Happy National Hugging Day
Today's Positive National Holiday is Hugging Day
A hug is a form of nonverbal communication, a way of showing one that you care or love them. Hugs are a way of showing affection, friendship, brotherhood or sympathy. It can indicate support, comfort, and consolation, particularly where words are insufficient. A hug usually demonstrates affection and emotional warmth, sometimes arising from joy or happiness when reunited with someone or seeing someone absent after a long time. A hug can range from a brief one second squeeze to an extended holding.
Hugs can be practiced publicly and privately without stigma in many countries, religions and cultures, within families and close circles of friends, in addition to across age and gender lines, but is generally an indication that people are familiar with each other so by hugging someone, we instantly feel closer to that person and decrease feelings of loneliness. Moving from a handshake (or touch-free) relationship to a hug relationship is a sign of a closer friendship such as best or good friends.
Hugging has been proven to have mental and health benefits including but now limited to:
1. REDUCE WORRY OF MORTALITY
Hugs and touch significantly reduces the worry of mortality even if it’s just an inanimate object like a teddy bear.
2. STIMULATES OXYTOCIN
The more frequent partner hugs the higher oxytocin levels are The chemical has been linked tosocial bonding. "Oxytocin is a neuropeptide, which basically promotes feelings of devotion, trust and bonding, One study has shown that hugs increase levels of oxytocin and reduce blood pressure. When someone hugs you, the sensation on your skin activates pressure receptors called Pacinian corpuscles, which then send signals to the vagus nerve, an area of the brain that is responsible for lowering blood pressure, Hugs also make our bodies release tension and send calming messages to the brain. A group hug has been found to be a useful tool in group therapy to cement a sense of cohesion among the participants after a session
3. LOWERS HEART RATE
In an experiment at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, participants who didn't have any contact with their partners developed a quickened heart rate of10 beats per minute compared to the five beats per minute among those who got to hug their partners during the experiment.
4. STIMULATES DOPAMINE
Hugs adjust the dopamine levels in you Dopamine is responsible for giving us that feel-good feeling, and it's also responsible for motivation! Hugs stimulate the brains to release dopamine, the pleasure hormone. Dopamine is responsible for giving us that feel-good feeling, and it's also responsible for motivation! Hugs stimulate brains to release dopamine, the pleasure hormone.
5. STIMULATES SEROTONIN flows when you feel significant or important. Reaching out and hugging someone releases endorphins and serotonin into the blood vessels and the released endorphins and serotonin cause pleasure and negate pain and sadness and decrease the chances of getting heart problems, helps fight excess weight and prolongs life.
6. WELL-HUGGED BABIES ARE LESS STRESSED AS ADULTS
An Emory University study founda link between Hugging and relieving stress, particularly in the early stages of life. The research concluded that babies' development -- including how they cope with stress as adults -- depends on a combination of nature and nurture.
7. PARASYMPATHETIC BALANCE
Hugs balance out the nervous system. The skin contains a network of tiny, egg-shaped pressure centres called Pacinian corpuscles that can sense touch and which are in contact with the brain through the vagus nerve. The galvanic skin response of someone receiving and giving a hug shows a change in skin conductance. The effect in moisture and electricity in the skin suggests a more balanced state in the nervous system - parasympathetic.
8. ENHANCE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Hugs help to change the way your body handles both physical and social stresses, thus boosting your immune system naturally, to do the job it was designed to do.
Don’t Forget Tree Hugging
For all of our nature lovers out there you can also celebrate National Hugging day by hugging a tree and receive many benefits at the same time.
Tree Hugging is actually a proven way of soothing the body. Trees have unique vibrational patterns which causes positive changes in our biological behaviors when hugged so one can say for example that hugging a tree literally gives you positive vibes. In addition the freshest air you can breathe is under a tree. This is because a trees leaves serve as filters of the air, removing dust and providing you with cleaner air. The health benefits of breathing cleaner air are: enhanced digestion, lower blood pressure, and a happier mood and because Trees are more connected to the earth they make us feel more connected as well.
Happy National Hugging day
