Love Virus & 10 Seconds Family Hug

It is not a doubt that each and every one of us wishes to have an optimally healthy body. We would carry out physical exercises, control our food intake and take measures to ensure that our surroundings are free from ill-inducing viruses. However, are we aware of the viruses that attack the sense of love and care inside of us? Love shapes the behavior and thoughts of an individual and they can be affected negatively if love is not being well taken care of.

I would like to call this phenomenon as the Love Virus. The explanation behind this analogy is that if the loving relationship between family members depletes, bad effects will come out of it to ruin the strong bonds of a family. Let’s say when parents scold their children too harshly; it would hurt the children’s feelings thus causing a gap to be developed in the relationship between the children and their parents. This is the Love Virus.

If this phenomenon occurs continuously with the children as the victim, it is possible for the children’s feelings of love and care towards their family to decline and eventually fade away. The absence of love in family relationships is one of the contributing factors of family issues such as teens running away from home, rebellious behavior among the children and others. Therefore, parents must take the initiative to cure the Love Virus. We should treat this Love Virus as how we would treat a common cold; that is with the help of the antibiotics. The Love Virus has its own antibiotics like any other illnesses.

But before we go very far, let’s get back to basics. One of the basic needs, yet not so easy to do consistently, is to hug your family. Please allow me to introduce this concept called “10 Seconds Family Hug” It may sound simple but you’ll be surprised at its many benefits.
 

MEDICAL BENEFITS

Many researches have proven that hugging, much like laughing and smiling, can in fact boost our health.  Researchers found that two types of natural drugs may be released by our body when we hug. They are oxytocin and serotonin.  Oxytocin heals the feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger while serotonin can increase our moods and create that feeling of happiness.

Young kids are especially in need of a lot of hugs and kisses.  Fortunately, they are born cute, making them irresistible to the adults around them. This is one of life’s miracles because the more we hug them, the healthier their growth become.  There have been numerous studies that proved that massaging, hugging and holding your little ones would promote their physical and psychological growth faster.

PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS

Talking about psychological aspect, proper hugs can deliver many benefits on this front as well.  Asians in general do not express their love with hugs. However, appropriate physical contacts are among the best ways to reaffirm our love to our family.  The warmth of the parents’ hugs will do wonders towards creating psychologically balanced and wonderful children.  They should grow up to be more confident, sociable, well-behaved and pleasant than those who do not receive a lot of hugs in their early years.

Generally, they feel so secured and loved that there is no reason for them to misbehave or to disobey their parents anymore. 

Putting these in the love virus context, the hugs between parents and children will also cleanse their minds from those damaging viruses.  That is a reason enough for us to give them a generous hugs and kisses before dropping them off to schools.  With a clear and positive mind, they would be more ready to absorb the lessons and on to become a better performer at school.

On the flip side, those unlucky kids that do not receive enough hugs and kisses from their parents tend to be more aggressive, less confident, insecure and unable to focus.  Any child will want and need the assurance of love via the hugs and kisses.  This is especially true when they feel down, frustrated, angry and dejected.  These viruses need to be quickly eliminated via soothing words and loving gestures.  If left unchecked, they will fester into the feelings of hopelessness or insecurity, which in turn could be manifested into aggressive and anti-social behaviours.

DO IT RIGHT

Since hugging our loved ones is so critical, we’d better leverage its power to the fullest. There is a proper technique to hug such that it brings the most impact. First, we must ensure the eye-level and especially the “heart-level” is the same between the two people. This means that for parents, they need to kneel down to their kids’ level. Alternatively, the child can stand on an elevated bench.

Secondly, enough time must be given for the hug to work its magic. Ten second is the most ideal time. It is to ensure that enough warmth, love and affections are being exchanged properly.  Do it a few times a day, and your family should experience its transformational power.
Therefore, let’s take this opportunity to rejuvenate our family love via hugs. Join me and million other parents who have and will experience the magical power of love via this 10 Seconds Family Hug campaign. Let this antibiotic for the Love Virus works its magic. Spend a little time to hug your loved ones at least three times a day. Generously gives a lot of “I love you” as you do so. If this antibiotic is given regularly and with the right amount, the family will be free and completely immune from the Love Virus.

Disclaimer: This content is shared for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional/medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We recommended that you always seek the advice of your healthcare professional for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition/specific situation.

References:

1. https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/sunday-vibes/2020/01/555785/smart-parenting-love-virus
2. https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wellbeing/a36383700/hugging-benefits/