Global Hug Your Kids Day: The benefits of hugging
A hug can have a host of benefits outside of feeling comfort...
Global Hug Your Kids Day is celebrated on the third Monday of July. This year it was on the 15th of July, this past Monday.
To celebrate something positive and uplifting on Mandela Day, we wanted to delve into this special day and some of the benefits of hugging your child.
"The day celebrates the bond between parents and children. The purpose of this day is simple — hug your children to express how much you love them." (National Today)
Hugging is the most underrated gesture. A hug isn't just a greeting but a way to show support and express love. And the feeling of comfort that a hug brings cannot easily be put into words.
"Global Hug Your Kids Day was initiated by Michelle Nichols in 2008, a decade after her son Mark tragically passed away from brain cancer at the age of eight. Nichols established this day to inspire busy parents to take a moment to express their affection through hugs, emphasising the importance of showing love amidst life’s hectic pace." (The States Man)
Our lives are so busy that simple acts of love sometimes go missing from our days, and we just need to make time to stop and acknowledge how a hug can change a child's day.
Watch how Polly Taylor shares the importance of a hug - courtesy of YouTube.
READ MORE: This is why showing up for your kids matters
Hugging someone isn't just emotionally comforting but also helps our health; both mental and physical.
According to the National Today website, here are five facts about hugging:
- It makes a child smarter
Hugging is one of the most important stimuli to grow a healthy brain.
It may alleviate phobias
Research shows that hugs significantly reduce a person’s existential fears.
Well-hugged babies are less stressed as adults
Hugging relieves stress and teaches children how to cope with it as adults.
Most of us hug with our right hand
Most people lead with their right arm when going in for a hug.
Hugging reduces social anxiety
Oxytocin inspires positive thinking and gives us an optimistic outlook on the world.
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Image Courtesy of iStock/evgenyatamanenko