Today, no one gets rid of living stressed at least a little. Anxiety has taken over the lives of many of us and finding the most effective way to end it has become our obsession. But, the solution to stress may be much closer than you think.
This remedy, in addition to being very original, is very tender and endearing. You may be carrying it out even without realizing it. We are going to ask you a first question to make you think: Why do you like to steal your boyfriend’s clothes so much?
Find the solution against stress in your own home
Neither a meditation routine, nor sports exercises, nor a healthy diet (although all this can be very beneficial). What will help you calm your nerves in a moment of stress is your partner’s used clothes.
This statement may sound a bit strange, but it makes sense if we take into account that the clothes your boyfriend has worn contain a scent that helps you relax. This is explained by a study.
This research has shown that women exposed to a stressful situation felt calmer after having smelled the scent of their male partner. Conversely, if they were given clothes from a stranger, cortisol levels, known as the stress hormone, tended to rise.
Research results
To carry out this study, which could explain why we like to steal a sweatshirt or jacket from our partners so much, 96 heterosexual couples were recruited. The men were given a clean T-shirt to wear for a whole day to make sure their scent lingered. They were forbidden to eat some foods and wear colognes so that their aroma would not be altered.
Next, they gave each of the women who participated in the project a T-shirt without telling them if it belonged to their partner, to a stranger or if it had not been worn. From that moment on, everything was in the hands of her nose and her olfactory ability.
All of them were subjected to a stress test such as a job interview or a math test. The results showed that all those who had smelled their partner’s clothes had a lesser increase in cortisol, which means that they were calmer. In fact, all those who were able to recognize that they were indeed looking at their partner’s shirt had even less anxiety.
In contrast, the stress hormone increased in all women who were exposed to a stranger’s T-shirt.
How it can help relieve stress?
According to the authors of this project, this reaction of the human body is related to evolution. Naturally, man fears strangers, especially when they are men, because of the damage they could cause him. In this way, the smell of a stranger makes us alert, which would raise the stress level of our body.
One of the researchers involved, points out that in such a globalized world in which the population is willing to move to other cities in search of happiness, taking the used garment of a loved one can help to face this situation with more calm.
You know, the next time you have to be away from your partner, take off a jacket to feel a little less homesick.
