The saying “happiness is a little hug” serves true. Not only do you feel immensely better after receiving a hug, but your stress levels also decrease. Physical touch is important. It is a display of warmth and reassurance. It is also beneficial health-wise.
Benefits of Physical Touch & Hugs
A study on finding the correlation between physical contact and blood pressure reactivity to stress, interestingly enough, showed that having warm partner contact is in fact correlated with having a lower reactivity level to stress.
Hugs play a role in making you happier. A study showed that the oxytocin levels were stronger in women who had better relationships and more social contact.
It is interesting to note that the notion of therapeutic touch is a phenomenon that was studied. Although there is not much research on it, it is a recommended phenomenon to assist in the reduction of pain.
Physical touch also plays a role in emotional communication. A study showed that a person could detect an emotion from the type of touch they were receiving.
Social contact also plays a role in helping individuals with low self-esteem deal with their thoughts and anxieties with mortality.
Hugs help you emotionally and mentally, so give and receive plenty of them. You never know when you might need one.