Virginia Satir, an American author and psychotherapist who is widely regarded as the “Mother of Family Therapy,” said this about hugs and hugging:
“We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” ~ Virginia Satir ~
My family is a family of huggers, so it is no surprise that I have always been a firm believer in hugging. There are excellent reasons for hugging, so I thought I would share them with you.
16 Reasons You NEED To Hug
There are many reasons that you need to hug whether you initiate giving the hug or receiving the hug.
- Hugging boosts the “the love hormone” oxytocin which increases feelings of trust, attachment, connection and intimacy. Oxytocin heals the feelings of anger, loneliness and isolation.
- Hugs boosts serotonin levels which elevates the mood and increases feelings of happiness.
- Hugging lowers the hormone cortisol which lowers stress and anxiety.
- Hugging reduces heart rate and blood pressure.
- Hugs help ease fatigue.
- A hug reduces pain by increasing circulation into the soft tissues.
- Hugging relaxes muscles and releases the tension being held in the muscles.
- Hugs ease depression.
- A hug stimulates the pleasure hormone dopamine which is associated with motivation.
- Hugging strengthens the immune system by reducing inflammation and assists in wound healing.
- Because of the sense of touch exchanged, hugging improves the nervous system function and provides better parasympathetic balance.
- Coupled with verbal communication, the non-verbal communication shared during hugging improves understanding in relationships.
- A hug lowers glucose levels which aids diabetics improve their health.
- Hugs are here and now. You must be present during a hug. Because you can’t do other tasks while hugging, you learn to remain in the present, slow down and be patient.
- Hugs teach you that relationships are based on giving and receiving. It is a two way street.
- Hugging increases self-esteem because you feel special, wanted, needed and loved. This in turn boosts your self-love.
So if you are the kind of person who feels hugging invades your personal space, think about what I just shared with you. Maybe you can lower your guard a bit and receive the beneficial effects of good hugs everyday.
?HUGS? Thanks for sharing! I didn’t used to be a hugger… but have been slowly converting over in recent years. I had guessed some of the above, and looking forward to exploring the rest! Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Happy hugging!
I don’t care if Virginia Satir is widely regarded as the “Mother of Family Therapy,” I don’t agree with her quote. She said, “We need 4 hugs a day for survival.” If that is the case than I’m not even alive. Then she said, “We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance.” Maintenance. Exactly what is that suppose to mean? To maintain the level where I am at? But I’m not even here because I never got my 4 hugs a day for survival. (What a shame I’m not here and can’t comment on your blog.) Lastly, Virginia Satair said, “We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” Well, obviously that explains why I have never grown up. I’ve never received my 12 hugs a day! 🙂
Living in the south makes it easy to get hugs. I am a hugger. My family is full of huggers. I hug family, friends and have hugged total strangers in stores, restaurants, movies and church. People in the south hug. So I hug my daughter when she leaves in the morning and when she comes home, so that is an automatic two each day. If I see my mother, I hug her upon seeing her and leaving her. I hug her husband when I see him and when I leave. You can make opportunities to hug people, Joan. It’s a part of making yourself more open and vulnerable. Hugging really does make me feel better. When I was at work, I always hugged my co-workers. I love hugging and hugs give back. I also hug my dog, Bella, a hundred times a day. 😀
Sherry, please don’t take pity on me that I don’t have anyone to hug me and send me your {{{Hugs}}} through the Internet. First of all, according to your post, “You must be present during a hug.” So all those {{{Hugs}}} that you have been sending me all these years through cyberspace don’t even count as a real hug. And secondly, I enjoy never having grown up and looking young, so their are definitely benefits to not receiving 12 hugs a day! 🙂
Hug your son all the time!!!!!! Don’t let the moment pass you by!!!! Seize the moment of love every chance you get and hug his gorgeous neck!
For all my and Aunt Bobs pain we are going to take a sign and stand in the mall that says hug me now for everybody for it will take that many hugs
Do what it takes Mom! I’ve thought about doing that before too. I think it would be fun and exhilarating!