NATIONAL HUGGING DAY â January 21
National Hug Day or National Hugging Day occurs on January 21st and is officially recognized by the United States Copyright Office, but is not a public holiday.
The purpose of the day is to help everyone show more emotion in public. The only way to celebrate the day is by offering a hug to anyone and everyone you want. While National Hug Day and the Free Hugs Campaign share many similarities, there is not an association between the two.
Whether you hug a family member or a stranger, the mental and physical health benefits are the same. From the day we are born, hugs or touch improve our sleep. Hugging, like cuddling, releases oxytocin. On its own, this hormone provides tremendous health benefits. Not only does it gives us feel-good hormones, but it reduces pain. Receiving a hug helps reduce stress, lowers blood pressure and lowers the risk of heart disease. It also eases anxiety.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalHuggingDayGive someone a big hug. Or, if you need one, ask for a hug and reap the benefits. Â Use #NationalHuggingDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL HUGGING DAY HISTORY
The holiday was founded by Rev. Kevin Zaborney on March 29, 1986, in Caro, Michigan.There are over 1,500 national days. Donât miss a single one. Celebrate Every DayÂź with National Day CalendarÂź!
We all know that hugs make us feel safe and warm. One of the many reasons COVID has been so hard is that we canât embrace the ones we love anymore. Nonetheless letâs take today to appreciate the many benefits of hugs and think about other ways to show our affection right now.Â
First off, hugs give us a connection to those around us and make us feel less lonely and isolated. Not to mention hugs can lower stress and may be able to help you avoid getting sick. Hugs were shown to reduce stress and therefore getting ill or at least the severity of cold symptoms.Â
In addition to reducing stress and cold symptoms, hugs relieve tension in the body. After, those strenuous workouts youâve been doing over quarantine, better get some hugs in to release all the muscle tension.Â
My favorite, which might seem obvious, is that hugs elevate your mood through boosting dopamine and serotonin. Not only does this make you happier but it can help with something as severe as depression.Â
Right now we are all experiencing some isolation, stress, tension, and lower moods. We could all just use one big long hug! If you can, hug your family members but if not make sure youâre finding some other ways to keep your spirits up. Here are some suggestions:
Facetime, Call, Text, Email, Write a letter to family, friends or someone you havenât talked to in a while
Listen to music or a podcast
Read something (probably not the news though, that might make you more stressed)
Exercise to release endorphins and get that happy energy, even if itâs a short walk
Draw or do something else creative like knitting, sewing, scrapbooking
Journal! Write all about those tough days and the good ones too or even better write a little story.**
Healthy Habits (eating right, exercising, meditating, journaling, etc.)
Unwinding at the end of the day (reading. listening to music/podcast, etc.)
Give Back (helping others can help you feel good inside, and supporting your community will help you stay connected to people)
** We hope youâre staying healthy and safe right now. Donât forget to give yourself a HUG mentally and physically! Youâve got this. **