Hugs and Happiness
The hug is as old as humanity. Derived from the Old Norse word hugge, which means to comfort, and perhaps as well from the German hegen, which means to cherish, the first hug occurs in the womb, where the fetus is enveloped by gentle warmth. Infants are immediately embraced by mothers and fathers, and then swaddled tightly in blankets, whereupon they are handed to grandparents, aunts and uncles for more hugs. Thus begins a childhood of hugging: to feed, soothe, embrace, say good morning and good night. The child learns to hug as well, be it parent, sibling, stuffed animal, or pillow. Children lacking such comfort suffer "failure to thrive," which is associated with severe problems of emotional attachment and in some orphanages, where there is no physical contact, illness and death.
Such close physical intimacy can be challenged by social norms as we age, but what the heart needs it manages to get. So we hug friends and loved ones on meeting and parting, hug ill people to show love and concern and hug old people to ease their way. We hug pets. We hug strangers out of joy at sporting or other celebrations of success (or to assuage pain at failure). We hug those who have shared a tragedy and to provide consolation. We hug the fellow faithful in church and in religious ceremonies of various kinds. We may hug others even to stay warm, literally calling upon them for joint survival. Men, often socialized to avoid visible signs of affection, especially to other men, still turn to hugging, though it may be accompanied by pats of the back to maintain "manliness." We hug when words are hard to say or are simply not enough. Then there is the group hug, common in every setting from sports to families to therapy sessions. Hugging makes us one with others, a critical benefit in an individualistic society where loneliness as an endemic problem.
We hug to make others feel better, but it makes us feel better too. The act of hugging slows us down and can insert a moment of quiet and silence when the noise of living overwhelms. Hugging releases oxytocin, a chemical associated with social bonding and feelings of happiness, and it reduces blood pressure and relieves stress. Oxytocin in young children is also associated with the release of growth hormones essential for child development and strengthening of the immune system. Hugging may even help prevent illness or lessen its effects in adults. In a study of 404 people, hugging was associated with fewer colds and reduced symptoms among those already infected.
Unlike sight, hearing, taste and smell, which are located in singular parts of our bodies, touch is everywhere. Our skin, the largest organ, has more nerve endings than any other. So hugging is literally a full-body, heightened sensory experience. When we hug, research suggests that the pressure receptors in our skin communicate with the vagus nerve which can play an important role in decreasing stress and the impact of damaging stress hormones. So, if you feel relieved after a hug, that is your vagus nerve at work.
On October 17, 1995, Kyrie and Brielle Jackson were born 12 weeks premature in Worcester, Massachusetts. Placed in separate incubators to reduce the chance of infection. Kyrie made good progress, but Brielle's breathing and heart problems grew. As Brielle neared death, Nurse Gayle Kasparian tried something she had heard about from Europe. She put both girls in the same incubator. Soon thereafter, Brielle snuggled close to her sister, who put her left arm around her. Brielle's blood oxygen level improved, her heart rate stabilized, and her temperature rose to normal. Both girls are today healthy young women. What has since been dubbed the "rescuing hug" is now widespread practice for premature, multiple births.
Hugging, though widespread, is something we may not fully understood. Some are uncomfortable with it, and in some contexts a hug, if uninvited, can be misinterpreted. Yet, we should be wary of those who would dampen this natural impulse and focus only on when it is inappropriate. There can be many reasons and some real benefits for those who (pardon the pun) embrace hugging.
And so we come to tree huggers, parodied by many. Yet they may be on to more than just protecting nature. In Japan, walking or staying in forests is called shinrin-yoku. Scientific experiments demonstrate that is a form of stress reduction that decreases hostility and depression and enhances liveliness. Hugging a tree can even release oxytocin. So, when you can't hug a person, pet, or your stuffed animal still secretly retained from childhood, walk in the woods and hug a tree. It may be the next best and useful thing to do.
Photo Credit: Carol Donsky Newell
