On January 21, a very sincere and unusual holiday is celebrated all over the world - International Hug Day. Where did this holiday come from and why is hugging so good for health?
Hug Day appeared in 1986 in the United States and then very quickly spread throughout the world. Who owns the very idea of the holiday is not known, but there is an assumption that students came up with it. According to tradition, on the day of hugs, you need to give your hugs not only to relatives and friends, but also to complete strangers. And this is not only pleasant to do, but also good for health. The Italian professor Vincenzo Marignano dubbed hugs "the elixir of eternal life." And all because they start processes in the body that reduce stress, pain, fear and allow you to feel that after all, in spite of everything, life is beautiful and amazing.
- Often, many diseases have a psychological basis, there is even such a term as psychosomatics. In 2015, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University of Pennsylvania conducted a study that found that people who are often hugged and supported are 32% less likely to get colds and the flu.
- Hugs help you deal with stress and nervous strain, as they contribute to the release of oxytocin - the hormone of happiness.
- Children need mother's hugs for harmonious growth and development.The baby should be hugged at least 8 times a day.Psychoanalyst Rene Arpad Spitz, during the Second World War, studied the relationship between mother and child and found out that about 33% of babies refused to eat and died if the mother for some reason left the child before 6 months.
- Oxytocin, which is produced during hugging, lowers the heart rate, reduces the amount of stress hormone, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and improves heart function.
- Hugging lowers blood pressure in menopausal women in a completely natural way. This was confirmed in a scientific study at the University of North Carolina in 2005.
- hugs, inthe release of oxytocin, able to reduce not only mental, but also physical pain, as they have a kind of analgesic effect.
- Hugs boost immunity and strengthen the human body, making it more resilient and resistant to dangerous viruses and bacteria.
- Oxytocin, which is produced during hugs, helps to reproduce in the body dopamine and serotonin - hormones that have a calming effect. Therefore, if you need to relax and calm down, instead of a sedative pill, just hug a loved one.
- Hugs improve relationships between spouses and are one of the main psychotherapeutic methods that are applied to couples who seek help from psychologists. And it works!
- Hugs help to cope with problems that come from childhood. If you had a difficult childhood and relationships with your parents, especially with your mother, if you did not hear words of love and support, a psychologist may recommend that you cuddle with... trees. Yes, they are able to charge a person with oxytocin no worse than a loved one and really "treat".
So hug for health: with friends, relatives, children, and not only on the holiday of hugs, but every day! Be healthy, loved and happy!
Also be sure to find out why parents who are generous in hugs grow gifted children
Photo in text: istockphoto.com
