The hug? The best (free) therapy after a fight

    The hug? The best (free) therapy after a fight

    Only a warm hug can ward off the negative tensions that arise from a fight, science confirms.

    After an argument, only a hug can help buffer negative mood swings





    Interpersonal conflicts? Let's all hug! Only a warm hug can ward off the negative tensions that arise from a fight. Whether you are a couple of lovers or friends, the power of a hug goes beyond any misunderstanding. Science word.

    The credit is all due to oxytocin, or "love hormone", the protein that in various physiological processes increases self-esteem and good mood and which, as the researchers at Carnegie Mellon University say, who analyzed the effects of hugs in couples after a quarrel , would be able to reduce blood pressure and the number of heartbeats.

    What, among other things, has already been confirmed in some previous studies, which had also shown how interpersonal contact is capable of protect people from the consequences of psychological stress, especially from the stress of conflicts with those around us. Studies suggest that hugs not only help us feel better, but they can too protect us from disease: physical contact, that is, protects us from stress-induced diseases. The more often people hug, the less likely they are to get sick, even among people who often had strained interactions.

    For the new investigation, led by Michael Murphy at Carnegie Mellon University, the researchers wanted to analyze how hugs mitigate the negative psychological outcomes of interpersonal conflict. The idea was to study the effects of "physical touch" not necessarily in romantic relationships.

    The experts thus interviewed 404 adult men and women for 14 consecutive days about their conflicts, regardless of whether they had hugged and the positive and negative moods they experienced.
    According to the results, participants who received a hug on the day they had an argument were more likely to report a reduction in negative emotions and an increase in positive emotions. Study participants also reported an alleviation of moodiness the day after the quarrel, suggesting that the psychological benefits of contact may persist for a significant period of time.



    READ also: 10 benefits of a hug

    While the findings need to be confirmed by further studies to investigate the link between hugging and improved psychological function and to uncover a possible mechanism, there is no doubt that hugs always improve the mood: Hugging friends and family (but also strangers in certain contexts!) is a simple but effective way to overcome stress and interpersonal conflict!


    On the subject you might also be interested in:


    • Pamper your babies: mum's hugs drive away all pain
    • The more you hug your children, the more their brains develop. Science says so
    • Hugs: a panacea to prevent colds and live better

    Germana Carillo

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