Hug More Stress Less :: How To Reduce Anxiety By A Simple Hug
In today’s fast paced life, we tend to rush here and rush there. We are worried about getting the kids off to school, making lunches, fixing hair and getting them dressed and out the door to start our busy day. All the while, we are creating stress within ourselves and causing our bodies to become overwhelmed with lots and lots of unwanted stress.
Over this past year our lives changed tremendously. We became a “no specific routine” household – from no daily routine to getting up early, getting ready for school and getting ready for the tasks of the day. I found that I began to see myself a bit more stressed, and at certain times overwhelmed, depending on what all had to be done for that day or that week.
But where I found myself getting the most stressed is when it came time to doing my daughter’s long, thick, beautiful black hair.
It is not that I do not love it and cherish it. It’s the fact I am trending right into menopause and my hormones are a bit all over the place that I found myself feeling somewhat stressed about getting it perfect and getting it done so that we wouldn’t be late. In turn, I learned that hugging my sweet baby before and after I was done helped me to be less stressed and I could actually feel the calmness come over my whole entire body. Therefore allowing me to do her hair and enjoy it and not get tense when well I didn’t do it exactly the way she wanted it or that the time was slipping away fast and we needed to be out the door.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
“A good hug slows down the heart rate and decreases the level of the stress hormone, cortisol, in our bodies. In turn, hugging makes us feel calm, safe, and relaxed. The less reactive we are to stress, the better we are at regulating our emotions.” (TherapyBrands)
They Relieve Stress and Pain
“A warm hug often creates a calming or relaxing feeling. That’s because oxytocin, sometimes called the “cuddle hormone” is released when people or pets snuggle up to us. The oxytocin release has been found to potentially: Reduce inflammation.” (Golden Valley Health Centers)
Instead of holding it in, yelling or getting upset that our little humans aren’t being as cooperative as we would like for them to be – Just Hug It Out!!! It might be weird at first for some, especially if you’re not the most affectionate person and your kids are at that stage in life that they don’t want to be bothered with you. But trust me, it will make a huge difference for you and in the long run for them. And with your little ones, starting early will establish a bond that you can and will see the benefits.
So anytime Mommy feels a bit stressed, I go straight for the hug! Kisses are an extra added bonus. I release those endorphins and my child gets to get more love in return for my stress levels to go down. It’s a win win for everyone!!
