Can Holding Hands Relieve Stress and Anxiety?

There's no doubt we live in a complicated, fast paced. It should come as no surprise that many Americans feel the weight of stress in their everyday lives, zapping their energy and causing them to feel anxious on a daily basis. Many stressed out people turn to prescription drugs and even alcohol to reduce stress levels. Would it surprise you to learn that something as simple as holding hands with your spouse can be a significant source of stress relief for women? Could the panacea for worry and anxiety be as simple as learning how to hold hands more frequently?

In an interesting study carried out by James Coan PhD, female study subjects were given low level electric shocks to create tension and stress. While the shocks were being delivered, MRI scans were taken of the women's brains to record stress levels induced by the shocks. In one group of female test subjects, the women were allowed to hold their husband's hand, while the other group braved the shocks without the benefit of hand holding. Upon studying the brains scans, the experimenters found the group who held their husband's hand during the shocks had reduced levels of stress as manifested by the MRI results.

It seems that the simple act of holding hands reduces stress levels by making a woman feel as if she's protected from threat by a caring partner. This therapeutic benefit of hand holding is consistent with previous studies that have shown that hugging and cuddling can reduce stress levels. There may actually be a scientific basis for the stress reducing properties of a hand holding or a cuddle. When couples cuddle, it's been shown that release of a hormone called oxytocin increases which is sometimes known as the bonding or "cuddling" hormone. Could hand holding also cause release of oxytocin or other biochemicals that can soothe the effects of stress?