed that people who received hugs after a conflict became calmer. Since hugs also have stress-reducing benefits, it can also increase endurance.

Massage reduces stress hormones

The benefits of massage are not just relaxation, researchers at Duke University medical center found that massage among others reduces pain and improves mobility in patients suffering from arthritis in the knees. But it is not only those who get massages who benefit, but also those who massage.

Massaging yourself
But we don't need anyone else to feel the benefits of touch. Massaging yourself can give an effect like a regular massage. Yoga and other forms of gymnastics that cause the body to be in contact with the floor or weight, can also produce a decrease in stress.

Contact between skins
Massage also causes weight gain in premature babies, by boosting their nervous system. It improves digestion and releases the hormones needed to absorb food. Skin-to-skin touch helps release oxytocin, a hormone associated with the relationship between mother and child, and reduces stress hormones.

In another study, adults who had never come into contact with a hug with another person tended to experience high blood pressure and a faster heart rate.

There are even studies that say hugging teddy bears also has health benefits and suppress stress levels.

Why is hugs good for humans?

Not only physical health benefits, hugging also provides social support and receives the same from our cuddling opponents.

"Being embraced by people we trust is beneficial for meaningful support and makes us better able to reduce the effects of stress," said Sheldon Cohen, a researcher on hugs in 2003.

"Even if done before starting a daily routine, hugs can protect against the effects of stress that may occur throughout the day," says psychologist Karen Grewen of the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Likewise, the benefits of touch in strengthening relationships and teamwork, touch or communication that can be felt help people strengthen trust and cooperation. A study even found that teams of professional basketball players who interacted more physically earlier in the season, such as 'high five' or hugging in teams, worked better together in games. (From various sources)