The power of a HUG

The hug is one of the gestures made by the human being that manifests in a purest way the humanity that characterizes us. With a hug we transmit messages of great depth that, sometimes, are not possible to express with words. The embrace is one of the means that allows people to comfort, stop any type of conflict and truly unite with their neighbor from the heart.

From this Psychology-Online article, we will get closer to the real power a hug and its psychological benefits main. In addition, we will expose the different types of hugs that can be expressed between people and, Finally, we will discuss the main and great advantages of giving or receiving pure hugs and sincere.

Index

1. What is a hug
2. Types of hug
3. Benefits of a pure and sincere hug

The hug is a gesture with which the human being transmits a series of conciliatory messages to your interlocutor as joy, welcome, comfort, containment, security, etc. Let's see the different meanings of a hug:

• People are sociable beings with a primal innate need to remain united, from the heart, to everyone. In this context, the hug constitutes a media It reflects the different manifestations of this cordial union between human beings.
• A hug turns into a social instrument that guarantees the trust of one another, the feeling of security, calm and tranquility and the fraternal and peaceful coexistence within a community.

Currently, with the current situation of covid-19, the new social regulations that prevent human approach and the show of affection, Through hugs, it is one of the main causes that is generating great unrest among people, high levels of insecurity, fear and distrust. All this causes a climate of invisible aggressiveness as a result of people not being able to show their positive affections to their loved ones.

Although right now this norm has been dictated to us as necessary, we must make great efforts to stay united in our hearts, even if we cannot manifest it physically, for the incredible strength that this archetypal human need brings us to fight and defeat any kind of adversity, as we will see in the last section on the benefits of a hug.

There are as many types of hugs as internal emotional manifestations we want to transmit. The very essence of the hug is positive and his ultimate goal is to unite the people who hug each other. However, while people have certain affective deficiencies, the product of inappropriate events that have occurred. In our life, there are certain hugs that, contrary to what they should, transmit feelings a bit more negative. Therefore, we will separate the types of hugs into positive and negative displays of affection.

Positive signs of a hug

What is transmitted in a hug? Let's see what are types of positive samples from this act:

• Brotherly hug: that hug that gives security, cares and protects.
• Conciliatory hug: the one that reconciles two people after a certain disagreement or, simply, unites them more
• Comforting hug: when the hug is given to comfort and support someone in a vulnerable situation
• Affectionate hug: the one that supposes a sample of love and unconditional dedication towards our neighbor.

Negative signs of a hug

What happens when you give a hug? Let's see the types of hugs with negative displays of affection:

• Diplomatic hug: that given in an ineffective way to close certain business or diplomatic agreements or given for social convenience.
• Embrace loaded with pride: this is given by people with high degrees of pride who feel superior to others and are condescending with them.
• Insincere hug: they are those that occur between two people who, sincerely, do not want to give it to them, hiding behind certain feelings negative towards the person with whom you hug

As we have mentioned, a pure and sincere hug is, in itself, a gift for the person who receives it. With the hug we give ourselves to the other person, we give everything that we are and the best of ourselves. Next, we will see the benefits of a physiological, emotional and psychological hug, both in the person who gives it and in the one who receives it:

1. Grants a great inner peace.
2. It binds us inextricably to our neighbor.
3. Glad the heart.
4. He calms us in times of uncertainty, providing security and trust.
5. It purifies our interior of bad emotional states and thoughts.
6. Strengthens our immune system.
7. Fills us with gratitude and of great impulse to act.
8. Heal emotional and physical wounds.
9. Resolve conflicts that seemed unsolvable.
10. Increase our capacity for understanding and empathy. In this article, you will see how to practice empathy in your life.
11. Break all kinds of barriers by melting the heart.
12. Gives great vital force.
13. Break the fears.
14. Protect, calm and care.

Taking into account the multiple benefits that giving a hug brings to people's health, and given that we are currently prevented from doing them due to the pandemic, from here we encourage you to let's hug each other with our hearts, with good words, good thoughts and good deeds. A beautiful way to perpetuate the great benefits of the long-awaited, right now, hugs.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to The power of a hug and its psychological benefits, we recommend that you enter our category of Emotions.

• Zaccagnini, J. L. (2010). Friendship and psychological well-being: the role of “c friends”. Encounters in Social Psychology, 5 (1), 63-72.