Can Twitter Hugs Improve Your Health?

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I give out a lot of Twitter hugs. Each one is sincere and heartfelt. Twitter hugs are very special to me, and I’ve even written about them before in this article: Twitter Community Promotes Spontaneous Hugs

I’m not the only one that is a fan of the Twitter hug. When I look in my Tweetdeck, I see Twitter hugs everywhere. They are so much fun and they seem to make people happy. Every single time I get a Twitter hug, I feel a little tingle inside even though it is only text.

So… I wonder, could they actually be good for our health? I don’t know for sure. However, since they bring happiness and joy, and I can only think the answer would be YES!! One thing I do know are the benefits of “in real life hugs.”

According to the sources listed below, hugs have these benefits:

– Feels good
– Dispels loneliness
– Overcomes fear
– Opens doors to feelings
– Builds self-esteem
– Slows down aging
– Helps curb appetite
– Eases tension
– Fights insomnia
– Offers a wholesome alternative to promiscuity (haha!!!)
– Is ecologically sound
– Is energy-efficient
– Requires no special equipment
– Demands no special setting
– Makes happy days even happier
– Imparts feeling of belonging
– Fills up empty places in our lives
– Helps the body’s immune system
– Reduces stress
– Has no unpleasant side effects
– Saves heat
– Is portable
– Costs nothing
– Lowers blood pressure
– The love you feel from a hug can protect you from adversity throughout the day

Hugs are nothing short of a miracle drug!

According to family therapist Virginia Satir:
“We need 4 hugs a day for survival.
We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance.
We need 12 hugs a day for growth.“

There is no doubt that hugs can improve our health. However, the question remains, can Twitter hugs improve our health? I’m going to choose to believe that Twitter hugs can have the same effect as “real” hugs, so join me and spread some Twitter hugs and love today! :)

I put together some interesting hug pictures below for you. Some of these made me cry. They are so full of emotion. I hope you like them. Oh, and before I end this article, I just want to give you something that comes from the heart >>> Here is a BIG hug just for you!

Hug Information Sources:
http://eqi.org/ht.htm
http://www.sixwise.com
http://www.sevenof.com

Thank you for your pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/putyourflareon/370913380
http://www.flickr.com/photos/reynoldsrap/2282285881
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramdiboy/3299674549
http://www.flickr.com/photos/osvaldo_zoom/3788433221
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevino/65715938
http://www.flickr.com/photos/witchietaitai/3173356192
http://www.flickr.com/photos/candyfromstrangers/3434904516
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31102601311353_46281b03e0/4019771609