Cuddle Up Framingham: Excellent Snuggle Weather for Valentine's Day

By BROOKLYN LOWERY (Patch Staff)

FRAMINGHAM, MA - The perfect storm of frigid temps and Valentine’s Day is making it an ideal weekend for snuggling.

Before you “Bah humbug!” Valentine’s Day, grumble about the freezing temps ahead and begin plotting how to avoid any physical contact during cold and flu season, take a moment to consider these benefits of hugging:

• People who feel connected socially, especially through physical touch, could actually be better protected from stress-induced illness, according to a 2014 study out of Carnegie Mellon. Take that, cold and flu season.
  

• Hugging releases oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone,” that promotes feelings of happiness, trust and “warm fuzzies,” according to a Huffington Post article. (You’re going to want “warm fuzzies” with the predicted temperatures this weekend).

• Once that oxytocin starts flowing, researchers have noted a number of other cascading effects including reduced perception of pain, lower blood pressure, improved immune function and possibly faster wound healing, according to a U.S. News and World Report article.

• Touch and hugs have been shown to reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which then leads to a reduced heart rate and blood pressure, according to astudy out of the University of Miami School of Medicine (among others).

• A study published in Psychological Science found that a hug, even a brief one, can alleviate feelings of existential fears and anxiety in some adults with low self-esteem.

• And in the, “It’s going to be Soooo COLD this weekend” vein, the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne offers this tip for treating hypothermia: ”Share body heat by lying next to or hugging the person with as much skin-to-skin contact as permissible.” (We’ll let you determine what “permissible” means in your situation).

Now, it’s important to note that these hugs and touches mentioned in the benefits above are not just passing, half-hearted experiences. Think of a good hug like a good handshake -- firm, meaningful and of the appropriate length.

“Like diet and exercise, you need a steady daily dose of hugging,” psychologist Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine told U.S. News and World Report, adding that the quality of the hugging matters. “If you get a flimsy hug, that’s not going to do it. You need a firm hug” to jump start that oxytocin release.

Still not convinced you want to do a lot of person-to-person cuddling this weekend? That’s ok. A lot of these benefits can be experienced by hugging a beloved pet or even stuffed animal.

However you choose to spend this bitterly cold Valentine’s Day, hug a person (or pet or cherished stuffed animal) that you love. You have nothing to lose and only warmth, a lower blood pressure, less stress and immune system benefits to gain.

Photo credit: By John Mayer from Santa Barbara, United States, WikiMedia Commons