• Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
Press "Enter" to search
Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
  • Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Body, Mind & Spirit
  4. Mental Health

Do I Really Need A Hug?

A friend read somewhere that being hugged can boost your mood and lower stress. Ever since, she’s been hugging everyone in sight. Does it really have these effects?

Andrew Weil, M.D. | November 27, 2018

Do I Really Need A Hug? | Mind, Body, Spirit | Andrew Weil, M.D.
2 min

Yes, a hug certainly can boost mood and lower stress – as long as those on the receiving end welcome hugs. A recent study on the subject found that being hugged can boost mood, perhaps by helping reduce negative emotions stemming from relationship problems.

To explore the effect of hugs, investigators from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh interviewed 404 adults by phone every night for 14 days, asking about their moods, whether they had experienced any conflict and if they had been hugged that day. Each study participant also had a physical exam and filled out a questionnaire about their health and social network.

The researchers noted that people who frequently are touched and touch others mutually have better physical and psychological health and improved relationships. Not surprisingly, they found that when people in the study were hugged on a day when they experienced conflict they were likely to report more positive and fewer negative feelings, both of which appeared to carry over to the following day. The opposite proved true when participants reported experiencing conflict but no hugs. Both of these responses occurred regardless of gender, age, race, marital status, average mood and number of social interactions.

Lead researcher Michael Murphy observed that friends or family members can occasionally make matters worse when trying to provide social support for a stressed friend or relative. Instead of a reassuring hug, they may give unwanted or unhelpful advice.

An earlier Carnegie Mellon study on the effects of hugging found that it altered susceptibility to developing a common cold by 32 percent among healthy people who were exposed to a cold virus. Those who become infected despite frequent hugs had less severe cold symptoms. Author Sheldon Cohen, a psychology professor, noted that hugging is a “marker of intimacy and helps generate the feeling that others are there to help in the face of adversity.”

The mediator of the beneficial effects of hugging may be oxytocin. The same hormone that plays a role in bonding between women and their newborn babies and promotes attachment in other relationships.

We know that human beings need to touch and be touched. Touch is a basic requirement for optimum health: touch deprived babies – human and animal – do not develop normally. A great deal of animal and human research shows that individuals deprived of physical contact are insecure, poorly adjusted, and more prone to illness. Some cross-cultural research suggests that sexually repressed and touch-deprived societies are much more given to violence. Our own society, unfortunately, is one of them.

Your friend is on the right track. Hug someone today – chances are it will give you both a boost.

 

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Source:
Michael Murphy et al, “Receiving a hug is associated with the attenuation of negative mood that occurs on days with interpersonal conflict.” PLOS One, October 3, 2018, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203522

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

mind over matter
Mental Health

Mind Over Matter?

Staying Connected Means Staying Happy | Mental Health | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Spontaneous Happiness

Staying Connected Means Staying Happy

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

10 Ways To A Happier Life | Mental Health | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Mental Health

10 Ways To A Happier Life

A Homeopathic Approach to Depression? | Mental Health | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Mental Health

A Homeopathic Approach to Depression?

A Pill For Loneliness? | Mental Health | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Mental Health

A Pill For Loneliness?

a supplement to boost serotonin
Mental Health

A Supplement to Boost Serotonin?

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Dr. Weil's Signature

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

© Copyright 2025 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com