A simple stress-reduction technique, courtesy of UBC researchers

Having a bad week at work? One solution is to get close to your romantic partner—close enough to smell them. In fact, they don’t even need to be there in person; just smell some clothes they’ve worn. This is one of the key findings of a recent study at the University of B.C.’s department of psychology. In a blind sniff test, women who smelled a shirt worn by their partner recorded lower levels of cortisol, which is linked to stress. By contrast, those who sniffed a stranger’s clothing became more stressed out.