Do you like cuddling? And if you do, how often do you cuddle? Everybody loves cuddling to a certain extent. Some may not need it as much as others do, but in essence, everybody needs it. The fact is that touch is one of the sincerest forms of human interaction.

And as much as touch has been used for and associated with its unhealthy, abusive side, touch has also a nurturing side to it. Cuddling is purely based on touch and it focuses on this nurturing side.

In a world that has become very cold, and where distance is more appreciated than closeness, it would be very hard for someone to imagine cuddling with a total stranger. However, it’s this same distance that we have created to destroy us.

But how would you feel if you went for a cuddle with a cuddling professional? Cuddlist is one of the companies which deal with professional cuddling. They explain that “touch plays an important role in building social connections and most of us don’t get enough touch in our lives.”

What they propose as a solution to our isolation from one another is some cuddling therapy, which can serve for a much greater good than you can imagine. You can compare it to “Free Hugs”, the difference being that professional cuddling comes with a company behind it, certified cuddlists, and an hourly rate of 80$.

The Cuddling Therapy Experience

Business Insider UK’s producer Claudia Romeo went to try cuddling therapy and see how it feels for herself. As she explains, each session starts by setting some ground rules, after which she gets to choose what cuddling position would be most comfortable for her.

“As a first timer, becoming relaxed wasn’t easy,” explains Claudia. “It’s pretty awkward. It gets better with time though.” What they did was entirely up to Claudia. She explains she got to decide whether to move around or just stick to one position.

At the end, her voice was a bit down and she felt very relaxed. “It felt very, very, very short even though it was actually an hour. I genuinely felt it lasted around 20 minutes, which is surprising considering I was hugging a stranger.”

Meet the professionals

Cuddlist has a list of trained and certified cuddlers who will gladly cuddle with you. One such cuddler is Kan Seidel, a NY-based professional cuddler who gives cuddling a whole new dimension.

“Honestly, I don’t even love the word cuddling. If I was going to name the therapy, I would call it alternative touch,” explains Siedel for Elite Daily.

His cuddling sessions are done in an environment he prefers to call a health oasis. He clears the space’s energy by burning sage, he purifies the air with a hospital-grade nanoparticle air purifier, and his cuddle sessions are surrounded by oxygen-bringing plants.

In his cuddle sessions, Kai also incorporates Thai massage, so he doesn’t only work on relaxing the mind and bring a sense of closeness to his cuddle-buddies, but also on relaxing their body.

“I consider so many people my best friends but I’m so many different people’s single, only best friend,” he explains. “Attention is magic in this universe, and it has the power to shape reality.”

“Sending this positive, loving, affectionate attention at someone is going to have supernatural benefits. I mean, it just does. It just works.”

The science behind cuddling

Humans are dependent on closeness and touch. You may not feel a conscious need for it, but the lack of touch could be devastating in the long run. Touch is, as Psychology Today puts it, a fundamental mode of human interaction.

This mode of interaction bears its primary role of stimulating the release of oxytocin, the hormone of love and attachment. It is a very important hormone which affects the way we interact with others.

Psychology Today explains that oxytocin underlies trust and is a great antidote to depressive feelings. It is the hormone which allows people to create attachment and bonding on different levels.

A study done by doctors at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of South Florida notes that oxytocin is “increasingly recognized as an important regulator of human social behaviors, including social decision making, evaluating and responding to social stimuli, mediating social interactions, and forming social memories.”

The study suggests that a disbalance in the oxytocin levels in our bodies may be “a common factor important in multiple psychiatric disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders.”

And indeed, oxytocin is a very important hormone that is best stimulated by hugs, kisses, sex, birth, and breastfeeding, and cuddles. Of course, you will get only hugs and cuddles from these certified cuddling professionals, which is something many lack nowadays.

Cuddling is something that can bring a lot of relaxation and calmness in your lives. And while we’re at it, do it more with those you love and feel close to your heart. Give them more hugs, kiss them more often, and don’t be ashamed to show genuine affection and emotion.

Sources:
Business Insider
Elite Daily
Psychology Today
Cochran, David et al. “‘The Role of Oxytocin in Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Biological and Therapeutic Research Findings.’” Harvard review of psychiatry 21.5 (2013): 219–247. PMC. Web. 19 Sept. 2017.

Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hgTL92OtxQ

You don’t need a study to tell you that parents worry about their kids. And if you are a parent yourself, you know from experience how many sleepless nights you’ve spent worrying about your children.

Your worries might vary from what are they going to eat tomorrow and if they will pass their school tests to their success further in the future, like their college degree, job search, and marriage.

However, if you are an adult, and your parents are still calling you to make sure you eat well, or you are home safe – you are not alone.

A new study suggests that parents not only worry about their children when they are young, but they continue to worry about them even when they are past their adolescent age and are well-formed adults. Moreover, the reasons behind this worry differ from men to women.

Amber J. Seidel, Ph.D., of Penn State York in Pennsylvania, is the researcher behind this study. And the reason why she decided to do it is that she firmly believes in the importance of family relationships: their support and love.

“I feel that many share this value, yet I think much of the socialization in our culture focuses on family when children are younger,” she said for CBS News. “I seek to study topics that help us understand how family continues to be a central part of our lives throughout adulthood, and I encourage considering family-level influences in all situations.”

“I seek to study topics that help us understand how family continues to be a central part of our lives throughout adulthood, and I encourage considering family-level influences in all situations.”

The study included 186 heterosexual married couples with two or three adult children. On average, the men were about 58 years old, and the women close to 57.

The parents were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 8 (1 – daily; 8 – once a year) the different types of support they provide their adult children with. The types of support included: emotional support, companionship, discussing everyday events, practical help, and financial support.

Furthermore, the parents had to rate the stress level of having to support their adult children, and how much time they spent on worrying about them on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 – not at all; 5 – a great deal).

Additionally, the researchers investigated the amount of sleep the parents got at night. They found that the fathers slept about 6.69 hours on average, while the mothers slept for 6.66 hours.

The results from the study showed that fathers tended to lose sleep when they were worried about the support they provided their adult children with. On the other hand, they slept more when their wives were the ones providing their children’s support.

This issue was not important to the women’s quality of sleep. For the mothers, the stress of having to provide support for their children affected their sleep.

All in all, the results of the study are that the mere act of giving support is what troubled the men while stressing over the support is what afflicted the women.

Seidel converses that the reason behind this may be because of how much involved parents are in their adult children’s lives nowadays. In today’s era of smartphones and technology, parents are able to get closer insights on their children’s whereabouts and what is going on in their lives. They become more curious about their children’s lives and thus more concerned and stressed.

In today’s era of smartphones and technology, parents are able to get closer insights on their children’s whereabouts and what is going on in their lives. They become more curious about their children’s lives and thus more concerned and stressed.

Regardless of the reason, high-stress levels can cause negative consequences on the person’s physical and emotional well-being.

According to Seidel, the problem is not that we are stressed in our lives; the problem is that sometimes we are not able to deal with it accordingly, which leads to immune suppression.

Parents can help themselves to overcome the stress by changing their eating habits to healthier choices, exercising more, spending time in nature, and so on. Also, they need to choose the level of involvement they will have in their grown children’s lives.

They need to ask themselves if they are providing their children with the right things: Are they supporting them by believing in them, or by controlling them constantly and stressing over any minor issue?

What are your thoughts on this? Do you worry about your adult child constantly? If you do, what do you worry about? And, how do you think that affects your child?

Source: CBS News

Integrity is perhaps the most important trait that one could possess. It’s a set of habits and moral values that make for the most successful and strongest people in the world. Unfortunately, it seems that integrity has become a rare trait in a world of people who are trying to be liked by others at the cost of their true identity and values.

Although some people are born with this trait, it doesn’t necessarily mean that one cannot learn to practice it. It’s because doing these things means following your truest nature and goodness inside and respecting that of those around you.

So, here are 13 things that people with true integrity possess:

1. Valuing other people’s time

People with true integrity value their own time, and they value that of those around them. They are aware that everybody has a lot of things on their hands and that nobody will do them for them.

They respect the time you have dedicated to them and they will never hold you up. On the contrary, if they see that you are beginning to sacrifice your time for them, they will urge you to go on with whatever you must do and thank you for the precious time you have spent with them.

2. Giving credit where it’s due

They will never think of taking credit for the things they haven’t done. Instead, they will not only be very grateful if you have helped them and will do everything that you take credit for that.

They don’t like bragging with other people’s successes and attributing them as if they are theirs. They consider this as a very low move and will lose all respect for people who tend to do it.

3. Being authentic – always

People with true integrity will never try to be someone else for the sake of people liking them. If you like them, you will like them for who they really are, and if you don’t – well they don’t think that they have to be liked by everyone.

You will find it very hard to catch them being fake or insincere about themselves, simply because they never are.

4. Seeing honesty as strength

Sure, you can easily get by with lies when they are necessary, but a person with true integrity will never be satisfied with such results. That’s why they choose to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, no matter the circumstances.

This doesn’t mean that they are blunt and inconsiderate, as they don’t blurt out things because they came to their mind. They know when to say what, and it will always be sincere.

5. Never taking advantage of others

These people believe in their capabilities and they find taking advantage of others as something very degrading to their personality. Instead of using the weakness of others to their own ends, they would try to help these people to grow and become stronger.

6. Accepting disagreements

You will not see a person with integrity arguing over disagreements. They accept people’s different points of view and they will try to talk things through instead of arguing over them. If it can’t be done in a civil manner, they will back down and go on their way.

7. Giving people the benefit of the doubt

They are always aware of the good that lies in everybody, and they will allow themselves to believe in this good. It’s not that they trust people blindly, but they know that everybody has their own temptations and that they can be overcome.

But try and take advantage of them too much and they will quickly leave you with yourself and they will leave you for good.

8. Being aware of other people’s state of mind

Their excellent intuition allows them to tell if something is happening. They will easily notice your state of mind and will act accordingly. For example, if it’s not your day, they will notice without you saying anything about it and will try to cheer you up.

9. Choosing to believe others

People with integrity will allow you to tell your version of reality and will believe you until the truth comes to the surface. Even if you lie to them, you can’t fool them with that. If something really matters to them, they will eventually understand the truth about it.

10. Always ready to apologize

Everybody can make a mistake and true integrity doesn’t grant you immunity to this. But it does come with the ability to see your error and own it up. These people may even become aware of their mistake before you do, and they will always apologize and try to make things right.

11. Being humble

They do things as they do because it’s in their nature to function in this way. That said, they are not always aware of their true worth and just how much good they really do. And they don’t feel like they need to know this – they are true to themselves and they don’t feel the need for such approval.

12. Doing good whenever possible

Doing good is what they believe in the most. If they can, they will always help people out, and do whatever is in their power to see them happy and safe. They believe in the power of goodness, and this gives them a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

13. Always being kind

It’s not that they can’t be harsh, but it’s that they prefer being kind to everyone around them. They know that people need kindness and that only through kindness can you inspire people to become greater.

If you possess these traits, you should know that you are very true to yourself and this makes you true to everyone around you. Integrity is something which deserves a lot of respect and admiration, so thank you for being you and for all that you do.

Only through true integrity can we make a difference in this world which is becoming faker and more insincere with every passing day. Truth is beauty, and being true to oneself and to the good inside is the greatest truth in the world.

Source: Awareness Act
Image Copyright: kho / 123RF Stock Photo

Have you been feeling tired and stressed throughout the day for no apparent reason? If you have, the reason could be your working hours – or more precisely, the time you start work.

New research suggests that starting work early in the morning leads to problems even more serious than just that. 

Even if you can manage to wake up easily, the physical act of having to get out of bed is where it gets tricky. And the reason why it is hard is that our bodies are not synchronized to the way modern society is functioning. Meaning, our natural sleeping patterns differ from society’s set working hours.

Some researchers have even compared starting work before 10 am to torture. This is because our bodies work on biological timers, called the Circadian Rhythm. The Circadian Rhythm, or our body clock if you will, is a genetically programmed cycle that controls the main activity of our brain, our energy, the production of hormones, and our perception of time.

The Circadian Rhythm, or our body clock if you will, is a genetically programmed cycle that controls the main activity of our brain, our energy, the production of hormones, and our perception of time.

Dr. Paul Kelley is a neuroscientist at Oxford University who has recently delved into this topic and has come up with several discoveries that can greatly affect us. He looked into various kinds of modern day torture and found that waking up and going to work before 10 am is one form of torture as well.

According to his findings, forcing the body to wake up earlier than our brain and organs are ready is damaging to our health because it interferes with our body clock. This body clock cannot be changed because it is pre-programmed in the brain.

If we, however, fight against our natural sleeping patterns, it can cause several health issues like sleep deprivation, physical and emotional stress, and this can further lead to more severe health risks.   

He says: “We cannot change our 24-hour rhythms. You cannot learn to get up at a certain time…your liver and your heart have different patterns and you’re asking them to shift two or three hours.”

As a part of an experiment held by Oxford University, Dr. Kelley worked in a school in the UK where he shifted the school’s start time from 8:30 am to 10 am. His findings were that after the adaptation period, students’ attendance levels were raised and their productivity was drastically improved. Their grades also raised by 19%.

His findings were that after the adaptation period, students’ attendance levels were raised and their productivity was drastically improved. Their grades also raised by 19%.

So, the question arises: Why do we keep on torturing ourselves?

The principle of working 8 hours a day was created back at the beginning of the 20^th century in order for the manufacturers to get the maximum they can from the workers’ productivity. They did not take into account the Circadian Rhythm, the functioning of which is coordinated with sunlight.

Unfortunately, things have not changed since then. We are still mired in that system which is not in tune with our bodies’ natural functions.

Finally, if we get enough sleep – we would be more focused and productive at work. Because, if we were to listen to our body and if we wake up naturally, it would raise our overall happiness levels. Besides, we all know that happy people make the best workers!  

Image Copyright: holohololand / 123RF Stock Photo