Secret to brightening a loved one’s day

When you’re struggling to come up with the right words for your spouse before a nerve-wracking event such as a doctor’s visit, try commenting on the mundane (like, “So glad the sun came out!”). In a study in Computers in Human Behavior, people who received a text like this from their partner before a stressful task had significantly lower blood pressure than those who got a direct message (like, “I’m sure everything will be fine”). The subtler approach lets loved ones know you’re there without calling attention to their stress.