3 Reasons Why You Should Give a Hug to Anyone and EVERYONE
November 15 by Brendan Baker in Communication | 345 Shares
I’m taking part in a Kindness Challenge and I’m out to give hugs.
It’s crazy, it’s challenging, it’s fun, and it’s just simply AWESOME.
I’ve been hugging anyone and everyone. I’ve been writing thank-you notes to people I appreciate. I’ve been able to make people smile and I know I’ve been making a difference in the lives of others.
This is what life is about!
Over the past few days as I’ve been taking part in the challenge, I’ve come to learn just how powerful a simple hug can actually be. We often feel its inappropriate to give a hug, but you know what, I gave a bank teller a bit of a hug the other day!
The bank teller helped me for about 20 minutes while I cancelled my credit card insurance (another LifeHack tip, DON’T get credit card insurance). After the painstakingly long process and discovering the fact that I will no longer have to pay a premium each month, I simply went around the teller’s desk and gave her a nice, big, juicy hug.
SHE LOVED IT!
It’s such a simple but powerful form of human touch.
There are so many benefits of hugging. Let me outline the 3 most important reasons you should hug anyone and everyone in countdown order.
3) Hugging Reduces Illness
Hugging is one of the best methods of easing depression. Not only that, it reduces the risk of heart disease, relieves stress and can make you feel calmer.
Studies have shown that hugging can lead to lower blood pressure, and reduces the risk of heart disease. When we hug someone, a hormone called oxytocin is released (otherwise known as the ‘love hormone’!). This helps to reduce stress and makes us feel calmer.
Ultimately, if you’re feeling down, stressed or anxious, go give someone a hug and feel the instant change in your mood!
2) Hugging Deepens Your Relationships
When you think of people who have hugged you, how do you feel about them?
I’m sure you feel pretty good!
Hugging releases a suite of hormones including oxytocin (as above), serotonin, and dopamine that lead to feelings of happiness and love. What else do you need to feel good when all you need to do is simply hug someone?
Not only do you make yourself feel good, but also you are making the other person release all the same hormones of happiness.
Hugging builds trust and can deepen your relationship. It shows that you care and it provides comfort for the other person.
1) Hugging Can Change the World
A hug could be the exact thing that someone needs right now. Without even knowing it, you could be changing the life of that person.
They may have had the worst day possible, and you have been the angel that lights up their day.
You can change the day, the week, the month or the life of another person simply by giving him or her a hug.
When I gave the bank teller a spontaneous hug out of the blue, her face lit up in a huge smile and I’m sure it made her day. Maybe she went home and told her family about it and she may have even had the courage to give someone else a spontaneous hug. Hugging pays forward.
What’s the best part about it? Hugs are free and they can be given anytime.
Who have you hugged today?
Featured photo credit: A happy couple in love via Shutterstock
yeah… it is undeniable that the feeling of hugging and being hugged is awesome, however, it depends on the customs of each nation. for instance, in my country, the hugs are usually given by the lovers or sometimes for relatives; we never hug the strange people ….
Great point around customs in different nations, however you can still adapt it to ensure you are hugging your loved ones regularly! Try it! It’s worth it :)
yeap ^^ for the loved ones is absolutely great :) i really should try it :).
thanks a lots :)
I’m a hugger and I definitely agree that there is tons of power in a hug. I hug people even when I’m just a casual acquaintance. However I think it’s super important to realize that touch can be very threatening to people for a variety of different reasons so you really need to be cued into the signs people give off before randomly hugging those you don’t know well.
Just, please — be careful. Some people DO NOT LIKE to touch strangers, or even acquaintances, and will find being hugged, especially unexpectedly, extremely displeasing and stressful. And some people are dealing with chronic health conditions, and will find being hugged, especially unexpectedly, acutely painful.
Three reasons why you shouldn’t :
1. Uninitiated contact is a form of assault. Legally, in some places, but I’m talking emotionally. Like you point out, hugging is emotionally powerful and charged, which is why you SHOULDN’T do it randomly.
2. Some people have religious, moral, or just personal preference objections to touching people they don’t know or aren’t close to. Like you say, hugging deepens relationships. That’s NOT something everyone does arbitrarily.
3. Some people have physical pain on physical contact.
4. Unilaterally initiating hugs removes the other person’s agency and sovereignty over his or her own body, which is a fundamental undermining of the most basic human right of self-determination. That’s why I always as permission before hugging my two-year-old nieces and nephews — we want to teach them that THEY get to choose who touches them and how.
Hugs are indeed very powerful and it can make the other person happy too especially when they need it. I agree with what the others said though, about taking great care when giving hugs. Some people may need it but don’t want to get hugged because they just aren’t that way. So, if you think someone needs a hug (especially when you don’t know this person), ask, even when it may sound silly.