Hi, I\u2019m Amy, and just like Olaf in the Disney movie Frozen, I like warm hugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m a hugger. I\u2019ve always been a hugger. I hug people I know…I hug new people I meet\u2026I pretty much hug everyone\u2026 I just love hugs! And apparently all that hugging has been far more beneficial than I ever knew.\u00a0 I found that out when I came across an article on Healthline<\/a> that cites multiple research studies that have shown that hugs have all of these amazing benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Hugs reduce stress<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Hugs reduce your chance of getting sick<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Hugs lower your heart rate and blood\npressure<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Hugs make you happier <\/p>\n\n\n\n *Hugs help reduce your fears and anxiety\nlevel<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Hugs help you reduce pain<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Hugs help you communicate<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here all this time I\u2019ve thought hugs were just a good way for me to show love and caring toward other people, but clearly those hugs have been benefiting me most of all! That’s AWESOME!<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how many\nhugs should we give in a day? Well, according to family therapist Virginia Satir, \u201cWe need four hugs a\nday to survive, eight hugs to keep us as we are and 12 hugs to grow\u201d. Given that I have no desire to simply survive\nor stay the same, 12 hugs a day it is!! \nAnd it just so happens that August 23rd<\/sup> is actually Hug Your\nSweetheart Day, and who better to hit that daily hug count with than your\nsweetheart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wanna know the very best part about a hug?\u00a0 You can\u2019t give one without getting one. \u00a0So get out there and start giving!<\/p>\n\n\n\n