It's National Hugging Day Today: January 21st
January 21st (that's today!) is National Hugging Day. Although with the popularity of this "holiday" in places like Canada, Germany, Australia, England, Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria, and more, perhaps we should start referring to it a International Hugging Day.
Today's the perfect excuse to go out and give and receive hugs! Have you ever noticed how when you hug someone, they always hug back? It's really hard not to hug back. Bill Keane, a notable American cartoonist, once said "a hug is like a boomerang--you get it back right away." So true...
Hugging is considered therapeutic for us humans. By hugging we can feel a wide range of emotions: kindness, warmth, tenderness, support, security, a sense of belonging. In addition, researchers have found that hugging provides the following benefits:
- It builds trust and communication
- It provides a sense of safety
- It strengthens the immune system
- It relaxes tension in the body and can soothe aches and pains
- It balances out the nervous system
- It can soothe loneliness, anxiety, stress, and even depression
What else provides so many powerful benefits and is free? Check out this article from MindBodyGreen on the 10 reasons we all need at least 8 hugs a day.
So, today go out and celebrate National Hugging Day by giving hugs to your family, friends, co-workers. No doubt you'll get lots of hugs in return and will feel really great by the end of the day! And to all of you reading this, I'm sending my "virtual hug!"
Meantime, enjoy these two videos about hugging and National Hugging Day!
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