Surprising ways hugs improve your life
There is nothing better than receiving a good, warm, sincere hug, especially for us Latinos who do not know personal distances. However, there are people who are a little more shy or cold who don’t like the idea of physical contact very much and therefore avoid hugs. But the truth is, they could be missing out on some very good things. Here are 3 ways hugs make people’s lives better.
You’ll be surprised how a simple hug can bring you great benefits.
Hugs reduce the risk of colds
When we experience high levels of stress or an emotional low, we are more vulnerable to suffering from a cold. Most people feel comforted and protected by physical contact, so in the face of stress and emotional downturns there is nothing better than hugs.
A study published in 2015 in the journal Psychological Science linked hugs, social support and the likelihood of getting sick in 404 Pittsburgh-area volunteers. First, the volunteers were called every night for 14 days and asked about their social relationships and whether or not they had been hugged that day. On average, participants received hugs on 68% of the days. The results reflected that the people who had been hugged the most felt the most social support.
Most interestingly, some time later the researchers called the participants and quarantined them in hotel rooms. The researchers gave them nose drops that contained a virus that caused diseases similar to the common cold. As a result, 78% of the participants were infected with the virus. But volunteers who had been held more closely together were at less risk of infection.
Cuddling lowers blood pressure
According to a study published in 2005 in the scientific journal Biological Psychology, embracing reduces high blood pressure. During the study, 59 women between the ages of 20 and 49 were tested with their partners. Their partners were asked to hug them and then be subjected to a high-stress situation.
The most frequent hugs were associated with higher oxytocin levels and lower basal blood pressure. Therefore, frequent hugging with a partner improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Hugs can lighten your mood, even on the worst days
A recent study by Murphy et al. (2018) involving hundreds of adult volunteers, all with their own common problems, concluded that hugs really do make our day better. During the two-week monitoring, volunteers felt better than usual on days when they had received at least one hug, and worse on days when they had experienced conflict with others.
So you know, hug and be hugged.