Are there people who don't like hugs? I don't believe you still don't like this one after reading it. This method of reaping happiness with just having a hand deserves to be known to everyone.
The desire for a hug has long been "written" into our bodies: skin contact can bring a pleasant feeling in itself.
On our skin, there is a special afferent fiber called C-T fiber (also called tactile fiber).
When we make gentle, caress-like skin contact, it delivers pleasurable tactile stimulation [1].
(Source: Soogif.com)
Because of this feeling, the little baby can feel the first warmth from the world when it is held.
This feeling also helps babies build a sense of security and attachment, enhancing emotional communication between parents and children [2].
The WHO made "first embrace" a core point in the manual in its Guidelines for Early Neonatal Care (EENC), published in 2013.
This is done by wiping the skin dry immediately after the baby is born, and then giving the baby a safe, long-lasting skin contact with the mother as soon as possible.
This approach has now been piloted in various countries and has been well achieved [3].
In addition to being pleasurable, hugging has super many benefits!
Benefit one: Express support and alleviate the pain of others
We all know that when a person is in a difficult situation, timely and appropriate social support is important, even critical.
But the words of support, because of their complex meaning, are easily misunderstood, so hugging may be a simpler and more effective way to express "support" [4,5].
Think about it, when you're in a low mood, someone shouts in your ear "Come on! Cheer up! "And a warm hug, which would you rather want?"
(Source: Soogif.com)
Benefit two: helps oxytocin secretion and relieves stress
After the embrace, people's oxytocin increases, resulting in a decrease in cortisol levels and a decrease in cardiovascular response.
If you're stressed, a few hugs may save you from social stress and even help you stay away from high blood pressure [7,8].
(Source: Soogif.com)
Benefit three: May help boost immunity
Hugging may even have a role in reducing stress and boosting immunity.
In 2014, Professor Cohen conducted an interesting experiment:
He exposed participants to an environment prone to colds and upper respiratory tract diseases, recording nightly their social support, the number of hugs they received today, and the conflict pressures they encountered today.
The results show that the number of hugs, consistent with social support, can reduce the likelihood that the stress of daily conflict will cause a person to develop a cold [9].
(Source: Soogif.com)
Hugging doesn't need to be complicated or time-consuming.
Someone studied hugging, and after conducting six different hug tests on each participant, preliminary conclusions were drawn:
A crossed hug within 5 to 10 seconds may be the optimal hugging experience position.[10]
The following figure shows a crossed hug on the left
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(Source: Literature[10])
Even if you can't hug people, hug pets, hug quilts, it has some effect.
If you have a pet at home, you can also hug your pet more. Studies have found that dogs prefer you to hug them rather than just talk to them.
(Source: Soogif.com)
When sleeping, letting a warm and soft blanket or quilt with a certain weight to "hug" you can also play a similar "role" to hugging:
Not only will it help you reduce the amount of anxiety and depression you have, but it will also improve sleep quality to some extent [12].
Family therapy pioneer Ms. Virginia Satir once said: "We need 4 hugs a day to survive, 8 hugs to stay healthy, and 12 hugs to grow."
(Source: Soogif.com)
In the mainland's restrained cultural environment, physical contact does not seem to be as popular as in the West.
But given the many benefits of hugging, it's better to hug a lot:
You can take the initiative to hug your parents, children, wives & husbands, good friends – maybe they enjoy your hugs too, just be embarrassed to say it.
Of course, we also need to remind you that not all hugs can alleviate other people's negative emotions, and this hug should be active and voluntary first!
How many hugs have you received so far today?
If that's not enough, go and hug the person next to you now, even if there's no one else around, you can:
(Source: Network)
Reviewer
Xiao Zhenyu | Assistant Researcher, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lin Weicheng | Deputy Director of the Department of Psychiatry, Brain Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University
bibliography
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[2] Yoshida S, Funato H. Physical contact in parent-infant relationship and its effect on fostering a feeling of safety. iScience. 2021 Jun 12;24(7):102721.
[3] Obara H, Sobel H. Quality maternal and newborn care to ensure a healthy start for every newborn in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region. BJOG. 2014 Sep;121 Suppl 4:154-9.
[4] Feeney BC, Collins NL. A new look at social support: a theoretical perspective on thriving through relationships. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2015 May;19(2):113-47.
[5] Jakubiak, B. K. Providing support is easier done than said: Support providers’ perceptions of touch and verbal support provision requests. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2021 September ;96, 104168.
[6] Tang Y, Benusiglio D, Lefevre A, et al. Social touch promotes interfemale communication via activation of parvocellular oxytocin neurons. Nat Neurosci. 2020 Sep;23(9):1125-1137.
[7] Holt-Lunstad J, Birmingham WA, Light KC. Influence of a "warm touch" support enhancement intervention among married couples on ambulatory blood pressure, oxytocin, alpha amylase, and cortisol. Psychosom Med. 2008 Nov;70(9):976-85.
[8] Heinrichs M, Baumgartner T, Kirschbaum C, et al. Social support and oxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress. Biol Psychiatry. 2003 Dec 15;54(12):1389-98.
[9] Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Turner RB, et al. Does hugging provide stress-buffering social support? A study of susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and illness. Psychol Sci. 2015 Feb;26(2):135-47.
[10] Dueren AL, Vafeiadou A, Edgar C,et al. The influence of duration, arm crossing style, gender, and emotional closeness on hugging behaviour. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2021 Nov;221:103441.
[11] Feuerbacher EN, Wynne CD. Shut up and pet me! Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) prefer petting to vocal praise in concurrent and single-alternative choice procedures. Behav Processes. 2015 Jan;110:47-59.
[12] Eron K, Kohnert L, Watters A,et al. Weighted Blanket Use: A Systematic Review. Am J Occup Ther. 2020 Mar/Apr;74(2):7402205010p1-7402205010p14.
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