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Johanna Rozenblum (clinical psychologist)
Did you know ? Hugging, hugging a parent, a friend and of course your lover would have many virtues on daily life and well-being. Johanna Rozenblum, clinical psychologist, explains to us why this close contact is essential.
Holding your child, your lover or a friend in your arms is a sign of trust and affection that reassures and feels good. But this is not the only benefit of this act. For Johanna Rozenblum, clinical psychologist and member of our expert committee, it’s a gesture that involves much more than a simple hug.
“There are several studies that have been carried out on the subject, especially among the Anglo-Saxons on ‘caring’, ‘holding’, the act of hugging a loved one and what that brings. Thanks to this we now know “Today, taking someone in one’s arms, cuddling or comforting that person, activates an entire parasympathetic nervous system which helps regulate all tensions, whether psychological or even physical. We also know that physical comfort allows one to recover well-being, and moreover, in many cultures, carrying children and massaging them as in Asia, helps them in their development and finds comfort. Hugging a loved one helps general calm and physical benefit.”
Here are several demonstrations.
Hugs strengthen relationships
The simple act of hugging can help maintain healthy, happy relationships. in the couple, embraces can bridge the gap between what happens in intimacy and everyday life; they maintain a connection. Hugging is also a form of communication separate from sex, which allows couples to feel close.
Hugs build self-esteem
This is a reality, especially among children, for whom touch is a priority. From the moment we are born, the touch of our family shows us that we are special and loved. This association between self-esteem and touch remains ingrained in our nervous system, even into adulthood.
Hugs relax you
The oxytocin released into the bloodstream during hugging, among other things, helps the body repair muscles more quickly. The feeling of relaxation in the arms of a friend or a relative is therefore not only in the head.
Hugs increase happiness
A 2011 UCLA study showed that high levels of oxytocin promote optimism. Our “happiness scale” is thus increased when we hold a person in our arms thanks to this dose of oxytocin released. Another study in which participants had to hug people 5 times a day for 4 weeks ended up being happier than the control group.
Hugs teach us to give and receive
The (sincere) embrace is a double gift: we give as much as we receive. It thus allows us to demonstrate an equal value in giving and being receptive to affection.
Hugs reduce fear of mortality
As surprising as it may seem, in a series of studies on fears and self-esteem published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers demonstrated that hugs reduced fear of death and mortality. Touch may play a beneficial role in bringing comfort to depressed people.
Hugs promote empathy and understanding
When oxytocin, the love and feel-good hormone is released in the body, it also produces a feeling of empathy according to science. However, as we have seen, hugging someone releases a shot of oxytocin. Especially since this gesture can itself accompany a person in distress.
Good in his body, good in his head!
Hugging increases sexual satisfaction
Researchers at the University of Toronto Mississauga tested the correlation between post-sexual affective behavior (kissing, cuddling, and talking) and sexual and relationship satisfaction. And unsurprisingly, couples who spent more time cuddling and hugging before and after sex were also couples who expressed better understanding and sexual satisfaction.