Science Explains Why Social Support Is The Best Cure For Stress

You probably already know that stress is terrible for us, but thankfully there are plenty of things we can do to push back the effect of it. This video from the folks at ASAPScience explains that too much stress can actually be lethal, and sometimes the best way to combat it is a little social interaction.

Many of us understand that stress is bad for us, but it’s a fact of life. While a little stress can be beneficial, too much of it can have serious negative effects on our health. As ASAPScience notes, too much stress is potentially lethal.

We’ve talked about what stress does to your body and what you can do about it, specifically on your own, but the video explains that one way to directly counteract the psychological and biological effects of stress is to spend time with others. Doing so releases the hormone oxytocin into your body, which directly reduces the body’s stress response. Since oxytocin is released during positive social interactions — as in, with people you love or enjoy spending time with, that’s the best way to counteract the effects of stress.

That’s not news — we often de-stress with friends or family after work at home or in some social situation — but it also points to the notion that one great way to cut down on your stress response is to foster good relationships with the people you work with, or to make friends in the places you’re often the most stressed. Putting all of these methods together can give you a solid buffer to keep the negative effects of stress at bay.

Can Stress Actually Kill You? [ASAPScience (YouTube)]