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When we find ourselves engaged in conflict with someone else, whether it’s our friend or significant other, it can be difficult to find ways to de-escalate the situation.
Tensions rise, emotions get in the way, and attacks can suddenly turn personal, leaving us to feel not so great long after the fact.
But what if there was a way to quickly turn a fight or argument around? What if we could somehow quickly, and relatively easily, cool the conflict before it got out of hand?
As it turns out, there is a way to do just that. In a new study, research found that simply hugging the other person you’re arguing with can greatly and positively affect the mood changes that come with arguing.
Over 400 adults were interviewed every night for two weeks about conflicts, their emotions, and any hugs they had received during the day. It was found that those who had hugged or been hugged by others on days where there was conflict experienced less negative side effects of conflict than those who had received no hugs. Essentially, hugging others de-escalated the conflict and tensions surrounding it, while also lowering feelings of negativity.
Interpersonal touch is a powerful source of positive energy between people. In a way, it acts as a buffer between individuals, even during the most stressful times (e.g., during a fight). These findings show that interpersonal touch, particularly hugging, can help resolve conflict and even reduce the stress that typically results from it.
In its barest, rawest form, hugging is a way of showing your support for someone else, and even bringing two very different people to the same level of understanding. It’s a means of expressing trust and fellowship, no matter how severe the conflict is.
So the next time you find yourself caught in a conflict with a friend or loved one, hug it out. It may not offer a complete resolution to the dispute, but it will, at the very least, allow for a more productive conversation to follow.
Related: 7 Reasons Why Fighting Actually Benefits Your Relationship
