“Sometimes in life all you need is a hug. No words, no advice, just a hug to make you feel better.” ~Unknown
Hi friends! Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been sharing coloring pages from the soon-to-be-launched Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, which also includes doodle prompts, writing prompts, and questions to help you minimize anxiety in your daily life.
So far I’ve shared the music coloring page and the meditation coloring page.
Today’s page is one of my favorites. The tip: Hug someone to release the feel-good chemical oxytocin (a hormone that some have called an “antidote to depressive feelings”).
“Hugging is good medicine. It transfers energy and gives the person hugged an emotional lift. You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth.” ~Unknown
As someone who works alone, I can sometimes feel a little starved for connection during my day—which is ironic, since I connect with so many people online. But you can’t look into someone’s eyes in a comment. You can’t hear their heartbeat in an email. And you can’t touch their hand in a Facebook exchange.
Whenever I’ve had a tough day, it’s tempting to want to talk it all out—more thoughts, more words, more analysis. And sometimes, this helps. But more often than not, I just need a hug.
I just need to feel close to someone I love and to melt into their arms.
Sure, it feels great to be heard. But sometimes I just need to be held so I can remind myself what it feels like to let go.
We all need this sometimes. We all need this connection, this comfort, this release.
Everything seems easier when we feel supported, and everything feels more manageable when we remember we’re not alone.
“Hugs are so underrated, especially those hugs that are so tight you can literally feel the other person’s heartbeat and for a moment everything feels so calm and safe and like nothing can hurt you.” ~Unknown
Hug someone today. Put down your phone, reach out your arms, and feel their heartbeat. It could help you more than you think, and the person you give it to could need it more than you know.
From now until June 26th, you’ll get three bonus gifts, including a guided meditation series on letting go, when you pre-order Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal. All you need to do is order a copy here and forward your purchase confirmation email to worryjournal@tinybuddha.com
About Lori Deschene
Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others to do the same. You can find her books, including Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, here and learn more about her eCourse, Recreate Your Life Story, if you’re ready to transform your life and become the person you want to be.
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Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine.
Perfect timing. My wife and I began a nightly hugging session last night. Felt silly until 4 seconds in; then I saw what an ass I was for feeling silly doing it LOL.
I love receiving and giving hugs, theres an unexplainable feeling of calmness and happiness i get each time I give/receive a hug from people.
Lori, in a forum like tiny buddha, there ought be no shame of being ourselves. We can only be guilty of doing wrong if we do wrong. Is naming yourself in the unknown quotes a bad thing? I find it not to be. The quotes, the forum, your work, all of it has made such a huge impact in our lives, our hope is that our fearless leader show us her wisdom and own it, rather than feel guilty for doing something right. You are Lori Deschene. Its ok to own it, no matter what you say, or which “unknown” says what. 🙂
It would enbolden us to own our greatness, of which, you definitely are great!
What a great idea! My friend calls it “hug therapy.” I think we all need it daily.
That’s great to hear! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the site. =)
Hi Andres,
Thank you so much for the kind words! I’m really touched by what you wrote about the site having a positive impact. Those aren’t my quotes, though – they’re all from unknown authors. There are so many of those floating around the web these days!
Lori
Awww shucks! I kinda wanted my assumption to be right cause they sound so simple and effective, I thought you wrote them. And yes, your site is my home page on my phone. I visit your creation everyday 🙂