In a recent study published in Psychological Science, the somewhat logical has been discovered: thinking of a loved one eases physical pain. The study’s co-author Naomi Eisenberger, assistant professor of psychology at UCLA, explains in LiveScience:
This changes our notion of how social support influences people. Typically, we think that in order for social support to make us feel good, it has to be the kind of support that is very responsive to our emotional needs. Here, however, we are seeing that just a photo of one’s significant other can have the same effect.
Using psychological support to ease pain is a natural approach anyone can adopt, reaffirming the importance of love in our lives. I imagine even the love of a pet can substitute when human relationships go awry.