Your Homework This Week: 4 Hugs a Day!
I love my sister-in-law Ronna. The first time I met her, she gave me the most incredible hug. It wasn’t obligatory, wimpy or semi-commital. It was a full-on bear hug, complete with belly contact and a stout, strong, enveloping embrace. She is my inspiration for all the hugs I give and receive. When was the last time you gave (or received) a really great hug?!
Science backs how powerful hugging can be on our physical, mental and emotional health. When we take time to meet, greet and give each other heart-felt hugs:
- We get a health boost. Hugs stimulate the production of oxytocin (the love hormone), which is shown to boost our immune system and our ability to fight illness.
- We de-stress. The effects of a hug are immediate. A stress management study conducted at the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International in Kyoto showed that participants who received a hug had a significant reduction in the level of cortisol, the stress hormone. A whopping 90% of diseases are said to be linked to high levels of stress in the body.
- We relax and let go. When someone hugs us, pressure receptors in our skin immediately send signals to the vagus nerve. As a result of the vagus nerve stimulation, our heart rate and blood pressure decrease and we feel relaxed and content.
- We get happy. Hugs stimulate the production of dopamine (the pleasure hormone), which helps us to relieve stress, tension and feel more open and trusting.
- We love ourselves more. According to a study conducted at the University College London, physical contact, like that from a hug, is essential to develop and maintain a healthy perception of our body. Hugs also help us to feel more emotionally connected to our friends and family.
Every time I see my single friends (particularly those without kids), I make it a point to give them at least two hugs during our visit. Many, especially at this age of loneliness, are going an entire day without any hugs! That’s no good. Even during COVID, I did back-to-back snuggles with friends I hadn’t seen in a while!
Lucky enough to be in a relationship now and want to feel more connected to your partner? Dr. Stan Tatkin, psychotherapist/researcher/couples expert at UCLA and author of Wired for Love found that when couples feel safe with one another, a twenty-second, full-body hug is just enough to release oxytocin and allow them to “sync-up” their neurobiology. His research has shown this kind of hugging can have a profound effect on couples’ attachment and communication, especially when done upon greeting one another at the end of the day (and when your partner’s love language is touch). Try it.
Virginia Satir, American psychologist and adolescent expert says, “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” Is there someone in your life who could use more hugs? This is the time to choose love over fear.
YOUR HOMEWORK: Make it a point to get in at least four hugs a day this week! Remember, pets, your children, friends and hugging the same person multiple times all count! How do you feel when you nourish yourself in this way? If you’re not a hugger, could you become one? Remember, give a real hug–not a “fake” one!
READY TO FOCUS ON YOUR WELL-BEING? HERE ARE FOUR OPPORTUNITIES:
- **SOLD OUT: JOIN THE WAITING LIST.** September 15-17th ~ Sing, Dance, Pray: Romancing the Beloved at the Retreat Center at Lake Logan (45 min. from Asheville, NC airport). Located on sacred land in the oldest mountain range in the world. Limited to 25 women. Email info at reneetrudeau dot com to be on our waiting list. Learn more.
- October 13-15th ~ Awakening Your Wild Soul: A Women’s Self-Renewal Retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health (Berkshire Mountains, MA). Packages start at just $635. This is our most popular retreat of the year (gorgeous leaf color!). Learn more/register. Can’t make it? Join me Jan. 19-21 for Sing, Dance, Pray: Romancing the Beloved women’s self-renewal retreat.
- Wild Souls Nature Adventures (based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC): authentic movement classes, community song circles, full moon hikes, meditation workshops, women’s circles & more. New offerings listed each week; have me design a custom experience for your team/friends. Join us Sunday, August 6th for Wild Souls Authentic Movement near Asheville, NC. Learn more.
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Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by mindfulness coach/author/speaker and self-care evangelist Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women find balance through the art/science of self-care, Renee has been facilitating high-impact, interactive workshops for Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits/conferences and organizations/teams worldwide for 25 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Good Housekeeping, US News & World Report, AARP, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 450 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups/retreats based on her pioneering self-care curriculum. She’s the author of two books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. She and her husband live in Western North Carolina and Austin, Texas; her latest venture is Wild Souls Nature Adventures. More on Renee here.
