You might’ve noticed that stress has a tendency to leak out of just your mind and show up in your body, too. Physiologically, it could take the form of tight shoulders, a quickened pulse or a restless and jittery feeling that lingers no matter what you do. Even when the original stressor is gone, your nervous system can stay on high alert, keeping your body primed for action long after it’s needed.

Researchers from Cape Town, South Africa wanted to understand how physiological stress (like physical threats) and psychosocial stress (like social pressure or emotional strain) affect the body and brain. In 2023, the authors analyzed a wide range of scientific studies on stress, drawing from both human and animal research. Here’s what they found:

• Short-term stress can be adaptive, which helps the body respond to challenges.

• Chronic or repeated stress, however, can disrupt cognitive functioning, weaken immune responses and increase vulnerability to physical and mental health problems.

• Cortisol levels and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis activity, which helps the body respond to threats, were shown to play a central role in these effects, with prolonged elevation linked to memory difficulties, emotional disturbances and higher disease risk.

What’s important to note here is that the impact of stress differs widely between individuals and is influenced by factors such as genetics, age, past experiences, personality as well as coping strategies.

This means that stress is deeply personal, and dealing with it can be just as personal.

Finding The Right Stress-Relief Strategy

Often, when we think of coping strategies for stress, the first things that come to mind are breathing exercises, meditation or anything that may help you “calm your mind.” These are fair strategies, as the mind is where chaos mostly seems to begin.

Although these techniques can certainly be helpful for some people, they won’t necessarily always work for everyone. When your nervous system is already on high alert, simply telling yourself to relax or focusing on your breath can sometimes feel more frustrating and, counterintuitively, even increase your tension.

Meditation is often recommended as a go-to for relieving stress, but a 2020 systematic review published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica suggests it might not work for everyone. In some cases, it may even cause harm.

The researchers analyzed 83 studies, involving over 6,700 adults who practiced meditation (excluding physical practices like yoga). The reported negative effects were diverse, which included:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Cognitive disturbances

• Stress

• Perceptual anomalies

Most of these occurred during or immediately after meditation. What was more concerning, however, is that many participants who experienced severe effects had no prior mental health issues. This suggests that adverse reactions can happen to anyone.

The researchers suggest that several factors appear to influence the likelihood of negative experiences during meditation. Some of them could be the intensity of the practice, the instructors’ competency, the individual’s vulnerabilities and the context in which it occurs.

This doesn’t mean you have to rule out meditation or breathing exercises as tools for stress relief. Rather, you just need to keep track of which coping strategies work for you consistently, based on your current circumstances and emotional state.

A New Tool For Your Stress Relief Toolkit

In moments where “slow down” strategies feel ineffective, your effort should be to soothe and bring yourself back to homeostasis. This refers to your physiological “baseline” of a steady heart rate, and balanced blood pressure and stress hormone levels. Essentially, homeostasis is your body’s way of maintaining internal stability, even when external conditions are challenging.

A 2021 study outlines two reliable way to achieve this. To begin, the study exposed the participants to social situations that provoked stress. They were then divided into three groups: the first were instructed to use self-soothing touch, the second received a hug from someone else and the control group received no touch.

The findings showed that both self-soothing touch and hugs were associated with a sharp and consistent decline in cortisol responses compared to the control group. Self-soothing touch prompted faster recovery of cortisol levels back to near-baseline, proving to be particularly effective in helping the body rebound after stress. Moreover, physiological benefits of touch can occur even when we don’t consciously feel calmer.

Another important finding unearthed in this study was that the effectiveness of touch was not influenced by social identity. So, it didn’t matter whether participants shared a group identity with the person giving the hug.

In simpler terms, this means that touch can be beneficial, even if it comes from a stranger. However, it will likely be more effective when provided by someone familiar or close, as it can provide a much-needed sense of support and connectedness in times of stress.

The study’s authors even explained the mechanisms behind this phenomenon:

1. Firstly, the tactile stimulation from touch activates nerve receptors that stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This helps to slow your heart rate and regulate your stress responses.

2. Touch also triggers the release of oxytocin, commonly associated with bonding and safety, which provides a sense of emotional comfort.

A hug can be both an easy and comforting way to give your mind and body a sense of safety when you’re feeling stressed. And if a hug from someone else isn’t possible, then self-soothing touch can be just as effective for grounding.

Curious how well you’re taking care of yourself? Take this quick science-backed test to find out: Self-Care Inventory

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes, here.