Why Physical Comfort Plays a Bigger Role in Emotional Well-Being Than We Realize

What is it about physical comfort that makes people feel emotionally more secure? It has to be the mind-body connection, right? When your brain knows your body is safe, secure, and well-taken care of, it can relax. It can feel less stressed, less anxious, and less depressed. Even a momentary physical reassurance like a pat on the back can calm the mind to the point of shifting perspective. That’s why physical comfort plays such a big role in this discussion. The more you care for the body, the better you can manage the emotions.

The Human Brain Needs to Feel Safe

You’ve likely heard about the concepts of fight, flight, freeze, and the latest, fawn. These are all nervous system reactions to danger. The brain recognizes that the body is unsafe, so it triggers an emotional reaction. You either fight, you flee, or you’re paralyzed by fear. Recent findings show that some people, usually females, may also respond by attempting to befriend or appease their attackers. This is fawning. 

Today’s world seems to be sending all kinds of danger signals to the point that many people stay in a constant state of emotional turmoil. Their bodies don’t feel safe, so their brains tell them they’re not safe, so they struggle. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Quite often, if you can provide someone with a bit of physical comfort, you can help turn around their emotional state. The more physically safe someone feels, the less reactionary their nervous system will be. And they can start to make real progress in their emotional state. 

Food Meets an Essential Need

You’ve likely been “hangry” before. Maybe you’ve felt “low-energy.” You might have even called yourself “lazy.” Then, you fix yourself a cup of tea, a friend brings over chicken soup, or you go out for sushi with a loved one. Suddenly, your spirits are improved. You feel happier, more motivated, and even a bit inspired. Was it the company or the act of kindness? Surely that’s part of it. 

But the reality is that food meets an essential need without which it’s hard to see past a single difficult moment or time in your life. If you’re hungry, it’s not easy to get motivated to make the necessary changes to make things better. If you’re eating only junk food, you may not be getting any nutrients to give you energy. All of these systemic failures will have your brain in a negative reaction mode. But meeting that most basic need can instantly trigger your brain to lighten up. 

Blankets and Throws Signal Protection 

To take human needs even further, there’s something so fundamental to the human experience about being warm. On cold days, cozying up next to a fire, under a blanket, with warm socks can lend a feeling of security to most people in even the saddest state. Even during summer, many people lie under the sun, skin exposed, basking in the hot rays, and they feel encouraged and uplifted. Sure, some of that has to do with the vitamin D acting as a mood lifter. But a lot of it is also just feeling warm and safe. 

Warmth almost always signals comfort to the human brain. That’s why you can give someone you love a cozy throw blanket as a gift, and it will serve as both a reminder of your love and a symbol of safety. The same goes for fuzzy socks, mittens, beanies, and winter coats. Blanketing someone you love in warmth meets their body’s physical need for security. This response can then trigger their emotions to relax, rest, and reset a stressed or depressed nervous system. 

Even Temporary Shelter Calms the Nervous System

Speaking of a stressed or depressed nervous system, shelter is one of the most basic human needs. It’s so basic, in fact, that without it, many people will fall into disrepair so extreme that it’s hard to pull out of it. Indeed, many people who find themselves homeless struggle to get housing because, without shelter, it’s hard to get the resources they need to find shelter. It’s an emotional nightmare that can feel impossible to wake up from. 

If you have someone who’s struggling with a job loss, a bad breakup that leaves them without housing, or a mental illness that makes it hard for them to get shelter, one of the best things you can do is help them stay housed. You may not have room in your own home, but you can help by calling housing assistance programs or reaching out to other loved ones. With shelter, your loved one is more likely to stay emotionally positive and find a way back to stability. And that positive mind-body connection can keep them moving forward. 

Human Touch Creates Connection 

Finally, human touch is one of the easiest ways to help people stay emotionally upbeat. You’ve likely heard of the study done on infants many decades ago. Monkeys who were raised in rooms without a mother, or anyone else, to touch them, became withdrawn and depressed. The monkey who had even a makeshift mother in the room, a stuffed animal of sorts, exhibited more positive behaviors. Since that time, ample research has revealed the power of human touch to soothe, calm, and reassure. 

The good news about these findings is that human touch is something you can offer to any one of your friends or loved ones. It can be something as simple as a pat on the back, a hug, or even a handshake. For people you’re especially close to, like your children, a spouse, or maybe a sibling, a long hug can even help reset a frazzled nervous system. Indeed, research shows that hugging for longer than 20 seconds can boost oxytocin (the “love hormone”) and bring stress levels down. How’s that for physical comfort playing a huge role in emotional well-being?