Science & Wellbeing: A 20-Second Practice
I was delighted to come across research on something remarkably similar to a practice I already use with clients and in my Restore & Reset sessions: placing one hand over the heart and the other over the abdomen, taking a few slow breaths, and noticing the warmth and gentle pressure of your hands.
In one randomized study, just 20 seconds of this “self-soothing touch” before a stressful task was associated with a lower cortisol response. Read the study.
More recent research is exploring what happens when the practice is repeated regularly. The research is still young, but I love the simplicity of it: a small
gesture of care that you can offer yourself almost anywhere.
A key insight: Self-care doesn’t have to be another large task added to an already full life. Sometimes it can be 20 seconds.
