As we remain in the grips of the pandemic, I came to think about the impact of the pandemic on hugging. We hug far less if at all now as we are encouraged to maintain social distancing. Our manner of greeting has come to include fist bumps, elbow bumps, or any variation thereof. We engage in virtual hugs on Zoom without any physical contact. Recently, our seven-year-old grand daughter said plaintively to us, “I want to hug you so badly I don’t know what to do”. Now you may say, “What’s so important about hugging”? You may be surprised to learn both about the importance and the power of hugs. Let’s look first at the idea of “failure to thrive”.
The concept of “failure to thrive” has been around for many decades. It stemmed from research and study in orphanages in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s following World War II. John Bowlby and Rene Spitz were prominent in noting the high rate of infant deaths (one out of three) not for physical disease but rather for failure to be touched and held. Even among the babies who didn’t die, there were high rates of cognitive, behavioral, and psychological dysfunction. Again, most of the deaths were not due to starvation or disease, but to severe emotional and sensory deprivation – in other words, a lack of love. These babies were fed and medically treated, but they were absolutely deprived of important stimulation, especially touch and affection. This was not because the orphanages were terrible places but because there were too many babies for the staff to manage in the case of the hospitals. In Europe and the US in the first half of the 20th century, nurses were required to cover their faces with surgical masks and not interact with babies. Parents and other family members were prevented from visiting freely as it was believed this would prevent infections from spreading and help keep babies healthy. However, instead of getting better the babies got worse.
How important is touch? Human touch is fundamental for human development and survival. Research conducted by Ruth Feldman and Tiffany Field has shown the positive effects that come from skin-to-skin touch in premature babies and that these effects are still at work after ten years. Significant gains in neurological development, weight gain, and mental development of premature babies have been shown to be triggered by skin-to-skin stimulation.
So what are the benefits of hugging for us adults? There is some research to support the conclusion that hugging and other interpersonal touch can boost a hormone called oxytocin (sometimes known as the “love hormone”) and also affect our endogenous opioid system. What is that? It means that through hugging our brains can produce chemicals that sooth us and help us to feel more safe and less threatened throughout the day. So when something stressful does come up, we don’t have such an aggressive fight-or-flight response to it.
Are there additional benefits of hugging? In a recent article online in Select Health, there were noted four benefits of hugging. I list these with several references to related studies. These benefits include:
1. Hugs ward off illness. A study found that frequent hugs actually protected people from increased susceptibility to the kind of stress that leads to infection. Participants who were sick exhibited fewer symptoms when they were hugged more often. In a study of susceptibility to upper respiratory illness, authors Cohen, Janicki-Deverts, and Turner in an article in PubMed followed 404 healthy adults over two weeks to examine the role of perceived social support and hugs in buffering against interpersonal stress-induced susceptibility to a virus induced infection. Perceived support protected against the rise in infection risk.. A similar stress-buffering effect emerged for hugging, which explained 32% of the attenuating effect of support. Among infected participants, greater perceived support and more-frequent hugs each predicted less-severe illness signs.
2. Hugs release oxytocin. As noted earlier, Oxytocin is often called the “love hormone,” and it’s released when we cuddle or bond. It’s the reason why being hugged feels so good. So when you’re feeling down, give someone a squeeze and feel your mood lift.
3. Hugs make you feel like everything will be okay. We instinctively hug those who are struggling. When you receive a hug from someone you care about or who makes you happy, it can generally leave you feeling safe, and excited for the future. In a study in a retirement home in New York, staff implemented a program called “Embraceable You.” It was a push for more contact between the older residents and staff members so as to improve the residents’ well-being. As it turned out, the residents who received three or more hugs per day felt less depressed, had more energy, could concentrate easier and slept better.
4. Hugs cut down on stress. You probably know that cortisol is a stress hormone, but did you know that hugs can actually combat cortisol? The science of this is pretty involved, but essentially a hug can lower cortisol levels and counteract the physiological consequences around being stressed. For more information about stress and its management, please see our book (I Can’t Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn’t Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. For additional information about the book and authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.
As soon as possible, let’s get back to our hugs. As I hope you see, there is great power in hugs. For now, take care of yourselves and stay safe.
Good luck in your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For additional information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com