How do you feel about hugs?  Some people love them. Some people stand awkwardly with their arms tensed around the other person, waiting for it to stop.  For me, hugs are 50/50.  I was originally a bit hesitant to write about this topic, because I know that anyone who knows me well will probably be laughing at me in a few paragraphs time.  On the right day, and from the right person, I love a good hug.  Catch me on a bad day, however, and at best I’ll be in the latter category; at worst, I’ll duck.  

As a student nurse, however, I am happy to be persuaded by scientific evidence, and science tells us that hugs are beneficial for not only our mental health but our physical health as well.  So, lets talk about Hug Science.

Let’s start with an obvious benefit: hugs have been shown to improve your mood.  One study asked participants about arguments, and whether they had received a hug on the days the arguments occurred.  The results from this study suggested that individuals were less likely to be as negatively affected by an argument if they had received a hug that day; hugs also appeared to positively impact mood on days where the respondents had not had an argument.

This improvement in mood could be down to the fact that hugs cause our bodies to release oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone.  This is the same hormone which is released during both sex and breastfeeding.  It makes us feel warm and fuzzy, encourages bonding with the other person, reduces stress and strengthens relationships.  It also reduces pain sensations, so when your Mum gave you a hug after you’d fallen off the swings, she was actually providing a medical intervention.  Oxytocin isn’t only released when we hug another human, either.  Hugging, holding or stroking a pet can trigger the same release of hormones.

Another benefit of hugs, evidenced by a popular and often quoted study, is that they have been shown to reduce blood pressure.  Participants in this study were given a 20 second hug, before being asked to complete a stressful task, while a control group were asked to perform the task without being given a hug before.  The group who received a hug were found to have lower blood pressure, and reported feeling less stressed during the task, than the control group.

Finally, hugs have even been shown to reduce signs of illness!  In one piece research, participants were exposed to a common cold virus and then monitored for 14 days.  They were also asked questions every day during this time about their symptoms, as well as other daily events in their lives.  The study found that people who reported receiving regular hugs during the two weeks were also likely to report milder cold symptoms, compared to participants who didn’t report being hugged.  Although obviously this could be due to other factors, it’s possible that the stress-reducing benefits of a good hug make us less susceptible to illness.

So, if you’re someone who loves a hug, keep it up!  And if you’re someone who prefers your friendships to be more socially distanced, maybe give it the occasional try?  Or, if not, definitely give your pet some extra snuggles instead.

PS – If you want some more guidance and to ponder on the big questions in life, why not check out the Philosopher-in-Residence series. Out every fortnight on a Thursday, and written by our Principal Planner, Anna Pascoe.  You can take a peek at the latest edition here: https://makemeaplan.com/news/on-strike/