The ‘coupley’ thing that experts say we should all be doing more of to improve our mental health
- Holding hands with someone you trust has a positive impact on the stress response
- Physical touch stimulates the production of oxytocin and promotes the feeling of social bonding
- READ MORE: ‘Cuddle hormone’ can improve the muscle condition of the bones
Whether you find it romantic or cheesy, holding hands serves an important purpose for our mental health, experts claim.
The act of interlocking fingers with a romantic interest dampens the “threat signals” sent by the brain when we sense we are alone.
The security of a comrade through physical touch modulates the brain’s response to stressful situations.
According to James Coan, a psychologist at the University of Virginia, “For the human brain, the world has a series of problems to solve.
“And it turns out that being alone is a problem.”
Hand holding can reduce stress hormones and lower heart rate because the brain releases signals that calm the nervous system
Holding hands is a crucial part of the human bonding that babies instinctively do when new mothers touch their palms.
The hands are loaded with sensitive nerve fibers that connect to the vagus nerve in the brain – the epicenter of our parasympathetic nervous system.
This system oversees a wide range of crucial body functions, including mood control, immune response, digestion, and heart rate.
Physical touch in the form of hand holding, hugging and cuddling also releases feel-good chemicals in the brain, such as oxytocin and serotonin, which help people feel connected to each other.
Holding hands is an instinctive action from birth to make it easier to hold our mothers. A newborn baby will reflexively grab hold when you touch his or her palm
James Coan looked for the positive effects that holding the hand of a loved one in stressful situations has on the brain.
In a study of 16 married women who were told they would receive an electric shock, those who held a stranger’s hand saw a reduction in the brain’s threat response, according to scans.
The sense of relief was even greater when the women held the hands of their husbands.
The happier the couples said they were in their relationship, the more their partner’s hand dampened the brain’s response to the shock.
He also concluded that the absence of such a connection produces a remarkable change in brain activity.
Pressure on the very sensitive palms ignites the pressure-sensitive nerve endings in the skin.
These nerve endings send signals to the vagus nerve, which, in turn, it conducts signals to the hypothalamus, which is able to lower heart rate and blood pressure, mediating the body’s response to stress.
Hand in hand at the same time stimulates the production of oxytocin. This ‘love hormone’ helps strengthen social bonding and connection, something humans need to thrive.
Oxytocin can also increase a person’s pain threshold and reduce inflammation in the body.
A separate 2021 study found that holding someone’s hand during a time of stress can lower cortisol levelsalso called the stress hormone.
The researchers reported that people who gave themselves comforting touches or received hugs from someone else had lower stress hormone cortisol levels than those who did not.
This was especially the case after a stressful situation in which they felt judged by others.