National Hug Day!

Tomorrow, June 29th, is National Hug Holiday!

Everyone loves hugs! By nature, humans are very social. Research has found that social ties and bonding is very important not only to wellness, but health, including emotional, physical, and mental. Hugging is an important social act that creates strong bonds. Hugging releases oxytocin. This hormone alone has tremendous health benefits. Besides giving us warm and fuzzy feelings, oxytocin reduces pain. So when the cold has made those muscles and joints ache, cuddling can help reduce those aches and pains. Oxytocin also helps relieve stress. Stress is tied to many chronic conditions and prolonged stress is harmful to your health. Regularly getting enough oxytocin from hugging can help reduce heart disease, lowers blood pressure, stress, and anxiety. Hugging also releases dopamine — a chemical in the brain that helps improve focus and memory.

Communication is more than just e-mails, texts, or conversation. Physical touch can communicate trust, commitment, safety, and reassurance. This goes for human to human contact as well as human to pet contact. Hugging expresses all these things, which are vital to a healthy relationship. If you live on your own or do not have a significant other, you can still benefit from hugging! There is nothing like hugging a pet. (Cats may not always like it, but depends on the cat!) You can get the same benefits from hugging and cuddling with your pet dog or cat as you do with another human.

Hugging someone enhances your bond with that person. Even if you’re not verbally communicating, this type of contact helps increase feelings of trust, comfort, safety, and reassurance between cuddle partners. These feelings can also remain long after the cuddle session is over. It is so important that when babies are not hugged enough, it is harmful for their health. Hugging is a natural thing, and it is good for you in every way.

So today, on National Hug Day, do just that, and find someone to hug! Private Home Health Care encourages hugs!