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Give Stress the Soft Touch
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If your worries are following you around like a long afternoon shadow, here's a fun way to give them the slip:
Spend 30 minutes cuddling on the couch tonight. Research shows that physical affection can help lower stress levels.
Happy Half-Hour
In a small 4-week study, healthy married couples that regularly held hands, massaged each other, and cuddled for 30 minutes at least four times a week showed significant changes in physiological systems associated with stress. Their saliva showed more anti-stress hormones as well as lower levels of enzymes associated with stress, compared with that of noncuddlers. Don't have a significant other? Snuggle with your kitty or your pup. Time with pets is a great calm-inducer, too.
Reach Out and Touch Someone You don't have to be married to enjoy the benefits of social support. Time with friends and other family members helps your health, too.
Lunch with a good-natured pal can have far-reaching benefits for your mental well being. It’s important to stay in touch through phone calls, e-mails, and face-to-face visits when you can. Spend time cuddling – whether it be a physical cuddle with an intimate partner or connecting heart-to-heart with someone who cares about you…that’s the important thing.
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