Here's How Science Says You Can Give The Perfect Hug (Once Social Distancing Is Over) (2024)

FAQs

What does science say about hugs? ›

Hugging helps lower our stress throughout the day.

Like so many other unseen benefits, this all goes back to good ol' hormones. Some researchers believe that hugging and other interpersonal touch can boost a hormone called oxytocin and also affect our endogenous opioid system.

When people hug for 20 seconds or more, the feel-good hormone oxytocin is released which creates a stronger bond and connection between the huggers. Oxytocin has been shown to boost the immune system and reduce stress.

Looking to give your loved one the perfect hug? Psychologists in London claim they have cracked the code on the ideal embrace, saying hugs should last between five and 10 seconds.

Remember touch is essential and there is no substitution for a great big hug! As author and family therapist Virginia Satir once said, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth”.

Hugging increases serotonin, a neurotransmitter known as the "feel good" hormone that is produced and spread by neurons in the brain. Serotonin helps us feel happy, calm, and confident.

While it seems to be just a simple, loving gesture from a loved one, hugging also increases our level of oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone.” Oxytocin helps us bond with others and reduces the stress hormone, norepinephrine.

Hugging someone you love for 20 seconds a day is the key to alleviating stress and beating burnout, according to a new book. A lingering embrace releases the bonding hormone oxytocin, which can lower your blood pressure, slow your heart rate and improve your mood.

According to scientists, giving another person support through a hug can reduce the stress levels of the person being comforted. Results from research found that parts of human's brain associated with stress showed reduce activity while those parts associated with the rewards of maternal behavior showed more activity.

Give your partner a 60-second hug (f you can only give it 20-30 seconds, that will suffice). Touching your partner in this way will boost oxytocin and dopamine, your attachment and pleasure hormones. It feels like you've enshrouded yourself in a warm blanket, and that feeling will stay with you for the day.

When you don't get enough physical touch, you can become stressed, anxious, or depressed. As a response to stress, your body makes a hormone called cortisol. This can cause your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing rate to go up, with bad effects for your immune and digestive systems.

What happens if you don't hug anyone for a long time? ›

Your stress levels can go up

When you go without your usual interactions—like hugging, cuddling, kissing, etc. —your brain also starts to release more of the stress hormone, which is called cortisol, Dr. Jackson says. As time goes on and you don't receive physical touch to relieve it, you will start to feel wound up.

The power of hugs

So, when we hold someone's hand or hug them, we feel every bit of them and our brains react. When we reach out, a chemical called oxytocin — also dubbed the “love hormone” — kicks in and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Not too bad, right? It makes sense that when we're feeling down a hug can often help lighten our feelings. There's also research that suggests hugging or cuddling for more than six seconds oxytocin and serotonin are released at maximum levels.

Often referred to as the “cuddle hormone,” oxytocin promotes feelings of trust, bonding, and overall happiness. When we hug a pillow, our bodies release oxytocin, creating a cascade of positive effects.

Hanning described findings that four hugs per day was an antidote for depression, eight hugs per day would achieve mental stability and twelve hugs per day would achieve real psychological growth.

When we touch – cuddle, hug, or holding hands – our bodies release “feel good” hormones. These hormones include oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. Once the hormones are released into our bodies we experience feelings of happiness, relaxation, improve mood, and lower levels of depression.

Pair (or social) bonding is known as the desire of spending more time with a person. The release of the hormone helps facilitate this bonding by activating the pleasure centers3 in your brain. Hugs served an evolutionary purpose to help us know who and who wasn't safe.

That simple squeeze increases your oxytocin levels. Oxytocin tells your amygdala (the fear, anxiety, and aggression headquarters of your brain) to chill out. Via The Upward Spiral: A hug, especially a long one, releases a neurotransmitter and hormone oxytocin, which reduces the reactivity of the amygdala.

Frequent hugging and hand-holding can help to lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. Hugging Boosts Self Esteem. Touch is a powerful language that we can use to convey feelings of safety, love, and connection to a greater community.