We talk a lot about hair-care regimens at NaturAll Club, and we recommend that you use our Avocado Deep Conditioner twice a month. But we need self-care regimens too, and most research suggests that women should be hugged regularly.
So why should you hug someone every day?
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Hugs actually fill you with warm feelings of happiness and caring.
Hugs release oxytocin, which is a hormone you might be familiar with—it causes that warm feeling of love and caring you experience when you hug someone important to you. You probably thought that feeling just had to do with the person you hug—but it’s actually caused by a hormone released in your body anytime you hug someone!
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Hugs lower heart rate and protect you from heart disease!
Not only does that hormone oxytocin make you feel good, but it has real health effects too. Increased oxytocin actually lowers your heart rate and protects you from heart disease.
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Hugs calm your mind and body
Oxytocin ALSO reduces cortisol and norepinephrine, which are stress hormones. So hugging has a calming effect on your entire body, and it can even help with pain tolerance and resistance to common colds!
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Consistent hugging has long-term effects
The research doesn’t just show that hugs can calm you down for a moment. A study also found that frequent hugs between partners led to lower stress, higher oxytocin, and better health over time. And the UNC study found effects were far stronger on women than on men.
So ladies, make hugging part of your regimen. We're not talking about a side-hug or a shoulder-pat hug—we're talking about a long, warm hug from someone who loves you. Make sure you are getting hugged like that every single day—and make sure the people you love are getting hugged too. That’s the great thing about hugging—it goes both ways!
