We live in a very busy world where we all go about doing our own things, trying to accomplish tasks from our never-ending checklists and running around like mad men trying to meet deadlines. It seems as though the 24 hours a day and 365 days a year we are given are too short and not enough time for us to fulfill our responsibilities. We often neglect, or push to the last of our priorities, our own physical, mental, and emotional health. Among these three, we most likely invest the least in our emotional health.
Our emotional health is so important that Virginia Satir, a family therapist, once said “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” In other words, just as we need to breathe everyday to live, we must receive at least four hugs a day just to survive! Whether it be a hug, a warm handshake, a supportive pat on the back, a tender squeeze of the shoulder, or even a congratulatory high-five, encouraging, nonsexual touches are essential to our emotional health. Moreover, research has recorded countless benefits to physical touch.
Image Source: Ignacio Ayestaran
Touch is a form of communication, so it can help people bond together and form greater trust in each other. When physical touch occurs, a hormone called oxytocin can be triggered to be released. This hormone reduces fear of social betrayal, thus causing increased trust between individuals. In addition, oxytocin can reduce feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger.
Furthermore, touch decreases cardiovascular stress as well as strengthens our immune systems. Hugging a friend, for example, stimulates our thymus gland, which is responsible for white blood cell production and regulation. White blood cells protect our body from foreign invaders, such as infections and diseases. Therefore, our physical health can be improved by just a warm gesture.
Interestingly, players on NBA teams who touch each other more will not only have higher individual scores, but the teams themselves will also win more games. This is due to the increased cooperation stimulated from physical touch, such as those shoulder or chest bumps, high-fives, and team huddles we see, and which why athletes slap each other on the bum throughout a game. Using physical touch to increase teamwork can apply at work and at school as well.
All in all, supportive physical touch is essential to a successful life and for a productive society. If you didn’t get your four hugs today, go hug a neighbor! Since hugs are reciprocal, you’ll be helping both yourself and a friend!
Feature Image Source: hug by Petras Gagilas
