Hugs increase our well-being and help us to stay healthy.
No hugs, little contact, hardly any closeness: we have been bowing to the restrictions of the pandemic for a year now. In times of contact restrictions and social distancing rules, the longing for closeness and physical contact is growing. During the dark coronavirus winter, the simplest cure for anxiety and stress was particularly hard to come by for many people: a firm hug.
Research confirms this: Hugs can help protect against illness. People who are hugged feel affection, security and comfort. This is balm for the soul and also boosts physical well-being. We hug friends when we are happy to see them or when we say goodbye. We give each other strength with a hug or strengthen ourselves by finding support in the arms of our partner. Opening our arms to another person and embracing them creates a sense of familiarity. The feeling of security can be even deeper in an intimate hug than in a kiss, because you can feel the warmth and heartbeat of the other person.
The famous therapist Virginia Satir once said: "We need 4 hugs a day to survive, 8 hugs a day to feel good, and 12 hugs a day to grow internally ".
But that's not all: hugs help to keep the body and soul healthy.
The hormone oxytocin is released during a hug. Long known as a labor and women's hormone, it has many other positive properties that are important for a healthy soul. "Oxytocin plays a major role in the coexistence of all people. It has a pro-social effect and promotes positive social interaction," says neurobiologist Inga Neumann in Apotheken Umschau. Oxytocin has an uplifting and encouraging effect and at the same time helps us to relax.
It also reduces the stress hormone cortisol. Blood pressure is lowered and the immune system is strengthened, depression is prevented and anxiety is alleviated.
In times of coronavirus, however, not everyone has a counterpart for health-promoting hugs. But there are other ways to compensate for the lack of human contact.
Studies at the Sk�vde University of Applied Sciences in Sweden have shown that cuddling with dogs also has a positive effect on well-being. Slow, enjoyable eating can also increase the release of glucose hormones.
And if you like being out in nature, you should definitely hug a tree, says Bremen neurologist Sebastian von Berg. �That sounds funny, but once you've done it, you realize: it makes you feel good, it feels great and strong,� says the neurologist.
So if you haven't hugged anyone today, now is the time. Just a few seconds a day are enough to boost your well-being in the long term.
�By the way, January 21 is World Cuddle Day. Make a note of this date in your diary.
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