Stress is a constant state ins today’s busy world, and has an impact on both the body and the mind. The body can activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) and release cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, when it perceives a threat. That cycle can repeatedly affect mood, metabolism, and sleep. What easy, organic methods can lighten the load, then? The common hug is one easily available type of social contact that has caught attention as a mild method of reducing the body’s stress reaction, particularly in women.
With obvious implications for psychological well-being in day-to-day life, this topic resides at the heart of neuroendocrinology, emotional regulation, and mental health.
Human proximity can help the body cope with stress naturally, without the need for drugs, equipment, or negative effects. It’s a win-win.
What we know so far
Chronic stress is now considered a public health concern. The HPA axis releases cortisol to help the body get ready for a challenge. In brief bursts, that is helpful. However, if the signal continues to fire, it may impact day-to-day performance by interfering with sleep cycles, altering metabolic processes, and pushing mood toward exhaustion or anger. As a result, social contact has been investigated by researchers as a stress reliever.
For instance, research on massage suggests that some types of contact can lower sympathetic nervous system activity as well as endocrine activation. However, not all forms of touch have been fully studied.
The hug is as a common, global act of solidarity that has just recently started to r.eceive attention in the science world. Knowing how a simple, common action might affect the stress response could promote non-pharmacological approaches that are simple to implement and considerate of daily routines.
How a hug can reduce stress
Recent studies have examined the effects of giving a quick hug to a friend or romantic partner before to engaging in a stress-inducing task, like a socially evaluated cold stressful test.
Women who gave their lover a hug beforehand released less cortisol than those who did not. This shows that because a hug modifies the physiological reaction without the need for outside assistance, it can function as a natural protective barrier during socially stressful situations, like job interviews or exams. Interestingly, neither the activation of the sympathetic nervous system nor the individuals’ reports of their sentiments of affection showed any detectable changes. Rather than an autonomic response or subjective mood, this suggests a main effect at the endocrine level.
There seems to be differences between genders though. Men did not show the same shielding effect in these situations, according to the studies. Although the cause is yet unknown, it may be due to changes in hormones or cultural norms around physical affection. It may also suggest that men occasionally benefit more from other forms of social engagement, like talking with friends, playing sports, or working on projects.
A simple habit with daily benefits
A hug can act as a biological treatment to help the body deal with stress. It fits nicely into a useful toolkit for emotional regulation because the effect appears to be mostly at the endocrine level, with no observed changes in sympathetic nervous system activity.
By noticing the different perceptions and cortisol levels reductions between men and women, we can see that it’s difficult to control emotions using only one method. Which makes it very important to adapt tactics to each person’s needs.
However, a hug before a stressful meeting, a supportive touch after a long day, can help feeling a bit more calmer and make the body’s internal systems a little more cooperative in any case.