Why we should be hugging more
‘Everyday you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug or just a friendly pat on the back’ — Maya Angelou
A hug is one of life’s most simple yet effective gestures and as humans, we often crave the contact, assurance, safety and love this act can represent. In this rather anonymous internet age, this simple act can have a huge impact on one’s health and well-being. Whether a quick squeeze, long embrace or comforting cuddle, the human connection a hug provides satisfies our physical and emotional needs bringing peace and happiness to our daily lives.
Below are 8 scientific reasons a hug could turn your day around:
1.A hug builds trust and a sense of safety, helping with honest and open communication.
2. A hug is the fastest way to get Oxycontin hormones flowing in your body. Oxycontin is a neurotransmitter that acts on the brain’s emotional centre, promoting feelings of devotion, trust and bonding, and alleviating feelings of anger, isolation and loneliness. When you hug someone, Oxycontin is released lowering both our heart and stress rates.
3. Holding a hug for an extended time lifts serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that contributes to feelings of well-being and happiness. The increased levels therefore elevate your mood and create happiness.
4. A hug can stimulate dopamine which is responsible for both motivation and the feel-good feeling. Procrastination, self-doubt and a lack of enthusiasm are linked to low levels of dopamine and hugs are suggested to adjust these levels.
5. They are a natural stress reliever. A hug is thought to immediately reduce the stress hormone cortisol sending calming messages to the brain and releasing any tension in the body.
6. Adults could benefit the most. Studies have shown that loneliness, especially with age can increase stress and affect one’s health. Hugging someone makes you feel closer to them, thus decreasing feelings of loneliness.
7. They can balance our nervous system. A study showing the effect in moisture and electricity in the skin after a hug suggests a more balanced state in the nervous system.
8. Well hugged babies are less stressed as adults. In 1997, an Emory University study in rats found there to be a link between touch and stress relief, especially in the early stages of life. Research concluded that the same could apply to humans and a baby’s development, where the ability to cope with stress as an adult is dependent on a combination of nature and nurture.
