{"id":116985,"date":"2017-07-07T09:53:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T15:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/?p=116985"},"modified":"2022-10-24T10:16:28","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T16:16:28","slug":"20-second-hug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/","title":{"rendered":"20-Second Hug Effect: trade stress and busyness for love and happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Before I headed home from a wonderful family visit and hiking trip, my sister gave me a really big hug in the Munich airport &#8230; a 20-second hug. We cried and hugged and cried and hugged knowing it might be awhile before we saw each other again. She told me a 20-second hug could help reduce stress and give me strength. I loved this little tip and decided to do a little research.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-116986\" src=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg 650w, https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug-212x300.jpg 212w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>A 20-second hug can &#8230;<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>increase levels of oxytocin (the love hormone)<\/li>\n<li>reduce blood pressure and cortisol (the stress hormone)<\/li>\n<li>increase happiness<\/li>\n<li>lower stress<\/li>\n<li>improve relationships and connection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Those are all great benefits but even if the only thing we accomplish with a hug is showing someone else how much they are loved and how important they are to us, we can all spare 20-seconds.<\/p>\n<p>As an <a href=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/introvert\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">introvert<\/a>, an extra long hug isn\u2019t always my favorite thing but there are a few people in my life I never want to let go of and plan on hugging them more frequently. If you need to lean in to the 20-second hug, you&#8217;ll be happy to hear that research shows a 6-second hug is powerful too. In the article, <a href=\"http:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/happiness_project\/2007\/04\/why_happiness_i-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Why Happiness is a Warm Hug<\/a>, Gretchen Rubin, Author of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0062414852\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0062414852&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=notifoms-20&amp;linkId=13ff1648a66c89998c6859e6e43234a2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Happiness Project\u00a0<\/a>says, &#8220;I\u2019m trying to hold my hugs for a longer time, too. Research shows that if we hold a hug for at least six seconds, we optimize the flow of mood-boosting chemicals. Studies show that a family member is 47% more likely to feel close to a family member who often expresses affection than to one who rarely does. Sometimes it\u2019s good to say, \u201cI love you,\u201d sometimes it\u2019s good to express that thought without words.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Trade stress and busyness for love and happiness<\/h2>\n<p>Maybe it really is that easy. If you are looking for a simple technique with no negative side-effects that will reduce stress, improve connection with others, and spread love, try the 20-second hug. Hug someone you love for 6 &#8211; 20 seconds. If your loves are far away, call them and tell them you can\u2019t wait to give them a big hug the next time you see them.<\/p>\n<p>If you feel too busy for a 20-second hug or an &#8220;I love you,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/full-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">trade your busy life for a full one\u00a0<\/a>and start showing all the way up for the people you love.<\/p>\n<p>The people we love are what matters most. Let&#8217;s take the time to show them.<\/p>\n<p>P.S. <em>If you are the one who needs a hug right now, I&#8217;m sending a virtual one. You are loved.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before I headed home from a wonderful family visit and hiking trip, my sister gave me a really big hug in the Munich airport &#8230; a 20-second hug. We cried and hugged and cried and hugged knowing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[233],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-116985","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-slow-living","7":"entry","8":"has-post-thumbnail"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.1 (Yoast SEO v25.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>20-Second Hug Effect: Trade stress and busyness for love and happiness<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you feel too busy for a 20-second hug or &quot;I love you,&quot; trade your busy life for a full one, and start showing all the way up for the people you love.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"20-Second Hug Effect: trade stress and busyness for love and happiness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you feel too busy for a 20-second hug or &quot;I love you,&quot; trade your busy life for a full one, and start showing all the way up for the people you love.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Be More with Less\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemorewithlessdotcom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemorewithlessdotcom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-07-07T15:53:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-10-24T16:16:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Untitled-design-2020-01-09T150712.354.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Courtney Carver\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bemorewithless\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bemorewithless\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Courtney Carver\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Courtney Carver\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2239981d8cb0a390981bb0355976c6f4\"},\"headline\":\"20-Second Hug Effect: trade stress and busyness for love and happiness\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-07-07T15:53:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-24T16:16:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/\"},\"wordCount\":449,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Slow Living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/\",\"name\":\"20-Second Hug Effect: Trade stress and busyness for love and happiness\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-07-07T15:53:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-24T16:16:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"If you feel too busy for a 20-second hug or \\\"I love you,\\\" trade your busy life for a full one, and start showing all the way up for the people you love.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg\",\"width\":650,\"height\":918},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Slow Living\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/category\/slow-living\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"20-Second Hug Effect: trade stress and busyness for love and happiness\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/\",\"name\":\"Be More with Less\",\"description\":\"Simplify your life. Declutter your mind. Connect with your heart.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Be More with Less\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/be-more-with-less-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/be-more-with-less-logo.png\",\"width\":600,\"height\":120,\"caption\":\"Be More with Less\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemorewithlessdotcom\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/bemorewithless\",\"http:\/\/instagram.com\/bemorewithless\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2239981d8cb0a390981bb0355976c6f4\",\"name\":\"Courtney Carver\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/courtney-avatar.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/courtney-avatar.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Courtney Carver\"},\"description\":\"Oh hi! I'm Courtney and I've been simplifying my life since 2010. I remove the things that remove me from life. Things like clutter, debt, alcohol, busyness and drama. Now I have time for the good stuff like peace, ease, creativity, laughter and love. Let's simplify together, not so we can have a simple life, but so we can have the life we really want.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/about\/\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemorewithlessdotcom\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"20-Second Hug Effect: Trade stress and busyness for love and happiness","description":"If you feel too busy for a 20-second hug or \"I love you,\" trade your busy life for a full one, and start showing all the way up for the people you love.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"20-Second Hug Effect: trade stress and busyness for love and happiness","og_description":"If you feel too busy for a 20-second hug or \"I love you,\" trade your busy life for a full one, and start showing all the way up for the people you love.","og_url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/","og_site_name":"Be More with Less","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemorewithlessdotcom","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemorewithlessdotcom\/","article_published_time":"2017-07-07T15:53:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-10-24T16:16:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Untitled-design-2020-01-09T150712.354.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Courtney Carver","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@bemorewithless","twitter_site":"@bemorewithless","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Courtney Carver","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/"},"author":{"name":"Courtney Carver","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2239981d8cb0a390981bb0355976c6f4"},"headline":"20-Second Hug Effect: trade stress and busyness for love and happiness","datePublished":"2017-07-07T15:53:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-10-24T16:16:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/"},"wordCount":449,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg","articleSection":["Slow Living"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/","url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/","name":"20-Second Hug Effect: Trade stress and busyness for love and happiness","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg","datePublished":"2017-07-07T15:53:00+00:00","dateModified":"2022-10-24T16:16:28+00:00","description":"If you feel too busy for a 20-second hug or \"I love you,\" trade your busy life for a full one, and start showing all the way up for the people you love.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hug.jpg","width":650,"height":918},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/20-second-hug\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Slow Living","item":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/category\/slow-living\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"20-Second Hug Effect: trade stress and busyness for love and happiness"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/","name":"Be More with Less","description":"Simplify your life. Declutter your mind. Connect with your heart.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#organization","name":"Be More with Less","url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/be-more-with-less-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/be-more-with-less-logo.png","width":600,"height":120,"caption":"Be More with Less"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemorewithlessdotcom","https:\/\/x.com\/bemorewithless","http:\/\/instagram.com\/bemorewithless"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2239981d8cb0a390981bb0355976c6f4","name":"Courtney Carver","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/courtney-avatar.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/courtney-avatar.jpg","caption":"Courtney Carver"},"description":"Oh hi! I'm Courtney and I've been simplifying my life since 2010. I remove the things that remove me from life. Things like clutter, debt, alcohol, busyness and drama. Now I have time for the good stuff like peace, ease, creativity, laughter and love. Let's simplify together, not so we can have a simple life, but so we can have the life we really want.","sameAs":["https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/about\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemorewithlessdotcom\/"],"url":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pUXW7-uqR","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116985\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}