People hug for lots of different reasons. Sometimes it’s for exciting reasons, such as someone getting a promotion at work, moving into a new house, or welcoming a new child into the world. Other times it’s to bring comfort, peace, or support to someone who’s hurting. They may be grieving a loved one, dealing with a job loss, or coping with mental issues. Hugs can be shared between friends, partners, and family members. A hug is a sign of affection and compassion.
Share a Hug Day 2022 is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the value of hugging and showing affection. Whether you enjoy physical touch or not, everyone can find a way to show their loved ones that they care for them on Share a Hug Day.
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What Is A Hug?
Hugs are just one way to nonverbally tell someone you care about, love, or miss them. They can be used for greeting or to comfort, encourage, or be there for someone. You can show kindness, support, togetherness, and hope with a hug. You can give bear hugs, side hugs, and hugs from behind or from the front. You can offer a tight squeeze or opt for something gentler. Hugs can serve as a way to say hello, goodbye, “I missed you,” and so many other things. They can be a sign of compassion and dedication and impart a feeling of security.
Hugs can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes or more. In general, the longer an embrace, the more of an effect it can have. The chemicals oxytocin and serotonin reach their highest levels when you hug or cuddle for seven or more seconds, so it doesn’t take long to receive the maximum benefits of an embrace.
It's normal to crave and give hugs. Although not everyone enjoys physical touch, it’s something that we all need to thrive. From the time a human is in the womb to their last years on earth, physical contact and human touch are necessary and hugely important. Biologically, humans were created to be touched and to touch others. Not receiving physical touch can have negative physical and mental health effects, especially in the current digital age, when many miss out on in-person interactions. Many adults are starved for physical touch and subconsciously miss it greatly, but have no idea. Recognizing the importance of hugs and other kinds of touch can have positive health outcomes for years to come.
How Hugs Can Improve Mental Health
Physical touch has plenty of mental health benefits for both the giver and receiver of the embrace. Here are some ways they can improve mental health and well-being:
It can reduce social anxiety. People who get nervous being around other people may not like to be hugged or to give out hugs. It may make them nervous or uncomfortable, even though they still desire intimacy and affection from other people. While no one should be forced into an embrace, hugs can, over time, decrease those feelings of social anxiety as the person becomes more accustomed to touch. For example, they might get into a new relationship with someone who values physical touch as a way of showing and receiving love. The physical aspect of this relationship might push them to be less socially anxious.
People who get nervous being around other people may not like to be hugged or to give out hugs. It may make them nervous or uncomfortable, even though they still desire intimacy and affection from other people. While no one should be forced into an embrace, hugs can, over time, decrease those feelings of social anxiety as the person becomes more accustomed to touch. For example, they might get into a new relationship with someone who values physical touch as a way of showing and receiving love. The physical aspect of this relationship might push them to be less socially anxious. It can reduce stress levels. When you get hugged or touched by someone else, it can boost levels of oxytocin (the love hormone) and reduce stress levels. It can also decrease cortisol, a stress hormone. People who receive physical touch more are often less likely to respond negatively or overreact to stressful events.
When you get hugged or touched by someone else, it can boost levels of oxytocin (the love hormone) and reduce stress levels. It can also decrease cortisol, a stress hormone. People who receive physical touch more are often less likely to respond negatively or overreact to stressful events. It can strengthen social bonds. Hugs can make you feel closer to someone in just a few seconds. Just like we are bonded to our caregiver upon being born, humans can feel a sense of closeness just by embracing another person. Strengthening social bonds helps us maintain positive relationships, reducing loneliness and stress alike.
Hugs can make you feel closer to someone in just a few seconds. Just like we are bonded to our caregiver upon being born, humans can feel a sense of closeness just by embracing another person. Strengthening social bonds helps us maintain positive relationships, reducing loneliness and stress alike. It can help you trust someone more. When you hug someone, your body produces oxytocin, a feel-good chemical in the brain. Oxytocin builds trust between you and other people and may help you resolve conflicts with more empathy, compassion, and understanding.
When you hug someone, your body produces oxytocin, a feel-good chemical in the brain. Oxytocin builds trust between you and other people and may help you resolve conflicts with more empathy, compassion, and understanding. It can create a more positive mindset, attitude, and mood. Hugs can make people think more positively which can boost happiness. Hugs often have a calming effect that reduces feelings of sadness, takes away stress, and helps us to feel comforted.
Hugs can make people think more positively which can boost happiness. Hugs often have a calming effect that reduces feelings of sadness, takes away stress, and helps us to feel comforted. It makes others want to be kinder. Seeing other people do something kind actually makes others want to do the same. In essence, altruistic behavior from one person can lead to more altruistic behavior from another person who witnessed it in the first place. Receiving a hug can make you want to return the favor and give someone else a hug back.
Clearly, hugs can have an endless number of benefits for both the giver and receiver. Often, when someone gets hugged, they want to return the favor. Feeling uncomfortable with physical touch is understandable, but it’s also something you can grow out of. It’s normal to go through periods where you don’t like to be touched, but this doesn’t mean you’ll feel that way forever. What’s most important is respecting the boundaries and preferences of those around you. We all show and receive love in different ways. If someone isn’t comfortable with hugging, it’s important to find other ways to comfort and love them well.
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Touch can be a powerful thing. Hugging has plenty of mental health benefits, but it also has physical health advantages as well. For example:
It can boost your immune system. Feeling too much stress can cause the immune system to overreact. An aggressive immune system response can cause damage to the body and even lead to a higher risk for certain illnesses. Hugs make the nervous system and immune system calm down, which can prevent an overreactive response and therefore ward off harmful illnesses.
It can reduce pain. Whether it’s acute or chronic pain, two people embracing each other relieves stress and lowers pain levels. Physical touch increases endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals released by the body when it feels stress or pain of any kind. Giving or receiving a hug when you’re in pain is a great way to get some relief, even if just temporarily.
It can lower blood pressure. When someone gives you a hug and welcomes you into their arms, the oxytocin levels in your body rise. Oxytocin lessens the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body, which then lowers blood pressure. Lower blood pressure can help lead to better health outcomes overall, whereas high blood pressure can cause problems such as heart disease, stroke, or a heart attack.
It can raise oxytocin levels. Oxytocin is a hormone known as the “love drug” or the “cuddle hormone.” When the body produces it, such as during a hug or snuggle, you can experience feelings of closeness, trust, tenderness, connection, and bonding. Oxytocin is incredibly calming, and a calmer state of being is always better for your mental and physical health than a nervous system that’s always on edge.
It can help you lose weight. If you’re someone who eats for comfort, you may be able to replace that overeating with more physical touch. Eating produces oxytocin in the brain, but so does sharing a hug with someone. Replace your overeating with more hugs, and you may find that those pounds drop off even faster.
As research shows, hugging can be good for your health in more ways than one. Hugs reduce stress hormones while increasing feel-good ones, can give your immune system a boost, and they can even fight off sickness. While physical touch isn’t technically a cure for anything, it could be something helpful to calm the nervous system or promote healing.
Share a Hug Day is celebrated each year on July 30 in the United States. The movement started in 2018, thanks to Mike Brundritt. Mike Brundritt lost his wife of 19 years and oldest son in a terrible auto accident with a transport truck when the family was returning home one night. The transport truck failed to stop in a construction zone and plowed into five parked cars, one of which held Brundritt, his wife, his oldest son, and his youngest son. The day ended in tragedy as the accident took the lives of Brundritt’s wife and oldest son. To stay positive, Brundritt decided to create Share a Hug Day on the first anniversary of his loved ones’ deaths to honor their memory and build something powerful from the anniversary of the tragedy, remembering how much his family valued the power of physical touch and sharing hugs. Mike Brundritt decided to create Share a Hug Day on the first anniversary of his wife and son’s deaths due to a traffic accident to remind people that they are loved, cared for, and appreciated. Receiving hugs frequently can help people feel less alone, comforted, or encouraged. It communicates empathy, understanding, and trust, especially when someone is feeling down. For those that like to hug, there’s never a bad time to show your affection through a warm embrace. Although not everyone enjoys physical touch, there are other ways to observe Share a Hug Day on July 30th. We all show love in different ways, and while hugs may be a great way to give or receive affection for some, it isn’t something others are comfortable with. Back injuries may also prevent hugs in some cases. Learning about your loved ones’ love languages can help you decide which action or greeting would make them feel most valued and special on Share a Hug Day. Even a virtual hug can show someone you care without physical touch; observe Share a Hug Day in the way that feels right to you. Just remember why the movement started and be sure to show your affection to those you care about, whether that be your husband, wife, family members, or friends, this July 30. On Share a Hug Day, share your love and appreciation with others in whatever way you see fit. Whether that’s many hugs or other important traditions, do what feels right for you and your loved ones and friends. Bring some more love to the world on the anniversary of a tragedy and make the world a happier place. Families and friends alike can partake in the celebration and spread the idea of compassion and love to others in order to change their lives. In 2023, Share a Hug Day is on Sunday, but you can also celebrate Saturday afternoon or the entire weekend if you’d like. Making a post on social media, such as a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram post, is a nice way to affect other families’ lives in a positive way.
Share a Hug Day is for everyone, even if you aren’t a hugger. Not everyone enjoys physical touch, and that’s okay. There are other ways to celebrate Share a Huge Day on July 30 that don’t involve hugging goodbye. Below are some ways you can celebrate, whether you’re a hugger or not. Give a gift. Giving a gift is thoughtful and can make someone feel special. Surprise gifts can be a great reminder of how important someone in your life is to you. Pick out something you think they’d like; the thought behind the gift is what matters most.
Send flowers. Whether you give them to your partner, sibling, or friend, flowers can brighten anyone’s day. Each time they look at the bouquet, they’ll be reminded of how much they’re loved. You can find flower delivery companies near them via Google.
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Send a kind message or card. You can send a thoughtful text message, personalized card, or mail a letter. Let someone know you’re thinking of them by offering compliments, encouragement, or comfort during a hard time. Words can lift someone up in hard times and help them feel celebrated during the good moments.
Give someone a hug! This one is for anyone who enjoys physical touch. Let someone know they’re loved and appreciated by offering them a tight squeeze. Make sure they’re a hugger before going in for a teddy bear hug, though, as you don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. Physical touch, no matter what kind, should always be consensual for all parties involved. There are plenty of ways to show love on Share a Hug Day. Although “hug” is in the name, what’s most important on the National Hugging Day (July 30) is showing those you love that you care for them. Through the smallest of actions (perhaps even a message or post on your Instagram or Facebook profile), you can let the people around you know that they matter, as we are all connected through kindness, humanity, and community.
Self-Care Is For Everyone
While seeing a therapist can be beneficial for anyone, not everyone is in the place to be able to do so. If you’re experiencing mood problems, emotional highs or lows, or any other issue in your life, practicing self-care is important. Self-care helps maintain positive mental health and can give you a boost of confidence as you see improvements. Here are some things you can try on your own to improve your overall mindset:
Take up journaling: Journaling can help you figure out how you’re really feeling. Sometimes, we have so much on our minds that it’s hard to sort it all out. Journaling allows you to take all of those thoughts and put them down on paper so that they make more sense. Recognizing how you’re feeling will help you with emotional regulation and can clear your mind of clutter.
Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is a practice that can calm the mind and reduce negative feelings like anxiety or depression. It requires deep concentration, taking control of your thoughts, and focused breathing to work the best it can. Mindfulness can improve sleep quality, lower stress levels, and even have positive physical health benefits. Each of these things, in turn, can improve your mental well-being.
While there are times you might just need a hug to feel better, there are other times when physical touch won’t feel like enough. In these moments, it’s important to have other methods of self-care you can turn to. It can be a long journey to maintain good mental health, but you can take steps to make that journey a little more bearable.
Are You Feeling Unappreciated, Unloved, Or Left Out? Talk To A Therapist About Your Feelings
When a Hug Isn’t Enough
If you’re having problems that feel beyond your capacity to deal with alone, looking into therapy could be a smart choice. With today’s busy schedules, many people have begun turning to online therapy to meet their needs. BetterHelp is an online counseling medium that can connect you with a qualified therapist with experience in helping people work through tough times in their lives. These services allow you to meet with them on your schedule and timeline. Choose from a voice call, video chat, or messaging feature to get connected each week. In general, BetterHelp tends to be less expensive and more convenient than traditional therapy deals. You might even find that you’re more comfortable talking with a professional online than in person to share the news and stories from your life.
It can be daunting to begin therapy, but many people find that their effort to receive help turns out to be worth it when they're in distress. The key is finding what type of therapy works best for you, whether that’s online or in-person. One study found that Internet-based CBT was effective in reducing symptoms associated with moderate and severe depression. These findings are on par with traditional, in-person therapy. Each type has assisted millions of people with a variety of conditions, disorders, and other kinds of problems in their life. The more sessions someone attends, the more helpful the treatment normally is.
BetterHelp Therapy
Therapy is all about your needs and preferences and it’s important to gravitate toward the treatments that help you heal best. Sometimes this is a process of trial and error, which requires patience and endurance. However, the results are usually rewarding and lead to a healthier mindset and overall lifestyle. If you’re considering online therapy, start by reaching out to BetterHelp as soon as you’re ready. Once you’re paired with a therapist, you can start your own personal journey to healing.
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