A daily micropractice of placing hands on the heart and stomach for 20 seconds while saying kind words to yourself significantly reduces stress levels, scientists have found.
Researcher Eli Susman came up with the idea for the trial after embarking on a month-long meditation retreat at The Plum Village Buddhist monastery in Dordogne, southern France.
Assuming that meditating for longer would achieve better results, Mr Susman informed a monk that he had sat quietly for three hours but was surprised at the reaction.
“His eyes widened and he said ‘Three hours?!’ Then he smiled and said ‘How about three breaths? That is all that you need to tune into the present moment,’ said Mr Susman, a doctoral student at the Golden Bear Sleep and Mood Research Clinic at the University of California Berkeley.
“This sparked my curiosity. The time it takes to do three breaths, what if that is really enough to make a difference in people’s lives? This is a large part of what precipitated my interest in micropractices.”
To find out, researchers enlisted 135 college students, and invited some of them to hold their hands over their heart and stomach for 20 seconds - the time it takes for three breaths - while thinking positive thoughts about themselves.
A control group was asked to tap their thumb to each finger alternatively for the same amount of time.
The team found that the students who practised self-compassionate touch for 20 seconds a day, for at least 28 sessions, had a 9.91 per cent decrease in stress, compared to their levels at the start of the trial.
In contrast, those who practised the finger-tapping showed a 21.70 per cent increase in stress which researchers say may be down to college students getting more anxious as the term progresses.
Overall, college students who practised self-compassionate touch for 20 seconds a day showed a 45.66 per cent greater percentage reduction in stress than those who practised the finger-tapping active control for 20 seconds a day.
The size of the effect was similar to that seen for far lengthier practices, such as mindful meditation.
Although previous studies have shown that touch can be beneficial, the researchers are still unsure how it works. A recent paper published in the journal Nature suggested touch can lower cortisol levels in the body.
“It’s possible that this could be one pathway through which it works to promote emotional well-being – however, this has yet to be tested, and we don’t know for sure,” added Mr Susman.
“The size of the effects from daily practice was surprisingly stronger than we expected, and more frequent practice was associated with greater benefits.
“I now find myself practising it at least once a day. It’s been really helpful. It’s been fascinating to observe how my relationship with it has evolved over time, and I keep discovering new nuances from the practice.
“It’s essentially a practice of being a caring friend to yourself when reflecting on moments that evoke being hard on yourself.”
The research was published in the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy.
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