Tom Werner / Getty Images
There’s no denying the power of a hug.
If youve ever said youve felt starved for touch, youre actually not that far off.
What Is the Power of a Hug?
Tom Werner / Getty Images
What is it about a hug that feels so good?
The answer lies in oxytocin, sometimes known as the love hormone.
Oxytocin also has social implicationssuch asattachment, trust, and pair-bonding.
Pair (or social) bonding is known as the desire of spending more time with a person.
The releaseof the hormone helps facilitate this bonding by activating the pleasure centersin your brain.
Hugs served an evolutionary purpose to help us know who and who wasnt safe.
What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Hugs?
Let’s take a look at how hugs may positively impact your overall health.
Improves Your Sleep
A hug before sleep certainly beats counting sheep.
While oxytocin doesnt directly biologically affect ones sleep, its anxiety-reducing effectsare certainly related to improved sleep.
Feeling secure in your social relationships means one less thing for you toruminateabout at night.
The release of oxytocin has calming affects, which can also support more restful sleep.
Improved Immunity
Good news for cold and flu seasonhugging may keep you healthy!
This is potentially due to the benefits of perceived social support.
Their blood pressure was significantly lower than that of the control group in the study who didnt hug.
Hugs also act as a general buffer against stress.
Reduces Pain Symptoms
A hug or healing touch may improve symptoms of pain.
Better Team Performance
Physical touch is even correlated with improved physical performance.
only bolstered these beliefs.
A study found that 5-second and 10-second hugs were linked with higher pleasure ratingsthan a 1-second hug.
Give the Power of a Hug to Yourself
Go aheadhug yourself!
Because, hugging yourself is not what your body is expecting.
Pain is then blocked because the signals literally got crossed as you crossed your arms over yourself.
Pet an Animal
If you have a cat or dog, pet them!
Snuggling with a furry friend releases thatcuddlehormonethe same way snuggling with a human does.
Its thought that touching a pet activates your sensory nerves, causing them to release your feel-good hormone.
Stroking an animal helps build attachment the same way human skin-to-skin contact does.
Try also hugging yourself or even hugging your pet to boost feel-good hormones in your brain.
Forsell LM, Astrom JA.Meanings of hugging: from greeting behavior to touching implications.Comprehensive Psychology.
Published online April 10, 2009:S030100820900046X.
A study of susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and illness.Psychol Sci.
Warm partner contact is related to lower cardiovascular reactivity.Behav Med.
2018;13(10):e0203522.
2005;69(1):5-21.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.11.002
