You need a hug. I do, too!

We all need hugs every single day. As you’ll see from this article, human contact is vital for physical and emotional survival.

Babies who are not cuddled, hugged and nurtured will not grow. They eventually may develop lifelong emotional problems or even die. Many years ago, we lived in Africa, where mothers routinely bundle their babies on their backs while they go about their daily tasks. Their culture says they must be in physical contact with their mothers almost all the time for the first two years of life.

But this is about more than babies. We all need hugs all the time.

Yet research shows that one-third of us get no hugs at all and 75% say they want more hugs. I saw a meme on Facebook recently that says we need four hugs a day to survive, eight hugs a day for maintenance to and 12 hugs a day to grow. I don’t know if there is any science behind it, but it sure sounds good to me.

But there is some science that helps explain what happens when we are hugged and why hugs are so important at all ages.

1. Hugs cause the body to release the nurturing hormone, oxytocin, that help dispel feelings of loneliness and anger. That oxytocin rush has even been shown to reduce cravings for sweets, alcohol and addictive drugs.
2. Good long hugs (ten seconds or more) cause the brain to release the feel-good brain chemical, serotonin.
3. A 20-second hug, along with a few minutes of hand holding, lowers levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, and reduces blood pressure and heart rate.
4. A hug activates the solar plexus chakra, stimulating the thymus gland and increasing production of white blood cells that fight infection.
5. Even a touch on the arm or a pat on the back has been shown to have measurable effects in boosting self-esteem. If you’re a bit intuitive like I am, you may instinctively want to touch someone who is hurting.
6. Other research even shows that hugging gives your immune system a boost, actually reducing the risk of colds and flu.
7. Frequent hugging has also been linked to better heart and lung function, as well decreased levels of depression and fatigue.

Cuddling a dog or cat or even a stuffed toy has been shown to produce many of the same benefits. Being the mom of three dogs, one cat and a horse, I get lots of chances for hugs of the four-legged variety, too.

Get more articles on emotional health from Kathleen.