An author, Nancy Bankole, has recommended daily hugs as a way to improve physical and mental well-being.
According to Bankole, hugging daily can help lower stress levels, treat depression, strengthen the immune system, and promote faster recovery from illness.
Bankole, in a book she will launch on Saturday (today) via Zoom, identified the healing power of hugs to lift a heavy heart, calm anxious thoughts, and lighten the weight of sorrow.
She said research supported her book’s argument that hugs were medicinal remedies for depression and grief.
Nancy said, “Research shows that hugs are more than gestures of affection; they are medicine. Daily hugs can lower stress, strengthen immunity, and even aid faster recovery from illness.
“Hugging triggers oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals that ease pain, reduce anxiety, and lift mood.”
The author lamented that humans underestimated the “extraordinary” emotional, spiritual, and physical power of hugs to overcome life’s struggles.
“In today’s technology-driven world, many people silently carry depression, grief, and loneliness. In a time when these struggles are increasingly common, the simple act of a hug carries extraordinary healing power.
A hug can lift a heavy heart, calm anxious thoughts, and soften the weight of sorrow.
“For those who feel hurt, abandoned, or rejected, an embrace speaks louder than words: You are not alone. You are loved. You are understood. This silent assurance can quicken the journey toward healing, offering comfort that technology, medicine, or empty conversation often cannot provide,” she added.
Nancy explained that each chapter of her book, titled “HUG (Healing, Understanding, Gratitude),” contained personal stories, biblical reflections, and practical exercises on how a simple embrace can ease grief, lift depression, and restore connection.
“This book is for anyone who has ever felt alone, broken, or disconnected. No matter where you are in your journey, HUG is for you. This isn’t just a book to read, it’s a book to live.
“HUG is a journey back to the basics of what makes us human: our need for connection, our capacity for love, and our ability to heal.
“Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, grieving a loss, or simply craving deeper connections, HUG will guide you toward emotional, spiritual, and physical wholeness.
“I wrote this book because I believe in the power of a hug. Not just the physical act of embracing someone, but the deeper meaning behind it – the idea that we are never truly alone, that we are loved, and that healing is always within reach,” she added.
