Goals
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Reduce the distance between strangers and communities
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Promote healthy living and inviting interactions between different groups within society
Video
A hug is such a fantastically direct way to build connection and trust between people who haven’t met before!
Intro
In a world where the media, politicians, and social media algorithms prey on our fears, deliberately amplifying divisive content to pit us against one another. Aiming to turn every group in our society against each other. Highlighting our differences and manipulating our emotions to serve their own selfish ends, whether for political gain or to drive advertising revenue through the angry reactions they create.
It’s so easy to drown into negativity in this sea of division, and to forget the truth… that the vast majority of people around us are kind, generous, and simply want to live together in peace and harmony! We desperately need a powerful reminder of our shared humanity. Of the power kindness to connect and heal. Now, more than ever, the world needs a really big hug!
We’ve been running Free Hugs events in all sorts of weather, rain, snow, and sun, since 2012, and the idea has been carried out all over the world. Hugs are a great way to! With each hug, we bring society a little closer together, reminding people that there are lots of friendly folks out there willing to give their time and energy just to make others smile.
Please remember, it’s not a competition to collect the most hugs. Chasing people around for a hug makes them feel like they’ve been sold a hug by a hug salesman, which is the opposite of why we are out there offering them. Let your sign do the asking, though feel free to invite someone if they seem interested, as many people will want to come over but feel a little too self-conscious.
The activity is about giving out hugs, not collecting ALL THE HUGS for yourself, so please don’t be pushy.
PRO-TIPS:
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I tend to offer a hug to people who smile when they see what I’m doing, as that’s a pretty good indicator that they like the idea
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This activity works great on your own, or in groups.
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Choose a specific meeting point that will be easy for those joining to find you, and carry your sign so they can easily see you.
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Ask all attendees to bring their own signs. Some won’t, but those that do often bring really artistic signs they’ve spent ages on. Or you can meet in a cafe before the activity and create your signs together.
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Carefully colouring in your signs looks amazing, but takes ages. Colours make signs look really awesome, but if you’re in a hurry I find squiggling colourful zigzags inside takes 1/50th of the time and still looks bright and fun.
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Bring pens, spare card or paper, and a ‘Join Us’ sign so people you meet can create their own signs and join in and sharing some kindness and happiness too.
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Share your experiences with an article and/or by posting a link to your photo albums and videos to inspire more people to go out, give and receive hugs!
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Don’t forget to use our Hashtags.
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This is a great event to arrange a social event afterwards. Those that come are usually eager to hang out and get to know each other more.
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Go and Hug!
Background
This idea was originally started by Juan Mann, an Australian guy, on December 1, 2004, when he was feeling lonely and was inspired by a hug from a random stranger. The act of hugging has been studied extensively, and the general consensus is that hugging more often WILL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE QUALITY. Hugging benefits your health, happiness, and builds a stronger connection to your friends and family. Here are just a few reasons why:
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Lower blood pressure: A decent length hug (6-12 secs) releases Oxytocin and as our levels rise, they interact with the hormones in our bodies which keep us alert for danger, allow our blood pressure to drop and helping us to relax and feel safe. Oxytocin also acts as a natural pain reliever so a hug really does scientifically make you feel better when you’re hurting.
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Reduce social anxiety: Oxytocin makes people feel more optimistic, confident, trusting, and relaxed. These are all good things, so give the nearest person a good long hug right now!
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Help you lose weight and keep your heart healthy: A good hug reduces cortisol levels (our stress hormone). Too much cortisol can lead to weight management issues and stress on your heart muscles.
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Boost your immune system: Hugging releases more white blood cells, strengthening your immune system.
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Enhance connection: Hugs help us feel more connected to those around us and act like exercise for our empathy and caring for others.
That’s just five of the many scientifically proven reasons why hugging more will improve your daily life, and speaking from my personal experience, a full day of huggin leaves me feeling very high on life and light headed in a really lovely way. Also, please come even if it makes you nervous. In fact, come especially if it makes you nervous! I grew up in a non-hugging culture and I used to feel nervous about looking and feeling silly before running Free Hugs, but I turned up with my sign anyway and reminded myself that I am here to give hugs to others who may need a little lift and friendly human interaction in their day.
It may feel awkward at first, but once you’ve got your first hug from a passer-by it’s just easy and fun – and now I am very much a hugging person, and am happier and closer to my loved ones because of it. There’s no need to stress about numbers. I often begin the event alone or with just one or two people, and have found that you get far more hugs with a smaller number of people…maybe because people respect your bravery for getting up and offering something so lovely.
Legal Stuff (how it worked out for us)
This event is pretty hassle-free in most places. There were two friends in Saudi Arabia who were arrested for such “un-Islamic behaviour,” but they both courageously said they would risk the consequences and do it again anyway! I greatly respect their courage to do something so simple because they believe in its purpose to bring more kindness and connection to the world. It’s amazing to realize that something we see as harmless fun is a freedom of expression others have to fight for.