How many hugs we need a day

Have you ever noticed how good it feels when a friend gives you a hug? Whether you’re sad, happy, or just need a break from the world, a hug is like an instantaneous mood lifter. A single embrace can fill us with so much love, comfort, and warmth that no words can ever do justice. Not only is it a meaningful gesture of compassion and support, but it also offers many health benefits. Many So how many hugs do we need a day?And what are the benefits of hugging the people we love? Let’s take a look at how hugging can improve your mental, physical and emotional health. What’s In This Post: 9 Benefits of Hugging for Adults Believe it or not, research has shown that hugging offers quantifiable benefits for adults. From reducing stress levels to boosting your immune system, here are the nine amazing benefits of hugging: 1. Reduced Stress Levels Hugging can be an underrated way to reduce stress levels. The physical contact triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin, which is associated with feelings of comfort, attraction, and love. Establishing such a connection with another person makes it easier for your body to release endorphins – the “feel good” hormones that help combat stress and anxiety. Hugging also lowers your heart rate, making it easier for your body to relax and focus better on the task at hand. So next time you feel overwhelmed with stress, partake in a friendly hug from someone willing to show their support. You might be surprised at how worthwhile it can be! 2. I...

(Freshstockplace / Shutterstock.com) Hugging can be described as a handshake from the heart. The simple action of embracing creates feel-good energy for both the giver and recipient. Science has been looking into its positive effects, and numerous studies related to hugging, cuddling and touching have been reaching the same conclusion – hugging is a crucial part of human development. In celebration of National Hugging Day, which falls annually on January 21 – go out there and give someone a hug! Make sure to hit your daily quota of at least 8 hugs a day, and if you are in need of some inspiration, check out these generous huggers offering

The Knot Contributor • Dina writes for The Knot Worldwide, specializing in food, travel and relationships. • With more than 20 years of experience in service journalism, she also pens articles and recipes for publications, such as Good Housekeeping, Parents, SELF, Health, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Prevention, Fine Cooking, Weight Watchers and Diabetic Living. • Dina graduated from Columbia College, Columbia University and The Institute of Cul... 2. Romantic Hug Here, two lovers seem to melt into each other. They stare into each other's eyes, then fall into a long, tight embrace with their pelvises pressed together and their arms fully wrapped around each other. Sometimes, there's additional touching, like rubbing the back or kissing the neck. If you're in a relationship, aim for more of these types of hugs, counsels Barnett. And Agar agrees, 3. Side Hug Typically given from the side, this hug involves placing one arm around the other person's shoulders. An abbreviated version of a bear hug, as Agar describes it, it's often used between acquaintances or in situations where a full hug might be inappropriate. 4. Back Hug When a lover comes up behind their partner and wraps their arms around their waist, this gesture is known as a back hug. "It signifies intimacy and affection, with the person giving the hug showing great love and care for the other person," explains Agar, who adds that the playful and flirty embrace is great for lovers. Since this type of embrace can take ...

Why Are Hugs Important for Kids (and Parents)? Author and family therapist Virginia Satir once wrote, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” Studies have found that parental warmth offers important benefits to kids, and has been associated with academic success and better self-regulation skills. Receiving warmth from a parent also helps children become more resilient throughout life, according to a 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry. When It Comes to Hugs, the Limit Does Not Exist The truth is, there is no set amount of hugs a child needs to thrive. “There is no magic number, and children vary in the amount of physical affection they want and need,” says Dr. Franz. She adds that as a general rule, younger children generally seek more hugs than older kids. "But it can range with each child and depends on their comfort level with physical affection." Children’s brains are strongly affected by their environment and the people close to them. As such, connection to a parent through touch and hugging can have valuable emotional impacts, Rausch describes. One component of this is a psychological term called co-regulation, which is when one body uses mirror neurons to "sync up" to another human's body. “If a calm and safe adult ‘syncs up’ to a child in distress, the child's brain begins to learn how to calm down and manage emotions in a healthy way,” Rausch explains. “But just like anything e...

Friday, January 21 is National Hugging Day. Family therapist Virginia Satir has said, “We need four hugs a day to survive, eight hugs to keep us as we are, and 12 hugs to grow.” But while Satir had the right idea, research suggests that the length of our hugs matters more than the number of hugs we have. Even a cushion in the form of a hugger was enough to lower stress levels; hugging while talking is much better for your stress levels than just talking alone. Stress levels were measured by checking cortisol levels both from blood and saliva samples. It may seem odd that a cushion is able to have such an impact. The Japanese researchers think it has to do with the hug posture itself. The way you open up your arms to create space could be instrumental in reducing your cortisol levels. But this is no usual conversation between lovers—not with the video camera in the corner or the audio recording equipment on the table. Researcher Ruth Feldman and her colleagues invited 60 couples who were within the first three months of their relationship to their comfortable lab. With the help of the recording equipment, they were able to observe how the couples interacted with each other as they talked about a fun experience. The more they shared positive interactions, like affectionate touches, expressing positive emotions, and sharing concerns together, The cynic may say that these elevated oxytocin levels are just the result of “new love," a heady combination of novelty and excitement....

Many people often overlook hugging or kissing the other person, because they think that these are unnecessary, even redundant things in life. However, there have been many studies that show that hugging will bring you many benefits such as: 1.1 Oxytocin stimulation When you are hugged by someone, the body releases the hormone oxytocin, which has an effect. It promotes feelings of contentment, reduces anxiety and stress, anger and loneliness, and creates a feeling of safety and love between people. Not only that, many studies conducted at the University of California (USA) show that hugging makes people live emotionally, easily create relationships and promote sexual desire. So hugging has a lot of emotional benefits as well as helping to soothe the soul. 1.2 Prevent disease Because it has a great effect in reducing stress, hugging is also effective in helping you prevent the risk of diseases such as depression, stress disorders very effectively. 1.3 Sympathetic Balance Gentle, emotional hugs can help balance the nervous system. Skin-to-skin contact helps people feel closer, motivated, and creates a stronger emotional and spiritual connection. 1.4 Hugs mean more than words In the human world 70% of communication is nonverbal. So not only verbal expressions, hugs are also a way for us to understand each other better. 1.5 Hugging is also a way to help reduce stress. Just a hug can help lower the levels of circulating cortisol, the stress hormone in the blood. So both the pers...

24 Why do I want to push everyone away? What does it mean when you don’t like affection? It is common that when someone is experiencing a disturbance in their emotional and mental health, they may not demonstrate as much affection as they would at other times. Some mental health examples include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or even obsessive compulsive disorder. What is it called when you don’t like physical contact? Haphephobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by a fear of being touched. Other names for haphephobia include chiraptophobia, aphenphosmphobia, and thixophobia. Being touched by strangers or without consent can make many people uncomfortable. Why do I not want to be touched? Mental Health Problems. Touch aversion can be a symptom of a mental health problem. For instance someone who has OCD may not want to be touched because they’re fearful of germs or dirt. Those with social anxiety disorders have trouble relating to others and may find touch very psychologically uncomfortable. Why do I cringe at physical affection? Fear of intimacy can stem from several causes, including certain childhood experiences such as a history of abuse or neglect. 1 Overcoming this fear and anxiety can take time, both to explore and understand the contributing issues and to practice allowing greater vulnerability. Why am I afraid to be intimate with my boyfriend? “The fear of intimacy can be caused by different reasons including abuse or neglect, medical pro...

24 Why are some people not affectionate? Why is physical touch important to humans? Our bodies are designed to respond to touch, and not just to sense the environment around us. We actually have a network of dedicated nerve fibers in our skin that detect and emotionally respond to the touch of another person — affirming our relationships, our social connections and even our sense of self. How much physical contact do humans need daily? We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” How many hugs are you getting each day? With social distancing, dramatically reduced human contact, and more digital than physical interactions, many of us are running short on hugs. What does lack of touch do to a person? When you don’t get enough physical touch, you can become stressed, anxious, or depressed. As a response to stress, your body makes a hormone called cortisol. This can cause your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing rate to go up, with bad effects for your immune and digestive systems. How do I know if I’m touch starved? • feelings of depression. • anxiety. • stress. • low relationship satisfaction. • difficulty sleeping. • a tendency to avoid secure attachments. Can you be touch deprived? Humans don’t simply want touch; we need it. In the absence of positive human touch, you can develop a condition called touch deprivation. Touch deprivation can increase stress, depression, and anxiety, and lead to numerous additional negative physiological effects. How do I stop bein...