Today is NATIONAL HUG DAY! Go out and hug someone!
THE 10 BENEFITS OF HUGGING
1) Hugs make us feel “happy”! When we hug another person, our bodies
release oxytocin, a hormone associated with “happiness,” according to scientific
studies.
2) Hugs alleviate stress! Just as a good hug increases our oxytocin
levels, it decreases our cortisol or “stress” levels.
3) Babies need hugs as much as water and food! According to researchers at
Harvard University, hugs help promote normal levels of cortisol necessary for
child development.
4) Hugs make us better students! Students who receive a supportive touch
from a teacher are twice as likely to volunteer in class.
5) Hugs improve our game! Scientists at University of California, Berkley
discovered that the more affectionate members of a team are with each other, the
more likely they are to win.
6) A hug a day keeps the doctor away! A hug stimulates the thymus gland,
which in turn regulates the production of white blood cells that keep us healthy
and disease-free.
7) A hug stops the bug! Researchers at Carnegie Mellon proved that
individuals who were sick and received hugs had less severe symptoms and were
able to get better quicker.
8) A hugging heart is a healthy heart! Research from University of North
Carolina showed that a good hug helps ease blood flow and lower cortisol levels,
which in turn help lower our heart rates.
9) A hugging couple is a happy couple! Couples that experience their
partners’ love through physical affection share higher oxytocin levels.
10) Hugs let someone know you care without having to say a word! According
to Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at University of California,
Berkeley, we can identify love from simple human touch – imagine how much love a
big hug can communicate!