Hugs help us feel better and here’s how:

• Hugs instantly boost oxytocin levels which decrease stress hormones and heal feelings of loneliness, anger and isolation.
• Hugs build trust and a sense of safety.
• Hugs lift one’s serotonin levels, elevating mood and creating happiness.
• Hugs strengthen the immune system.  The gentle pressure on the sternum and the emotional charge this creates activates the Solar Plexus Chakra which stimulates the thymus gland regulating and balancing the body’s production of white blood cells.
• Hugs boost self-esteem – they provide a tactile sensation that show us we are loved and special increasing feelings of self-worth.
• Hugs relax muscles, release tension in the body and take away pain because they increase circulation into the soft tissues.
• Hugs balance out the parasympathetic nervous system through the change in skin conduction (moisture and electricity).
• Hugs teach us how to give and receive.
• Hugs are similar to meditation and laughter in that they teach us to let go and be present in the moment – they connect you with your heart and your feelings and your breath.
• Hugs are a form of investment in the relationship between the two people hugging, which encourages empathy and understanding. 

 Be sure to ask before hugging someone you aren’t 100% sure would welcome one by simply asking “Can I give you a hug?” or “Would you like a hug?”