Saturday 21st was World Hug Day. Celebrated since 1986 and credited to Kevin Zaborney, it’s a reminder to bring more mutually wanted hugs into your life (including from yourself with a Butterfly Hug reminder)…
Do you get enough hugs?
I remember feeling so hug deprived during all the lockdowns, I bought myself a big ROCK from a local quarry so I could hug IT.
I adore living alone but that was clearly a low point!
I’ve been making up for it since and don’t think I’ll ever forget how much I missed being able to hug loved ones all those months.
We HEAL through (wanted) hugs and touch
Our nervous systems recognise the safety, welcome, love and warmth in the other’s and we both (or if a group, all) relax more deeply than we can alone.
Reading this may feel triggering.
Maybe you’re not a huggy person and even reading about hugs feels intrusive?
Maybe you adore hugs but your loved ones are too far away?
Maybe it can serve as a reminder that your desire for more hugs is simply information and you can keep an eye (and vagus nerve) out for potentially huggy situations moving forwards?
And you CAN hug yourself
The Butterfly Hug offers bilateral stimulation to the brain so helps balance both sides of the brain and the nervous system.
It’s also a physical reminder that you are worthy. You are loveable. You may want hugs from someone other than yourself and you WILL but it starts with your deeming YOURSELF worthy, huggable, loveable and so on.
And if you want to extend the hugging yourself ethos to treating yourself in all sorts of other ways, I hope the jubilant Miley Cyrus song Flowers reminds you that your acceptance, care, compassion and attention is the most important.
Yes, it’s wonderful to receive from others but if you’re empty and feeling unworthy in yourself you won’t feel all the hugs in the Universe.
How might you literally or metaphorically buy yourself flowers and write your name in the sand this week and beyond?
Feel free to email eve@selfcarecoaching.net to let me know.
And please do feel free to share this post on your social media etc so others who may find it helpful can read it.
With love,
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