AN EXPRESSION of affection and comfort that can ignite “happy hormones”, they have been missing from our lives since the pandemic took hold. But Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon have given the thumbs up for the hug to return from today.

 

It’s been a while?

From spring last year, when the Covid pandemic began to impact our lives with lockdowns and the introduction of social distancing measures, the hug was put on hold to limit the chance for the virus to be passed on at close contact.

 

We took them for granted?

Most would agree this is the case really as it was a natural part of pre-pandemic life we would think little of, from greeting a family member or friend with a hug hello, to comforting someone close to us by drawing them to our hearts.

 

They are historic?

It’s thought he word “hug” hails from the word “hugga”, meaning “to comfort” in the Old Norse language, first appearing approximately half a century ago in Scandinavia.

 

They release oxytocin?

Oxytocin - a chemical in our bodies associated with happiness - is sometimes referred to as the “cuddle hormone” because its levels rise when we hug. Various studies have also found the hug can help reduce blood pressure and heart rate levels. Matt Hertenstein, an experimental psychologist at DePauw University in Indiana, said: "Oxytocin is a neuropeptide, which basically promotes feelings of devotion, trust and bonding. It really lays the biological foundation and structure for connecting to other people.”

 

A hug releases endorphins too?

Hugs can stimulate a particular set of nerves that trigger the release of endorphins - small molecules that are part of the body's pain control system and produce an opiate-like analgesic effect. Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Oxford, said: “Because our feelings of psychological pain are processed in the same brain regions as our feelings of physical pain…endorphins dampen our psychological pain. That’s why a hug is comforting when someone is in tears.”

 

It goes back to primates?

Professor Dunbar added of research he conducted: “We used a form of brain imaging known as positron emission tomography (PET) to show that light stroking of the torso triggers a massive endorphin response in the human brain - just as grooming does in monkeys and apes.”

 

Not everyone will be ready, though?

As the vaccine programme continues its roll-out across the United Kingdom and the lockdown restrictions gradually ease, confidence grows, but not everyone will be feeling ready to jump back out into the world and return to the way things were.

 

So, when do you know if a hug is acceptable?

Dr Wendy Ross, the director of the Center for Autism and Neurodiversity at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, told the New York Times a top tip is simply to ask: “Some people like hugs, some don’t. What do you prefer?” Other tips from health experts include keeping it to close contacts only, keeping it short, avoiding face to face contact and hugging outdoors in the fresh air.