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The researchers found that those who were hugged were less affected by interpersonal conflict than those who were not hugged.Shutterstock / Blend Images
Nurturing A Home That Feels Like A Hug
There are three types of people; Touchy people who always hug you hello, special occasional huggers, and those who find displays of affection awkward. Interestingly, your sensitive friends may also be happier and healthier, as recent research has begun to identify hugs as a real mental and physical health boost.
The Waning Practice Of Hugging Our Children
How? For starters, a recent study published in PLoS One investigated whether the effects of a good hug can calm you down throughout the day—even if you end up having a fight afterward. The researchers found that those who were hugged were less affected by “conflict” or interpersonal conflict than those who were not hugged. The gender of the huggers did not matter and neither did the context of the relationship (romantic, familial or platonic).
One of the study’s lead authors, Michael Murphy, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Stress, Immunity, and Disease Research in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Psychology, says that’s because touch turns you off. the part of the brain that responds to threats, and in turn, fewer hormones are released to signal the stress response, and your cardiovascular system experiences less stress.
“In other words, it’s associated with less of a ‘fight or flight’ response to stressful situations,” Murphy explains, adding that researchers believe that human touch can modulate oxytocin (the feel-good hormone also known as the “cuddle chemical”) and the endogenous opioid system (neurons in the brain which can produce sedatives), both of which can increase health. “Feeling safe and cared for, in turn, can make us less sensitive to physical pain and more responsive when faced with potentially threatening experiences, especially socially threatening experiences,” he says.
The idea that a hug can reduce the symptoms of a cold might seem completely absurd – but research suggests otherwise. Another study by Murphy’s colleagues at Carnegie Mellon examined how stress and social support affect immunity and susceptibility to infectious diseases. Participants were exposed to a cold virus and were then monitored in quarantine to assess for signs of illness. The study found that those who experienced social support and were hugged more often also experienced less severe illness symptoms.
The Health Benefits Of Hugging
“Feeling threatened and stressed can set our immune system to act more aggressively than necessary for longer than necessary,” says Murphy. “An over-aggressive immune system can lead to damage to body systems, increasing our risk of various diseases.” However, to the extent that hugs make us feel safer and more cared for, they can buffer experiences that might otherwise threaten us and protect us from over-aggressive immune responses.
Meanwhile, another study found parental affection as an indicator of a child’s future health. “Adversity in childhood increases the risk of mental and physical health problems in adulthood,” explains study author Judith E. Carroll, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at UCLA. What does this have to do with hugs? She told us, in her research, that individuals who reported childhood emotional and physical abuse, and limited love and affection from a parent, were at the highest risk for health problems later in life. Interestingly, if a person reported abuse but also received love and affection from parents during childhood, this somehow moderated the effects of abuse on their health.
“Our findings show the extent to which these early social relationships are associated with biological risk in nearly all of the body’s major regulatory systems, suggesting that there may be a way to mitigate the effects of abuse, at least in terms of physical health,” Carroll said. U.S. “Among the list of toxic stressors, childhood violence is considered particularly harmful. Unfortunately, current estimates suggest that up to 1 in 4 children will experience some form of abuse and/or neglect.” Carroll says she hopes her findings will inspire public policy in support of early intervention. “If we intervene early by educating and training caregivers on how to provide a loving and nurturing environment, we may also improve the long-term health outcomes of these kids.”
On the flip side of the age equation, a Swedish study of 172 nursing home residents showed that residents who received hugs and physical contact, connected with friends and visitors, and were otherwise socially active tended to thrive more than less social residents.
Building A Secure Attachment Bond With Your Baby
As Murphy mentioned earlier, hugging appears to keep the cardiovascular system from being stressed. A study, from the University of North Carolina, recruited 59 women aged 20-49 who had lived with a partner or same-sex partner for at least six months. At first, the women were asked to sit right next to their partner and recall a time they felt particularly close to for a few minutes, watch a romantic video for a few minutes, talk to each other for a few more minutes, and finish with a 20-second hug. After all this, the women were separated from their partners and required to prepare and record a speech about something that made them angry or stressed. Their results? The hugging group had lower blood pressure and heart rate during the stressful task. And the women who reported receiving more hugs from their partners generally had higher oxytocin levels at all levels of the tests, leaving the researchers to conclude that oxytocin may be the link between hugs and lower blood pressure.
So the next time one of your friends or family is stressed, go ahead and give them a hug. “The need to belong—and to engage in behaviors that affect our sense of belonging—is part of our human nature,” says Murphy.
His research has even personally influenced the way Murphy provides support to those closest to him. “In my close relationships, when someone is distressed, they’re much more likely to hug me than I was,” says Murphy. “Actually, a hug is now my typical ‘go-to’ response.”
Want more tips like these? NBC News BETTER is obsessed with finding easier, healthier and better ways to live. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. What does the word Home mean to you? Is home equal to cultivation or love? Is a home full of healthy relationships? Or is it simply a fixed place where one lives? We like to think of the word home as a place where we feel safe and can rest our heads after a long day of work. Home is a cozy place where we can snuggle with our loved ones on the sofa, where we can laugh and play games, or be nursed when we are sick. Home is a place where relationships grow stronger! This type of home sounds amazing, right? But it can sometimes be difficult to create happy relationships in our home environment. What if we don’t have a home as defined above? How do we create a place that truly brings joy, healing and nourishment to us and our loved ones? Here are six tips to create a home full of peace and harmony today. Spend Time Together at Home – Take a Digital and Emotional Break Separation can kill relationships, especially if you’re too busy to put your partner or family first. When you’re at home, take a digital and emotional vacation from anything that distracts you and focus on being present and connecting with your partner and your children. Try the following activities to connect: Play a board game. You can even go old school with Monopoly and Twister. Cook a meal together and talk. Just pick a food theme night—like Italian or Chinese. Do a gardening project together outside. Some suggestions for gardening projects would be flowers, vegetables or fruits. Go for an old fashioned picnic in the park. Each person chooses two things to take with them. Do a puzzle together. Split puzzle corners, center pictures and compete. Play a card game. Some suggestions for playing cards would be Crazy 8’s, B.S. or Go Fish. Do a freeze dance to the music. Let the youngest family member control the start/stop of the music. Look at old family photos together. You can even use paper and a projector in your backyard if it’s nice enough outside! Plan your next adventure together. Vacation or staycation, just plan and have fun! If you have to travel for work, make time for your spouse and children by being creative while you’re away. Text them daily to share what you love about them and why you love a certain quality they embody. Set up a calendar request to FaceTime each other and connect while talking about their day. Be sure to be present in that moment and focus only on them. Stay connected in every way you can to nurture and grow your most important relationships. Monthly Family Outings and Couple Dates Take the time to sync your family calendar and set this
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