Healing with Hugs
“Sometimes all you need to make you feel better.” — Unknown
When we were children, a hug helped to take the sting out of a skinned knee or quell first-day-of-school jitters. In adulthood, hugs are not as plentiful or practical; many people lack partners or loved ones, and the gesture — both giving and receiving — is too often labeled as sentimentality. As we continue to move through life with pandemic restrictions, hugs can feel risky at a time when we need them the most.
Touch is a human universal, meaning it happens everywhere on Earth. All over the world, people are more likely to touch, and hold when they are under stress. And what was the one thing we could not do anymore during the pandemic?
Hugs are free and easy to do. As humans, physical touch is very important and there are many ways in which hugging can benefit your health. Let's take a look at how hugs may positively impact your overall health.
“A hug is like a boomerang, you get it back right away.” — Bill Keene
Improves Your Sleep
A hug before sleep certainly beats counting sheep. As it turns out, you can literally sleep better at night when you know you have that social support that the cuddle hormone is releasing. Feeling secure in your social relationships means one less thing for you to worry about at night. A hug from a loved one can result in a decrease in cortisol, a stress hormone, as touch deactivates the part of the brain that responds to threats. The release of oxytocin has calming affects, which can also support more restful sleep.
Increases Pleasure and Well-Being
A study done with primates showed that touching created social bonds that help maintain the social relationships that contribute to well-being. Additionally, touch is biologically reinforced to be pleasurable, working on the same brain systems that opioids do, to reinforce rewards and create euphoria and improved immunity.
Better Cardiovascular Health
It turns out that hugging is good for your heart not just in the gushy way but for your actual physical health. One 20-second hug had the effect of lowering participants’ blood pressure in the moment, including after their partner had left the room.’
Reduces Pain Symptoms
A hug or healing touch may improve symptoms of pain. Cancer patients who received healing touch reported less postoperative pain and narcotic painkiller use than those who received a back massage or no treatment.
Leads to More Self-Compassion
A study showed that oxytocin may help you be more compassionate towards yourself, leading to lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
How to Harness the Power of a Hug (By Yourself or With Others)
First of all, any hug is better than no hug and there is no “wrong” way to hug! A study found that five-second and 10-second hugs were linked with higher pleasure ratings than a one-second hug. 20 seconds is the ideal length.
Give the Power of a Hug to Yourself
Go ahead — hug yourself! It probably sounds silly, but the act of putting your arms around yourself can reduce pain, and for a weird reason. Because, hugging yourself is not what your body is expecting. It’s such an uncommon sensation that it confuses your brain as it tries to unravel where that sensation is coming from. Pain is then blocked because the signals literally got crossed as you crossed your arms over yourself. So go ahead and hug yourself the way you want to be hugged, to create the sensation you are seeking.
Pet an Animal
If you have a cat or dog, pet them! Snuggling with a furry friend releases that cuddle hormone the same way snuggling with a human does. It is 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.
Opening our arms can foster the spiritual discipline of not only giving, but receiving — a vital requirement in self-care. In a time of chaotic uncertainty, isolation and change, hugs can be medicine; they can also be a powerful metaphor and reminder to remain open, willing and beautifully human.