Every year on January 21st, people celebrate love in all its forms for National Hugging Day! It’s an opportunity for bonding with the family, your friends, and other loved ones in a truly meaningful way. This year, combine it with other fun activities that promote bonding and togetherness.
Why is hugging so important?
Sometimes you just don’t have the words to express how much you appreciate and care for someone in your life. That’s where hugs can step in and communicate for you. They’re a powerful form of non-verbal communication that bridges the gap – emotionally and physically – between people. On National Hugging Day this year, reach out to those you may not normally connect with and ask for or offer a hug.
There’s actually science behind the power of hugs to consider. When two or more people embrace, they get a boost of the feel-good brain chemical oxytocin. In a world of mostly online interactions, people become touch starved. A hug is the perfect cure.
· Improve mindfulness and living in the moment with a hug
· Gain neurological benefits and even physical ones, too
· Reduce stress and make everyone involved happier
How to foster closeness on National Hugging Day?
Some people don’t like hugs, and that’s okay. Always respect personal boundaries. There are still great things to do to help you feel closer, create bonds, and improve everyone’s mood. One of the first questions to ask is if there are any great outdoor family activities near me. Weather permitting, it’s a great time to take a walk at the park or strap on a pair of Nattork roller skates and hit the trails. Snow on the ground? Try sledding or cross-country skiing instead.
No matter what you choose as the holiday activity, make sure it gives you the opportunity to get closer. Quality time is so important to show other people in your life that you care about them. Various fun activities, sports, and quieter pursuits like watching a movie or playing a board game are all good ideas. Try out Nattork inline skates for the first time. Staying upright is a great way to hug and hold on to each other. As long as it’s together, it will strengthen bonds of friendship and love.
Bonding with the family matters, but so does getting closer to people in your friend group, your neighborhood, and even folks at work. Hugging goes beyond simply spending time with others, though.
Kevin Zaborney, a pastor from Michigan, first introduces the idea of National Hugging Day in 1986. He chose the mid-January date for a reason. It’s about halfway between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, in the middle of a stretch of potentially high-stress empty space on the calendar. His goal was to encourage people in the United States to feel more open to expressing physical, platonic affection in public. He wants to make hugging a regular thing again.
In the end, why not give it a try? Your family, friends, and other important people in your life have your affection and care. Now, show them you value them and want them to feel better more than ever by spreading your arms wide and inviting them in.