M L WELLBEING
WHO LOVES A HUG ? By Alison Quinn
Quick question , are you a hug or a handshake kind of person ? I ’ m definitely a hugger . If you ’ re the latter , now that we can again , you might want to reconsider the positive power that a hug can have on your health . As it turns out , that big purple dinosaur might have been on to something when he decided that hugs should be the standard greeting . We all know hugs can be comforting during hard times , but why not start making it a regular part of your day ? A quick minute to hug a friend or loved one ? Well there are a few reasons below to start doing just that .
Hugging helps lower our stress throughout the day .
You know how drinking too much coffee can kind of put us on edge for the next few hours ? Well , hugging can actually have the opposite effect . Like so many other unseen benefits , this all goes back to good old hormones . Some researchers believe that hugging and other interpersonal touch can boost a hormone called oxytocin , a chemical in our bodies that scientists sometimes call the “ cuddle hormone .” This is because its levels rise when we hug , touch , or sit close to someone else . Oxytocin is associated with happiness and less stress . But basically it boils down to this : Simply through the act of hugging , our brains can produce soothing chemicals that help us feel more safe and less threatened throughout the day . So when something stressful does come up , we don ’ t have such an aggressive fight-or-flight response to it . I love my hazelnut coffee , now I can serve it with a hug too .
Hugs can also give our immune system a healthy boost .
Okay , this benefit goes hand in hand with the one above . Maybe you ’ ve noticed how it ’ s so much easier to get sick when you ’ re stressed . That ’ s because our immune system kicks into overdrive when we ’ re feeling stressed out , and it can actually backfire on us to make us more susceptible to illness . I ' ve found in the past as soon as I take a day off after a stressful period I get sick as soon as
I have down time . One study of over 400 adults found that people who were hugged and felt socially supported also experienced less severe signs of sickness . The participants with a greater support system were less likely to get sick . And those with the greater support system who did get sick had less severe symptoms than those with little or no support system . So a good old hug definitely is a positive for you and your loved ones physically .
Hugs might even lower heart rates and blood pressure .
The University of North Carolina conducted a study with 59 women and found some interesting results . After a short series of questions and general chatting about their partner , some women ended each session with a 20-second hug . The women who received a hug from their partners had lower blood pressure and heart rates during stressful sections of testing . The researchers think that oxytocin ( that cuddle hormone I mentioned earlier ) might be the cause for their better heart health . So definitely add more hugs in your relationships for all round benefit .
A few good squeezes could lead to decreased depression .
All of us can probably agree that sometimes there ’ s nothing like a hug when you ’ re feeling down in the dumps . A Retirement Home in New York decided to take this idea to a systematic level and implement a program called “ Embraceable You .” It was a push for more contact between the older residents and staff members so as to improve the residents ’ well-being . As it turned out , the residents who received three or more hugs per day felt less depressed , had more energy , could concentrate easier and slept better .
They could also decrease fear , reduce pain and even help with how you communicate with others , ultimately I would say they make you happier , so the next time you ’ re going in for a handshake , try a hug and see how you feel afterwards ! merseylife . com 63