Not the same effect

It has been proven that when women hug their partner, their stress levels decrease significantly within seconds. This means that men can truly help their partners best by simply embracing them. If the woman was irritated and stressed before, she will calm down very quickly in the arms of her loved one. Provided he wasn't the cause of her stress.

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However, unfortunately, the same effect does not occur in reverse. When men are stressed and irritated, women do not achieve the same effect with a hug as would be the case the other way around. For whatever reason, evolution has made clear differences here. We have always thought that men respond to hugs in the same way as women?

How hugs affect women

Our lives are hectic and often filled with many stress factors. Therefore, it's really good to know how to help others when you notice they're going through a real stressful phase. Knowing that a genuinely heartfelt hug can truly help them, you can simply embrace your friend or dear colleague to calm them down.

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Research has been conducted on how hugs affect women, and it has been found that their stress levels immediately decrease when they feel safe and secure. The best effect is naturally achieved by a loving partner who embraces his beloved. Stress hormones decrease immediately and retreat. A pleasant calming sensation sets in within seconds.

A test with many couples

There was also a study conducted by scientists on this topic. They asked 38 couples to participate in this test, and all of them stated that their relationship was loving and happy. They described themselves as harmonious couples, allowing the test to be conducted on them. It's always interesting to see what researchers come up with to conduct good tests that can be beneficial to everyone.

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All participants had to undergo a test. The researchers asked each of them to immerse one hand in ice water for several minutes while looking into a camera. Ouch, that must have been very painful; you know how ice can feel when you deal with it for longer than a few seconds. What exactly were the researchers aiming to achieve with this?

The procedures before this test

It was a well-designed series of tests. Before the participants were asked to immerse their hands, or one hand, in the ice water, they were instructed to hug—half of them, 19 couples to be precise. The other half did not hug before the test began. Before the actual test started and afterward, several stress-indicating values were measured.

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The cortisol level was of particular interest to the researchers. Cortisol is released whenever one encounters a stressful situation or when one is pushed to their mental and physical limits. The body releases it for its own protection, but a high cortisol level is not healthy in the long run, as we all probably know by now.

Hugging has a positive effect on women

After the tests were carefully evaluated, the researchers found that all the women who had hugged their partner before immersing their hands in the ice bath had lower cortisol levels during the test compared to the women who had not hugged their partner. This means that they were more composed and prepared for this challenging situation.

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From this, the researchers concluded that women respond very well to loving hugs from their partners when faced with an unpleasant situation. The effect begins even before the event and continues beyond it. This clearly demonstrates the significance of hugs for women in daily life, emphasizing once again how important hugs are for them.

It wasn't the same for men.

Interestingly, this test revealed that men were not affected by their partner's embrace. Despite undergoing the same tests, they didn't respond as calmly to the stressful situation as expected. It's quite puzzling, we believe. Why is there such a difference?

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They were thoroughly examined, with blood pressure measured and emotional reactions closely observed. However, no impact of their partner's embrace on them could be identified. This raises the big question: why is this the case? Why are women easily comforted by such a simple gesture while men are not?

Why do men react differently here?

So, for men, it's good to know: Whenever their beloved partner encounters a stressful situation, all they need to do is simply embrace her, if she's comfortable with it, of course. She will quickly calm down and, especially in stressful situations thereafter, be able to act more composed than without this hug.

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Why it doesn't work the other way around is unclear. Even the researchers are puzzled by this. In theory, it should work the same for men, right? It's not like they don't enjoy cuddling and feeling comfortable when hugged? Why has nature put a stop to it here, ensuring that men cannot be comforted in stressful situations by a simple, loving gesture like a hug?

Still continue to embrace your partner.

So it's by no means that you shouldn't hug your partner anymore. On the contrary. It's equally good for men, there's just the difference that they don't calm down when hugged. If they're angry, they stay angry. If they're stressed, a hug won't change that either.

Maybe nature has wisely provided here? Think about it. In the past, people were often attacked. By wild animals and also by opponents. If the man now is comforted all cuddly and soft by his partner, then he certainly won't be able to fight back and defend his family if necessary. So, it's probably a very clever natural mechanism.

In general, this applies not only in romantic relationships.

So, feel free to continue hugging each other. If a man isn't stressed, a hug is just as beneficial for him as it is for women. Men enjoy cuddling too, and when they are in a calm and pleasant environment, it will have a calming effect on them as well. We suspect that men know exactly when they can let go and enjoy a hug.

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By the way, hugs are valuable not only in romantic relationships. The stress-reducing effect also applies among good friends. You know that yourself. If your sister hugs you, you calm down quickly, or if you have a loving mother who hugs you, you'll be calmed down within seconds.

Evolutionary reasons

The researchers from Rome who conducted this study suspect that there are indeed compelling reasons for women to have a stronger reaction to hugs. They speculate that women, purely through touch, can recognize whether, for example, their child is in need or not. This makes them more sensitive and more likely to react than men. That could be a good explanation.

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However, the most important finding here was that it practically always worked. When women are stressed or facing a significant challenge, a simple hug, provided it's loving, can help them immediately become calmer and face the task at hand with composure. Conversely, after stressful events, they can also be immediately comforted, and the evening or day is saved. Isn't that good to know?