Hugging is a simple and everyday act that brings multiple benefits for health, happiness and relationships. It is a way that we have to caress the soul of the other person and provide them with a refuge in our arms, a small gesture but full of feelings that heals and recomposes on an emotional level because hugging is speaking the language of the heart.
Some more and some less, sometimes we need a hug to feel comforted and, according to the Spanish child psychologist Carmen Romero, through this physical and intimate gesture we regulate emotions, we transmit love and calm. “Without a doubt, it is a gesture that helps to repair and regulate our emotions. Create an intimate circle in which hearts come together and receive human warmth. Hugs, whenever they are welcome, can be the best medicine and the energy needed to enjoy life.”
A hug conveys affection from one person to another. (Photo: IStock)
“The human being is a social being, he needs the contact of others in his daily relationship. It is a very present ritual in our society. It is a form of special language, non-verbal, which varies according to the moment and the place. Through it, we communicate and we can send different messages to the person who receives it, ”she pointed out.
types of hugs
“To talk about the types of hugs we must take into account how the person who receives it feels, the intention of the person who gives it and the factors that accompany it in the specific situation. The hug requires special conditions for it to happen harmonious waysince it is an intimate contact between two or more people and not all hugs are appropriate, so the people who participate must be willing to enjoy it,” said Romero.
The hug can symbolize trust, affection, closeness and many other things that manifest depending on the situation and the people involved. Among others, we find:
- Hug in the form of greeting to people to whom we want to convey a more intense emotion than through a simple ‘hello’: it is usually common among close friends or relatives.
- Hug protagonist in comfort situationsof condolence, or even of great excitement: it is a way of transmitting love, calm and helping to regulate the emotions of the affected person.
- Hug in the dance as a moment of leisure and enjoyment in which two people merge into one to the rhythm of music.
The importance of hugging from birth
“The baby is born with very little information about the world it has just arrived in and about its own body. He has a great need to receive stimuli through his senses to gradually acquire valuable knowledge for his good physical, intellectual and emotional development, ”said the specialist.
He also added: “The touch It is one of the main ways through which he receives information and, through hugs, he receives affection, calm and the possibility of regulating his emotions. We must also take into account that the skin is the largest organ we have since it covers our entire body, and it is eager to receive contact. The baby needs to feel that she belongs to a group and through the hug we will make him feel included; that is to say, that his presence is important ”.
“The little one is discovering the world and, therefore, he needs our presence and contact. Given her immaturity, she often expresses her emotions uncontrollably. At that point, offering a hug may be the best option since we are offering regulation,” she expressed.
What brings a hug
The psychologist said that the hug allows to transmit affection and love. “It means giving, but also receiving. In it, we create a space of intimacy and affection that facilitates the emotional connection, for example, between parents and children. Through the hug we are communicating that the other person matters to us. That is why we are by her side willing to understand her and accompany her at the moment, ”she indicated.
A hug is well received in various situations. (Photo: IStock)
In addition, he considered that the hug “can be of great help to manage emotions” by pointing out: “A good deep and heartfelt hug, accompanied by a good breath, It is an indispensable tool to help regulate the emotions of children and adults”.
“And child has a tantrum, you should know that if you need and want to protect yourself, you can access the adult’s hug. The hug transmits comfort, understanding and that tantrum begins to diminish. It is a wonderful form of reconciliation in which parents and children know that the important thing is the love that unites them,” Romero said.
Meanwhile, he commented: “The hug, in short, reminds us that we are social beings, that we need others and that they also need us. Bring that moment of intimacyrecognition and, at the same time, gives us the possibility of regulating ourselves in moments of excitement”.
The benefits for those who give and receive a hug
The specialist highlighted:The hug benefits everyone who participates, but in order to benefit from the hug we must be willing to do it, either to give it or to receive it. In any case, at the moment in which the inner circle is opened, in which the hearts of the participants are joined, a healing magic appears. The participants share their breath and emotion with each other, letting them form part of their most intimate space”.
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“Despite the fact that they begin to occur from a very early age, it is not always easy to know how to melt into the arms of others because it means connecting with the emotions. It takes us to a moment of intimate contact and we may not be willing to enjoy it. It is important that the situation is appropriate and that the people who participate want to be part of the hug in order to enjoy it. Otherwise, it is important to respect each other’s space, ”he said.