7 Reasons to Become a Hugging Family

Scrolling through Facebook one morning about a month ago, I saw an article on the health benefits of the 20 second hug. The whole idea intrigued me, so I clicked over and decided to make the “20 Second Hug” my mantra of the day. I shared the good hug news with every  member of my family, telling them, “We need to hug for 20 seconds. It’s good for our health!” Each person laughingly obliged and I reveled in the surge of the cuddle hormone, oxytocin.

We’ve always been affectionate, but that day we became a “hugging family” and I can see a difference in days where we include a few solid, meaningful hugs. Hugging has real mental, physical, and emotional health benefits. Here are 7 Reasons to Become a Hugging Family.

1. Your Daily Does of Oxytocin. Sometimes called the “cuddle hormone” or the “love hormone,” oxytocin is actually a neurotransmitter that is released when a person feels loved or connected to loved ones. When you share a hug with a loved one, you feel more content, connected, and safe. These are, of course, hugs that come with consent – forced hugs are not happy hugs.

   

2. Helps Family Members Bond. Oxytocin helps both mothers and fathers bond with their children. This amazing neurotransmitter also reinforces monogamous relationships and supports healthy marriages. Studies show that couples who hug often are more likely to stay together.

   

3. Relieves Discord. I am trying to play referee less in my home and sometimes I find that “hugging it out” is an awesome solution. I don’t believe in making kids hug each other, but sometimes just stepping in and offering my kids the opportunity to “hug out”  their frustration with me is a huge tension release. It is a comforting distraction that often helps them get centered and move past their argument. Research also suggests that oxytocin helps couples improve communication and tackle challenging topics.

   

4. Real Health Benefits. Did you know that hugging has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, boost your immune system, and ease feelings of depression? My 6 year-old son is now a hug-health believer because he wasn’t feeling well the other day and told me, “Maybe we should try the 20 second hug.”A 2012 study published in Comprehensive Psychology showed that a 10-second hug helped to alleviate depression, strengthen the immune system, fight infections, and alleviate fatigue. Hugging is fun, free, and good for you!

   

5. Contentment. Did you know that scientists suggest that you need to experience at least eight hugs a day in order to feel happier and more content with life? I make a  habit of stopping everything to hug my kids when they leave in the morning and arrive home each day. We are separated for so much of the day, I notice a huge difference when we make that dedicated connection. 
6. Stress Relief. Hugging is known to lower levels of stress hormones, including cortisol. A 2003 study published in Behavioral Medicine showed that a 20-second hug could help mitigate the deleterious health effects of stress, such as lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels in the blood. Researchers have also discovered that babies who are “well-hugged” are less stressed as adults.
   

   “A hug, pat on the back, and even a friendly handshake are processed by the reward center in the central nervous system, which is why they can have a powerful impact on the human psyche, making us feel happiness and joy,” according to neurologist Shekar Raman, MD. “And it doesn’t matter if you’re the toucher or touchee. The more you connect with others—on even the smallest physical level—the happier you’ll be.”

   

7. Alleviates Fears. There’s a reason we naturally hug a child who wakes up afraid in the middle of the night. We often hold the people we love when we are worried, lonely, or afraid because there is real power in physical touch. Hugs and touch are shown to help alleviate fears in people with low self-esteem. “Our findings show that even touching an inanimate object — such as a teddy bear — can soothe existential fears,” notes Koole. “Interpersonal touch is such a powerful mechanism that even objects that simulate touch by another person may help to instill in people a sense of existential significance.”

   

Here a 9 Facts About Hugs:

1. Adults May Benefit the Most from Hugs. “The older you are, the more fragile you are physically, so contact becomes increasingly important for good health,” says Ohio State University psychologist Janice Kiecolt-Glaser.
2. Studies show that IQ development is delayed in children who don’t receive hugs and these same children start walking, talking and reading later.
3. Full Body Hugs stimulate the nervous system.
4. Many people are touch deprived. One study found that one-third of people receive no hugs on a daily basis.
5. Hugs from a stranger probably don’t have the same benefits as hugs from a loved one because of the way oxytocin is released.
6. People spend, on average, over an hour a month hugging.
7. A quick hug has immediate health benefits.
8.  Hugging has as much benefit for the person being  hugged as the person receiving the hug as well.

9. “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth,” according to Neuroeconomist Paul Zak.