As college students, we endure a substantial amount of stress as the weeks pass and morph into finals. We are balancing everything from class to philanthropies. We are healing from Songfest and preparing for the end of the semester. Freshmen are already worrying about what they should pack for abroad. Sophomores either don’t want to come back to Malibu or can’t wait for their friends to join them in the ‘Bu. Juniors and seniors are praying for the end, but are also wary of the upper division finals and anxiety of graduation. In preparation for that stress, there are a couple of quick fixes that might interest you — Waves, listen up and prepare to thank me.
Philematology, or the study of kissing, has become increasingly popular in the past few years. Recent studies have shown that physical affection such as kissing and cuddling are simple ways to reduce stress. According to WebMD, the act of kissing releases two types of hormones in your body: cortisol (which calms the body) and endorphins (the post workout or post chocolate hormone — basically the “feel good” hormone). According to WebMD and Dr. Laura Berman, one of the leaders of a kissing study done at Northwestern Medical School, “Kissing relieves stress by creating a sense of connectedness, which releases endorphins, the chemicals that counteract stress and depression.”
But there are other health benefits to kissing, based on BestKisses.com, a website devoted to promoting health by kisses. A few scientific facts from their website: A “kissing diet” of three passionate kisses a day that last around 20 seconds can double your metabolic rate and cause you to lose up to an entire pound. People who kiss more often are also less likely to suffer from stomach, bladder and blood infections. Kissing elongates life up to five years past the average number.
But kissing is not the only form of physical touch that reduces stress. Cuddling is said to do the trick as well. According to WebMD, a study conducted by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill revealed that when couples cuddle before they talk about difficult issues, their anxiety levels don’t fluctuate during arguments as much as couples who solely talk about problems without physical affection.
The evidence is before us, Pepperdine. Kissing and snuggling are scientifically proven ways to reduce stress and increase your overall health. But with this great power also comes great responsibility — no one wants to see you and your significant other “de-stressing” on the DTR swings. So go for a romantic sunset drive, walk down to the beach, borrow a hammock from the Hammock Club and get to smoochin’ to take a little stress off your shoulders.
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Follow Connor Shewmake on Twitter: @connorshewmake
