Stress is contagious

We all know about the common contagious illnesses that we can catch in a blink, like flu. But did you ever think that you can get stressed just by being in the proximity of a stressed person?

Well apparently you can, according to German researchers. And you have more chances to catch it if it's experienced by a dear person.

A study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology reached this conclusion after studying 150 pairs of participants. Each pair consisted of a man and a woman, some of them being close or in a relationship, and others – complete strangers.

One participant from each pair was involved in stressful activities, and the other remotely watched the partner. Both participants were tested afterward for physiological stress reactions.

A quarter of the observers registered heightened stress hormone levels after the experiment. What's more interesting, is that 40% of those who watched a significant person, registered an increase in stress levels, while only 10% of the stranger couples were affected in the same way.

"Stress has enormous contagion potential,” said study author Veronika Engert, Ph.D., “even television [programs] depicting the suffering of other people can transmit that stress to viewers," she added.