Hug it Out; the Benefits of a Hug

In the article “Science of Kindness Shows Just How Important Hugging is for Our Mental and Physical Health” by David Fryburg and featured on goodnews network, we read about some of the benefits of hugging. What I found most interesting were these facts:

• physical contact is critical for brain development in children.
• hugging can increase our immunity to infection.
• hugging is highly associated to lowering blood pressure.
• receiving a hug increases our levels of oxytocin, the “love” hormone.
• after receiving a hug, people report feeling less pain.
• even after observing people hug, significant changes in EEG readings are noted.

Sometimes we simply forget how important a simple act of hugging can be. We are much better served to begin consciously hugging our loved ones during points of connection – leaving or coming home, before going to bed or upon waking, or just when the mood strikes. It will do the body good 🙂

To read the full article (it is worth the extra time!): https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/science-of-kindness-9/

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@pretentiousmaru