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Hugging is beneficial to your body and mind.
Nothing feels better than a hug. The simple act of being touched can help brighten your day. Now, scientists are catching on that hugs can have a profound effect on your mental and physical wellbeing, reported MSN.
One of the reasons that hugging is so important is because it helps to reduce stress, something that is essential in this fast-paced world. But why does it work?
Scientific Proof
That’s what scientists wanted to know too. Scientists from Brigham Young University researched how hugs can affect the body and mind. The 2023 study was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
The researchers tracked volunteers’ habits by using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). According to MSN, the study discovered a link between the frequency of hugs to the body’s cortisol response. Cortisol is a hormone that helps regulate how the body responds to stress.
The participants who said they received frequent hugs had lower cortisol levels than those who received fewer hugs. This was consistent with both men and women.
Touch has also been shown to naturally boost oxytocin levels – the cuddle hormone – levels that could lower blood pressure, provide pain relief, help you sleep better, and reduces the hormone norepinephrine that is released when people are under stress. But how can the science be used to help people who suffer from stress and anxiety?
Hug Therapy
Since touch has been proven to be so important for wellbeing, it is now being used therapeutically. Hug or cuddle therapy utilizes touch to help relieve stress and anxiety, according to verywell mind.
Before a hug therapy session with a trained professional, clear boundaries are established between the patient and the therapist, and there is mutual consent for non-sexual physical touch that ranges from hand holding to hugging. This helps the patient release oxytocin.
If the patient just wants to sit beside the therapist and hold hands, that’s OK. A professional hug therapist can provide as much physical contact, as necessary. “Touch is a powerful tool to release negative emotions held within the body,” Xandria Schaeffer, a hug therapist in Philadelphia told verywell mind.
While hug therapy doesn’t resemble talk therapy, there are similar results. Hug therapy has proven effective for the treatment of some mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Taylor Wilson, a mental health consultant and founder of Active Recovery Companion said that people who engage in touch therapy report feeling a greater sense of self-worth and less anxiety in just a few sessions.
If someone you care about is feeling overwhelmed, give them a heartfelt hug, stressed MSN. It’s a natural, simple, and scientifically proven way to relieve stress. You will feel better too!
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