National Hugging Day 2021: What are the mental health benefits of hugging?

Olivia Petter
·2 min read
Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions (Friends/Warner Bros)
Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions (Friends/Warner Bros)

It might sound simple, but the humble hug is more powerful than you think. Especially as increasing numbers of people suffer from social isolation and poor mental health.

Hence why there is an entire day dedicated to hugging, and it happens every year on 21 January.

While National Hugging Day is primarily observed in the US, countries around the world participate in the celebrations, whether it’s by making a conscious effort to embrace your neighbour (although maybe not during a pandemic) or setting a record for the largest group hug.

But other than making you feel warm and fuzzy inside, what does hugging do to us?

From curbing anxiety to fostering feelings of security, see our roundup of the mental health benefits of hugging below.

It reduces feelings of loneliness

Hugging releases oxytocin in the brain, which is the hormone also known as “the bonding molecule” given that it can elevate feelings of intimacy and helps stimulate social bonding between two people.

High levels of oxytocin can boost romantic attachment but they can also reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Cognitive neuroscience professor Brian Hare told The Washington Post that even hugging a dog can offer these benefits.

"Dogs have somehow hijacked this oxytocin bonding pathway, so that just by making eye contact, or [by] playing and hugging our dog, the oxytocin in both us and our dog goes up," he said.

It can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression

In addition to oxytocin, research shows that hugging someone releases dopamine in the brain, which is known as the pleasure hormone given that is often associated with prompting feelings of happiness.

People with mood disorders, such as depression, typically have low levels of dopamine, so hugging might help rectify this a bit.

It can help protect against stress

A study of 404 healthy adults conducted in 2014 by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh found that frequent hugs reduced people’s susceptibility to stress.

This was due to participants feeling greater levels of social support as a result of regular hugging, which the study’s authors also found protected them from infection.

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