Positive Effects Of A Hug
A hug leads to the release of happiness hormones
A hug is good, we all know that. But why this is what happens in our body when we enjoy a hug , we haven’t given much thought so far.
A hug can do much more than express affection!
Let the hug into your life!
We Central Europeans are often referred to as “cold”. And in comparison with southern Europeans and people from even more southern and tropical countries, that may be true.
Our peculiarity of keeping other people at arm’s length at a distance is often mentioned. While hugs are part of everyday life in other countries, this habit is often a bit too intimate and emotional in our country, especially among older people.
But we should let hugs into our lives more often!
When was the last time you hugged your best friend very tightly? Hold him or her tight to show “I really like you”?
It is not about a fleeting hug as a greeting or goodbye, but a gesture full of feeling that conveys without words how important this friendship is.
How valuable it is that you are there for one another. A gesture that expresses appreciation and affection. It shows “You are important to me”!
What happens in our body during this?
Even light stroking, especially over hairy skin (for example on the head), activates the touch neurons, which in turn lead to the release of endorphins.
Endorphins are hormones that, among other things, have a pain-relieving effect, so part of the comfort of a hug can be justified with them.
Endorphins not only reduce physical pain, but also emotional pain, which is why it does not matter whether you hug someone because they are hurt or they are suffering from heartache.
Furthermore, there is a release of oxytocin, a hormone that is also known as the “attachment hormone”.
The higher the oxytocin level in humans, the greater their capacity for love and loyalty.
Frequent physical contact between couples can therefore help to strengthen the relationship and strengthen the love.
The hormone is primarily released by mothers, which is why it is also contained in contractions and promotes the unique bond between mother and child.
What does this mean for couples and families?
If you love, then hug who you love!
Show your love and make hugs your daily ritual.
Hug your husband, your children when they come for breakfast in the morning. Give them a hug when they leave and come back later.
Hold them tight, put your heads together, feel your love for one another.
Show your love with such hugs, turn it into a ritual, without which there is neither cocoa nor coffee in the morning, and without which nobody leaves or enters the house.
But make sure that these hugs come from the heart, show and share your love between you.
Maintain the hug as a sign of your love in everyday life!
Let the hormones do their job and strengthen bonds in your family or with your partner.
Hugs for pain
When a person is looking for comfort, the literal shoulder really helps them cry.
Given the knowledge that endorphins released through hugs have a pain-relieving effect, this is doubly important!
You don’t need to say anything, let the tears run down your shoulder, hold the hug and show: “I take your grief, your worries seriously, I’m sorry, I want you to be better”.
Hugging gives so much more comfort than the laying on of a hand or a pitying look. In doing so, you convey things that you could never say with words at such moments.
Never underestimate the power of such a gesture – and the hormones that work during it!
Use the power of hugs
Use the power of the hug as a panacea in many situations.
It also doesn’t hurt to hug the stranger on the tram because she’s crying. To take the strange child in your arms because they hit their knee. To hold your older relatives tight with a deep, deep and firm hug and to show them “I am here for you”!
Use hugs more and more often to spice up your life with more love and affection, bridge distances between people and emotions with a simple hug.
Sure, some hugs will take some effort, but you will see how much they can do!
