Cuddle therapy: cuddling to reduce stress?
Written by: Loris Vitry (holistic coach)
Validated by: Cathy Maillot (Osteopath)
Caution: If you have any medical questions or concerns, please speak to your doctor. Even if the articles on this site are based on scientific studies, they do not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Faced with the many concerns and activities of everyday life, it is often difficult to find a way to relax.
However, it is essential to get rid of the tensions accumulated during a day or a period to avoid weakening your state of health.
Although some people may not be aware of it, hugging loved ones and sometimes even strangers is a 100% natural and effective way to release tension and reduce stress.
This is a stress reliever called “cuddle therapy”.
If that seems unlikely to you, read this article to find out how cuddle therapy helps reduce stress.
Cuddle therapy: an ideal solution to limit the production of the stress hormone
When you live in a stressful situation, your brain secretes a hormone called “cortisol”, the consequences of which are very important for your health.
By finding a way to relax and release tension, your cortisol levels will be reduced dramatically and your stress levels will only decrease.
Thus, by hugging one of your loved ones for longer or shorter, your brain will immediately secrete other hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine and endorphins.
These are hormones of pleasure, attachment, happiness and well-being released by the brain when we feel happy, soothed, relaxed …
One of the immediate consequences of the brain releasing these hormones when cuddling is a reduction in blood pressure.
Indeed, the sensation of touch triggers the reaction of certain receptors which transmit signals of well-being to the vagal nerve.
This reaction automatically leads to the channeling of blood flow, the decrease in heart rate and the regulation of blood pressure.
Thus, cuddle therapy is a real remedy against stress, the effects of which are much faster and more effective than those of a drug aimed at reducing anxiety.
In addition, the other consequence of the secretion of these hormones of well-being and soothing during a cuddle therapy session is the prevention of viral diseases by strengthening the immune system.
This is because the oxytocin produced by your brain during a hug will make you feel like nothing can reach or hurt you.
By feeling invincible, you also fight against possible infections and viruses.
We must therefore not overlook the important impact that the practice of cuddling can have on your health.
Without side effects, hugs will only provide your body with the hormones necessary for its proper functioning, and therefore, for its well-being.
Cuddling to increase the feeling of security and comfort
The tenderness brought by hugs is a real natural stress reliever.
Whether one is sharing a hug with one of his parents, his spouse, his child, a friend or even his pet, one can only feel comforted and relaxed at that time.
According to several psychologists, hugs send us back images of warmth, comfort, tenderness and gentleness linked to our childhood.
Cuddle therapy allows you to relive those images of childhood where we felt safe in the arms of our parents.
The idea is to return to the maternal hug which provides an incomparable feeling of security and appeasement.
Also, contact with other individuals removes the feeling of loneliness that can manifest when you feel overwhelmed with concerns and various problems.
Thus, hugs will help you to avoid depression, since you will feel understood, supported, appeased and above all, safe.
In addition to helping you decompress, this feeling of comfort and security will also help you gain more self-confidence.
Indeed, the oxytocin secreted during a hug is also the hormone at the origin of the feeling of emotional attachment and social bond.
This helps you, during a hug exchange, to strengthen your bond with the person you are holding in your arms, to establish a relationship of trust between you, and to overcome shyness.
So, by resting your head on a solid shoulder, you free yourself from your daily worries and, without knowing it, you tacitly express your inner feelings.
The other benefits of cuddling on morale
Stress can have various origins and can have many impacts on your daily life.
One of the regular impacts that stress can have on you is insomnia.
However, the less you sleep, the more anxious you will be and the lower your morale will be when you start a day.
Exchanging hugs before going to bed can be very effective for a great night’s sleep.
10 minutes of cuddle therapy every night is enough to allow your brain to release the necessary amount of oxytocin to make you feel decompressed and have a “big sleep”.
By feeling more relaxed and less anxious, you will fall asleep quickly and calmly.
This will allow you to have restful sleep and help you start the day in a good mood.
In addition, performing a cuddle therapy session at the start or end of a day contributes to your daily happiness.
For example, simple greetings by the hand with your spouse or your children or even your parents would only put some distance between you.
However, if you hug your loved ones before starting the day or returning to the evening, not only will you strengthen your bonds, but also, you will feel motivated to start your day and relaxed at the end of your hard and long time. day.
In addition, a feeling of anxiety can also arise following the onset of severe pain in a particular area of your body.
If at this point you are doing a cuddle therapy session, your brain will release hormones for relaxation and well-being that will relieve your pain by reducing your stress.
To conclude
There is no point in having a carnal relationship with another person in order to hug them.
Nor is the advice to give it to everyone you meet on the streets or in the halls of the company you work for.
You just need to exchange it with people who are close to you and even sometimes with new acquaintances.
The more you multiply the number of hugs you perform per day, the more your stress will decrease.
This is actually a shared feeling since your “hug partner” will also benefit from the benefits of the hormones secreted during a hug.
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