HOUSTON — It’s a common gesture across cultures and there are plenty of studies to show holding hands has a lot of benefits.
According to the Washington Post, it can help lower blood pressure, reduce pain and ease stressful situations.
In one study, researchers had couples hold hands during a scary movie. That small act helped limit the stress on our nervous system, calming parts of the brain responsible for vigilance and emotional response.
It also matters whose hand we are holding.
A very small study on married women found holding a stranger’s hand did lower stress levels. However, that effect was even more pronounced when they held their husband’s hand.
For couples with the highest scores on marital quality tests, that stress relief was even more significant. So basically, the better the relationship, the more hand-holding helped.
The reason hand holding can be so effective could have to do with how our hands work. They are one of the first ways we explore the world thanks to the fact that newborns are nearsighted.
According to the Post, an incredible amount of nerve fibers are located on our palms and fingertips. A 2009 study found strangers were able to recognize emotions such as happiness, fear, disgust and gratitude solely through touch.
A reminder that we can say a lot just by saying, "I wanna hold your hand."