Researchers find an easy way to lower blood pressure: Think of a loved one

A couple holding hands.
(Image credit: iStock)

Looking for a quick way to lower your blood pressure? Researchers suggest you close your eyes, and think of someone you love.

A new study in the journal Psychophysiology found that when people in committed relationships were put in a potentially uncomfortable situation, when they thought about their partner, their blood pressure didn't spike the way it did with people who were told to think about how they spent their day.

Researchers studied 120 undergraduate students, showing them videos of adorable animals for one minute in order to drop their blood pressure and heart rate. They were then split into three groups: All of them had to put their feet in ice water for four minutes, but in group one, their partners were present; in group two, they were told to think about their partner; and in group three, they were told to reflect on their day. Researchers found that the blood pressure of participants in the first two groups didn't spike as high as the people who were told to think about their day, Psychology Today reports. The participants whose partners were in the room also said they were in less physical pain from the cold water.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.