Holding hands is a basic form of affection and a common part of relationships across many cultures.
Some scientific studies and experiments show that holding your spouse's hand has a significant impact on your psychological and mental health. Studies say it helps reduce pain and alleviate stressful experiences, but the most profound thing about holding hands is the need to connect and feel connected to someone.
touch power
In 2021, a group of researchers conducted a scientific experiment to discover the calming effect on women when holding their husbands' hands while watching horror movie clips.
The study, published on the website of the US National Library of Medicine, showed that this simple movement reduced stress and its impact on the autonomic nervous system, which regulates unconscious bodily functions such as pupil dilation.
The study concluded that when women felt anxious and stressed, holding the hand of a family member calmed the parts of the brain responsible for alertness and general response, but the most powerful effect was when they held their husbands' hands. Marital satisfaction and the quality of the relationship between spouses also had a greater impact and benefit in reducing stress and its impact on health.
James Cowan, professor of psychology and director of the Virginia Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Virginia, has spent years exploring how social relationships protect humans from stress and maintain health.
Cowan, along with a group of researchers, conducted several experiments on the effects of hand-holding. One experiment involved 16 married women who underwent MRI brain scans and were then subjected to a possible electric shock. The brain scans showed that the neural circuits associated with vigilance for potential threats were significantly less active, and the women felt less stressed. However, when they held the hand of a stranger, neural circuits were more active and they felt more stressed.
Kwan believes the findings suggest that holding hands helps the brain release stress, so when someone holds the hand of a loved one during a difficult time, it's as if they're sharing the burden.
Why do people hold hands?
In a talk on the University of Virginia website, Cowan argued that people hold hands for many reasons, but there is a common denominator that unites them all: the desire to feel safe and share the burden, as in previous experiments.
"We seek cues from each other that we are together," Quan said. "When we lack those cues, our bodies go into an alarm state that leads to a stress response. When we regain those cues through hand-holding, our brains and bodies can relax and move on to other interests."
Cowan pointed out that hands are packed with intense sensory capabilities that provide detailed information about the objects they touch, including a woman's touch of her husband's hand. "Our hands are our bodies' means of exploring and manipulating the world. We reach out in the dark, and when we find another hand there, we know for sure that we are not alone."
Cowan noted that grasping is a very ancient human behavior, but at the same time, it is not limited to humans alone. There is some evidence that other species do the same thing.
Cowan gave an example from primates, saying that chimpanzees do this too, although they do it much less frequently than humans, and under more specific circumstances. “Chimpanzees use what they call ‘hand clasping’ as part of a reconciliation ritual after a conflict.”
Benefits of holding the hand of someone you love
Holding hands is an essential part of a secure relationship. It allows couples to express love, trust, and empathy, in addition to promoting physical health, reducing pain and stress, and building a healthy relationship. The HelloRelish website lists several key benefits of holding hands, including:
feeling safe
Holding hands is an essential part of a secure relationship, creating a sense of stability, reassurance, and belonging to the other person.
reduce stress
Comforting touch can instantly reduce stress. When people in stressful situations hold their partner's hand, their heart rate and blood pressure drop, and their levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, also drop significantly.
Secretion of the love hormone
Holding hands with your wife releases oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone," which plays a significant role in building and shaping human relationships.
strong bond
Holding hands fosters feelings of empathy, compassion, and trust, allowing for a strong and lasting partnership. Regularly holding your spouse's hand strengthens your connection and encourages the development of these essential feelings of empathy, intimacy, and trust.
pain relief
Empathic touch, such as hand-holding, has been scientifically proven to reduce pain. Holding your partner's hand helps you feel less uncomfortable and more secure.
Heart health
Holding hands can lower blood pressure and heart rate. Both of these factors can contribute to reducing stress and improving overall heart health.
Reducing anxiety levels
During anxiety attacks, heart rates increase, breathing becomes rapid, cortisol levels rise, and blood pressure rises. All of these factors can contribute to poor physical health. Holding hands can calm anxiety attacks before they escalate.
Resisting loneliness
Holding your spouse's hand provides a sense of belonging and security. A person can feel lonely even when in the presence of others, but holding your spouse's hand provides immediate physical feedback that breaks this loneliness and replaces it with feelings of acceptance, belonging, and love.
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