Hugs are one of those things that, although they may seem small, simple gestures, can mean much more, both for the one who gives it and for the one who receives it. Scientific studies support that this show of affection favors the emotional health of human beings, old and young. But if the pandemic has been characterized by something, it is the lack or scarcity of them. And since there are few of us who give, maybe it would be a good idea to know what its benefits are and what is the best way to give them. This Friday, January 21, is World Hug Day.
For years, the phrase about hugs by Virginia Satir, an American family therapist who died in 1988, has been famous. This expert assured that “human beings need four hugs a day to survive, about eight to maintain ourselves and 12 to grow.” They may seem like a lot, but what science certainly supports is that for us to feel good, for us to be happy, we need to receive and give as much as possible.
“The human being is an altricial species – since humans at birth are helpless and need a long time to develop – which means that we come into this world with a great need to be cared for by our attachment figures,” he explains. Rafael Guerrero, psychologist and doctor in Education and director of Darwin Psychologists.
Secure attachment develops thanks to the look, touch and tone of voice of their parents: “One of the main mechanisms to achieve the desired secure attachment is hugs. When a dysregulated child (fear, anger) is hugged by their loved ones, cortisol and adrenaline decrease, neurotransmitters that cause feelings of stress and restlessness in the child. The hug releases endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin (the hormone of love). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is activated when we do pleasurable activities like receiving a hug.” This gesture of affection allows us to connect emotionally with each other: “Babies, children and adults need touch, caresses and hugs. These calm, de-stress and rebalance people. A hug resets.”
Sonia López, teacher, psychopedagogue and trainer of families and teaching teams agrees with Guerrero and assures that among the benefits of hugs are that they strengthen ties, calm emotions, accompany mistakes, share confidences and fill with optimism: “They say that the hug is the only suit that adapts to all bodies. Hugs inject energy, rescue hope and become great allies in the face of fear. They facilitate affective communication, the feeling of empathy, understanding. They help us to give consolation, to educate. They have medicinal power.” “There is no better way to protect, accompany and love our children”, concludes the expert.
Why embracing the most vulnerable ensures a better future
Several studies support what Guerrero and López argue. Hugs help children be resilient. In a 2014 study, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania, USA) examined the impact of hugging on conflict exposure. Some 400 people were interviewed for 14 consecutive days about their conflicts and hugs received. They found that when exposed to various problems, people who received more of these affectionate acts were less upset, so these gestures apparently facilitated a better adaptation. The ability to face challenges in a positive and decisive way is an important element to develop resilience in children.
Hugs also help children to be smarter. Human contact is necessary for the brain to grow properly, according to experts, and this is confirmed by research published in Genetic Psychology Monographs (2000). The researchers found that institutionalized babies who received hugs for an extra 20 minutes per day for 10 weeks performed better on developmental assessments than those who did not. They also found that not all types of touch were beneficial: “Just a loving touch can provide the kind of positive stimulation a young brain needs to grow healthy.”
For their part, a team of scientists from Emory University in Atlanta found a strong link between physical contact and stress reduction, mainly in the early stages of life. His conclusion left no room for doubt: “Do you want to do something for future generations? You have to hug them.”
this is the perfect hug
The study The influence of duration, arm crossing style, gender and emotional closeness when giving hugs [The influence of duration, arm crossing style, gender, and emotional closeness on hugging behaviour, en inglés], divided into two parts, published last November and carried out by several British faculties of Psychology, concluded that what makes a hug pleasant or not, is not so much the way it is given, but how long it lasts.
The researchers tried to determine four points around this gesture of affection: how the duration of the hug and the style of crossing the arms influence the experience; how the length and manner of crossing the arms influence self-assessments later; which style of crossing arms is more common in a natural environment and if it is possible to predict it from the gender of the dyad -the two people who embrace-, the emotional closeness and the difference in height. Only women participated in the investigation, because it could not be concluded due to the covid-19 health crisis.
According to the first part of the study, carried out in the laboratory, hugs that last between five and 10 seconds are the most pleasant, both during the squeeze and in the sensation that remains after -after three to six minutes-, compared with those that last a second or a little more. In the second part of the research, carried out in a natural environment, outside, an attempt was made to measure whether the way of hugging influenced the pleasure felt by the two people. The conclusion was that no, what most influences is the duration. What this experiment did determine is that crossed hugs, those that link neck-waist, are the most common.
You can follow De mamas & de papas on Facebook, Twitter or sign up here to receive our fortnightly newsletter.
