April 8, 2025 - Make Time for Hugs

Hugs are good for you and for the people who love you, so I'd like to encourage you to make time today to receive and hand out some of those good-for-you hugs! Mindbodygreen.com says, "The benefits of hugging can be nearly as beneficial as the benefits of your other healthy habits like exercise, meditation, and more. Here are some of the proven benefits of reaching out to someone for a warm embrace:

• Regular hugging—or warm contact in general—might be good for your heart, particularly when it comes to keeping your blood pressure under control in stressful situations.
• According to integrative neurologist Ilene Ruhoy, M.D., Ph.D., hugging promotes closeness between people.
• Hugging stimulates the healing parasympathetic nervous system, according to physiologist and sleep therapist Nerina Ramlakhan, Ph.D., We produce the well-being hormones of oxytocin and serotonin, which create feelings of inner safety and trust.
• Many studies suggest hugging can help minimize negative emotions and supports a more positive state of being.
• Research from psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) shows hugging can boost levels of natural killer cells, lymphocytes, immunoglobulins, and other immune-boosting cells. And as Cole also notes, all this oxytocin produced from hugging supports your T-regulatory cells which help keep your immune system strong."

You will find more ways hugs actually help us at this link.

Hugs help. I'd like to encourage you to make time today to hug the people in your life. As a grandma I can confidently say hugs are wonderful! It makes me so happy when my grands give me hugs - and I am always ready to give them hugs as well! But, I have to say, not only do grandmas give and love to receive hugs, grandpas, moms, and dads also need those hugs! So, if you have any of these people in your life - be generous with your hugs!

Once again today I want to send you my virtual "hug" - You matter. You deserve to be loved and are loved - I love you! You make our world a better place - we need you in this world. I hope you have people around you who tell you these things, but if not, please let me be someone who does. Yes, I say this every day, but these words are true and will always be so. You will find the video at this link.