Study: 'Sniffing other people's sweat can help treat social anxiety'
What a weird study...
Social anxiety or social phobia is a serious problem for some people.
Although it's normal in some instances to be shy about meeting new people, socialising, or participating in social activities, people who suffer from social anxiety experience a higher level of stress.
They can be full of fear and avoid being in social spaces altogether. This can interfere with their relationships.
READ: Expert advice on how to manage stress
A new study has found that you can 'cure' social anxiety.
All you have to do is sniff other people's sweat...
This study, according to Sky News, was conducted through collecting armpit sweat from volunteers. The samples were then used alongside more traditional mindfulness therapy to treat social anxiety. According to Verywell Health, 'mindfulness therapy is described as a type of talk therapy that focuses on learning how to be more aware of thoughts, feelings, emotions, surroundings, and situations, and to reduce automatic responses'.
According to the study as quoted by Sky News, patients who completed a mindfulness session while exposed to body odours saw a 39% reduction in social anxiety, while without body odour, there was a 17% reduction in anxiety scores.
READ: ECR's Top 5: Things you tell yourself if you have anxiety
Image courtesy of iStock/ @AntonioGuillem