We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth—Virginia Satir, family therapist

Hugs are loaded with benefits. "Hugging is healthy: it helps our body's immune system, it keeps you healthier, it cures depression, it reduces stress, it induces sleep, it's invigorating, it's rejuvenating, it has no unpleasant side effects, and hugging is nothing less than a miracle drug." (Author unknown, from Adventures With Personology)

Hugs certainly feel good, both on the giving and receiving end, and it turns out their effects are more than skin deep; a study found that hugs increase the "bonding" hormone oxytocin and decrease the risk of heart disease.

In fact, when couples hugged for 20 seconds, their levels of oxytocin, released during childbirth and breastfeeding, increased. Those in loving relationships had the highest increases.

Gotta go! Got a hug-date. Hahhaha.