What's in a Hug? Benefits You Might Not Know
As July 15 marks Global Hug Your Kids Day, we thought to ourselves, “What’s in a hug?”
Hugging sounds easy–wrap your arms around another person and squeeze! However, it is not always that easy. Hugs can be given and received differently by everyone. For example, some hugs are there to welcome us hello, and others goodbye; some hugs are exciting and full of energy, while other hugs are given or received when we feel tired, powerless, upset or unsafe; some hugs are given in the place of words; some people like hugs and others don’t; some like them soft and gentle and others may like a nice tight squeeze. A lot of times a big hug is exactly what we need, more than anything else in the world, by the right person in the right time, to help us feel comforted, cared for, and loved.
With this in mind, surely in some circumstances there is nothing more powerful in this world than a hug. A simple hug can help you get up even if your plate is full of life to carry. In the right time and place, hugging can have a positive effect on both people involved. Even though hugging is a physical activity, it has a lot of mental benefits as well.
Hugging, as a result, can be a very effective medicine. Hugs have the power to change thoughts and feelings in a matter of moments. The best thing about a ‘medicine’ like hugs is that you do not need a prescription or money to get it! Let’s take a look at some of the ways hugs can help you feel better.
Loneliness and Connection
Hugs can help you deal with loneliness. When someone hugs you, you are engaged in the sensory experience of deep pressure and being in the moment with someone else. A simple hug from someone you love or from an acquaintance you trust can help you feel better about your surroundings. It also literally makes you less alone, to have someone else within arm’s reach!
How many Hugs have you had Today?
Family therapist Virginia Satir notes that hugs are essential to our wellbeing: we need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 for maintenance, and 12 hugs a day for growth. A unique therapy based on a simple concept: Hugging more often in our lives! Many people don’t realize how strong our mind-body connections can be. Hugging can help you feel assured that your sickness, stress, anxiety etc is acknowledged by someone else and under control.
It Can Cheer You Up And Make Your Feel More Focused
“A Hug A Day Keeps The Blues Away”! Hugs can help you cheer up. No matter how bad your mood is, a small hug or deep embrace can uplift you in no time. It can also help you when you are angry at someone or when someone is angry at you. If someone is mad at you, try a hug instead and see the results for yourself–sometimes nobody needs to get the last word in–we just need our frustrations vented and a non-verbal way to show that you listen and you care.
Hug Can Help Your Reduce Fear
If you are feeling frightened or scared by something, then this feeling can be easily eliminated if you get a hug by someone you love. As mentioned earlier, sometimes when we are distressed or feeling unsafe, we don’t need to go into problem-solving mode right away–instead, let a hug serve as a way to regulate and calm ourselves.
Keep the hugs coming!
When two people hug each other, a hormone called oxytocin is released in their bodies. This is also known as the ‘cuddle chemical’. Once this chemical is released in your body you experience several amazing feelings including calmness, relaxation, support, being loved and a general reduction of stress.
About Global Hug Your Kids Day
We all want our kids to enjoy happy and healthy lives but sometimes, the world around us gets tough. At Qi Creative, we know that we all face challenges. If your kids are feeling blue one day, then sometimes the best thing to do is simply go to them and give them a deep hug. Global Hug Your Kids day is there to remind you of the power of hugs not only as an opportunity to show how much you love their kids, but for how powerful a hug can be for everyone.
Global Hug Your Kids Day, unfortunately, has a very tragic back story. It was started by Michelle Nichols in 2008 when her son, Mark, passed away from brain cancer at the age of 8. At the end of the day you should know that you don’t need a specific day, but Global Hug Your Kids Day serves to remind us that time with our children is precious, not just for hugs, but for spending time in their presence and reminding us of the powerful bonds we have between parents and children.
As we reflect on how we’ve given and received hugs, we hope you enjoy our discoveries and strategies for bringing more hugs into your day. We also understand that not everyone prefers hugs for a variety of reasons. To continue to celebrate this day in your own way, we have a few suggestions:
Explore other types of physical contact: Casual high fives, hand squeezes, pats on the back, rocking your body, and more.
Know that sometimes it takes more trust before the other person is willing to be hugged. Don’t take it personally if a hug isn’t welcome yet.
Experiment with pressure, with layers (is a hug easier when the giver wears a long sleeve shirt, a vest, a jacket?), with texture (cotton/poly blends, bamboo, silk, skin), with temperature.
Try equipment like weighted vests and blankets or scents: Sometimes it’s not the pressure, but the human touch that makes hugs difficult to enjoy on a sensory level. Other times, it’s needing deep pressure for long periods that may tire the giver’s arms out for too long.
Try a Starfish Hug. This was demonstrated on Sesame Street during Autism Awareness Month this year. You and your intended target of the hug each lift up a hand, spread out your fingers like a starfish and touch your fingertips together.
Just ask. It’s always best to not assume everyone likes the same thing, and to ask the other person what sort of contact they like and how they like it. Once you know what hug they like, you can convey the best hug to your abilities!
“Hugging is a true, natural gift and when we can find those moments and people to hug and comfort with care and compassion, we are sharing and creating magic. My hope is that my baby girl will continue to “hug with her everything” for as long as she lives, reaping the benefits of comfort, happiness and love, while sharing this with others.”