The simple 20-second move you can do each day to ease stress and anxiety – plus the 15 signs you need it

WHEN you’re feeling stressed or run down, sometimes all you want is a good hug.

But a study shows that you don’t necessarily need the touch of others to soothe you – and you might only need 20 seconds a day.

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A study published in the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy examined whether self-compassionate touch can relieve stress and anxiety if practiced on a regular basis.

Self-compassionate touch is the practice of soothing yourself through physical contact, placing your hand on your heart or belly and taking deep breaths.

The study – lead by Eli Susman, a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley – suggests that practising a few seconds of self-touch touch a day can produce a powerful physiological response in the body.

It found that people who practised self-soothing touch for just 20 seconds a days had significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared to study participants who didn’t.

People regularly engaged in the soothing practice also experienced improved well-being.

“In this touch-deprived society, we can offer ourselves the same kindness and compassion we so freely give to others,” Dr Susman told CNN.

“It’s right at our fingertips.”

Researchers recruited 121 university students aged 18 and older and randomly assigned to watch a video about how to perform self-compassionate touch or finger-tapping.

The students were then asked to perform the practice they had been shown for 20 seconds each day for a month, after which they had to rate their emotional well-being.

Finger-tappers, who were asked to their index finger and thumb together to touch, served as the control group. 

Participants practising self-compassionate touch were shown how to place their hands over their hearts and belly while thinking kind thoughts.

They were also instructed to close their eyes and remember a recent mistake.

Focusing on how they felt in the moment, participants were asked to send feelings of warmth and kindness to themselves.

Students were told to ask themselves, “How can I be a friend to myself at this moment?”

They also had the option of trying other forms of comforting touch, like stroking the back of their neck, using their thumb to massage a spot on the palm or stroking the upper arms like a hug.

These students reported feeling more self-compassion immediately after their first soothing touch session.

And after spending 20 seconds a day soothing themselves for a month, they reported higher levels of self-compassion, less stress and better mental health than those in the finger-tapping group.

The positive effects of self-soothing touch were found to be similar to more time-consuming practices, like meditation.

But Dr Susman noted that the “micropractice” can’t substitute treatments for serious mental health issues like therapy.

Instead, touching yourself in a soothing manner daily can be helpful “when more time-intensive approaches may be less accessible”, he said.

Signs you’re struggling with stress and anxiety

For many of us, stress can be a part of our daily life – to the point that we don’t pick up on red flags until it’s too late.

Stress can affect you physically and mentally, as well as causing changes to your behaviour, the NHS notes.

You may experience some of the following signs when struggling with stress:

1. Headaches or dizziness
2. Muscle tension or pain
3. Stomach problems
4. Chest pain or a faster heartbeat
5. Sexual problems
6. Difficulty concentrating
7. Struggling to make decisions
8. Feeling overwhelmed
9. Constantly worrying
10. Being forgetful
11. Being irritable and snappy
12. Sleeping too much or too little
13. Eating too much or too little
14. Avoiding certain places or people
15. Drinking or smoking more

If stress is taking a toll in your life, that’s a sign to seek help for it.