X Is For XOXO (TOP 10 HUGS and Kisses)

 

Okay, sooo… as I am coming to the end of this blogging challenge I am cheating today. My theme is feelings and apart from Xenophobic and X’d out I chose something on a list of adjectives and one word was XOXO, totally cheating.

 

XOXO stands for kisses and hugs and totally unrelated to feelings, but well.. I feel kissable and and huggable sometimes so why not?

Sometimes I just need a hug.
Sometimes I just can’t stop kissing.

“That’s what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you’re not so lovable.”
― Deb Caletti

What is so good about hugs?

  1. Hugs give you a sense of trust and safety. Hugging also help you open to others and be more honest when communicating.
  2. Biologically speaking, hugs boost oxytocin levels. This in turn help alleviate feelings of loneliness, anger and isolation.
  3. The immune system is strengthened by hugging.
  4. Hugging boosts serotonin levels and this in turn elevates mood.
  5. Hugging helps elevate self-esteem and touch can show us we are loved when we are children so naturally builds our self worth. The more hugs we receive as children from our pare,nts the easier we will find our ability to love ourselves.
  6. Hugs also bring balance to our nervous system.
  7. Hugging releases tension in the body and can take away pain and soothe aches by increasing our the circulation in our soft tissues.
  8. Hugging helps us to give and receive and helps us understand how love flows in both ways.
  9. Hugging increases empathy in relationships.
  10. Hugs help us to be in the present moment.
 

What is so good about kissing?

 
Scientific term = Osculation
 

“Bonobos – a type of Chimpanzee – have been known to smooch for up to 12 minutes straight, while giraffes like to entwine necks, and even fish touch lips”                                                                                  ~ Kirshenbaum

 

  1. Like hugging, kissing boosts bonding.
  2. Kissing also enhances self esteem and arouses us before sex and during.
  3. Kissing, swapping spit actually helps to reduce the chance we have of getting a virus. Kissing is good for the immune system.
  4. Married couples who kiss often have much stronger marriages.
  5. Like hugging kissing releases endorphins that can make you feel happier.
  6. Kissing also decreases pain as your body releases adrenaline.
  7. Kissing lowers your stress levels. Kissing lowers cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
  8. Kissing increases your metabolism.
  9. Kissing is a great face workout. It is a great non-surgical prescription for a more youthful appearance.
  10. And finally kissing is simply FUN!
 

“Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day, it is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every cranny of your body. No, don’t blush, I am telling you some truths. That is just being “in love”, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.”
— Louis de Bernières

 
So as you can see kissing and hugging really should be prescribed by the doctor. If you can’t find someone to hug, hug a cat or a dog or your child. Maybe someone should set up a clinic for hugging, I think that would be a great idea. I would volunteer at such a clinic.
 
I adore hugging, sometimes I probably hug people who are uncomfortable hugging, but I can’t help sharing my love.
 
Do you like hugging?
 
 
 
This post is part of my A to Z blogging challenge drop
by tomorrow to see what the letter Y will be about.

 

Click HERE to view entire category.

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Kelly Martin
Kelly Martin

Kelly Martin, author of ‘When Everyone Shines But You’ is a dedicated writer and blogger who fearlessly explores life’s deepest questions. Faced with a decade of profound anxiety and grief following the loss of her father and her best friend Michael, Kelly embarked on a transformative journey guided by mindfulness, and she hasn’t looked back since. Through her insightful writing, engaging podcasts, and inspiring You Tube channel Kelly empowers others to unearth the hidden treasures within their pain, embracing the profound truth that they are ‘enough’ exactly as they are.

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