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Bright Light Chiropractic January 2026 Newsletter

  • Writer: Jay Korsen
    Jay Korsen
  • Dec 27, 2025
  • 6 min read

Special Hours:

We will be closing at 1 PM on New Year's Eve

We will be closed on New Year's Day


The Health Benefits of Hugging

(Yes, I’m officially prescribing hugs, and why you should too.)

If you’ve ever hugged someone and thought, “Well that fixed…something,” you weren’t imagining it. A good hug is like hitting a reset button for your nervous system, your mood, and, believe it or not, your immune resilience, especially this time of year when every grocery store aisle feels like a sneeze conference.

Let’s talk about what hugging does to you, physically, mentally, and spiritually, and I’ll back it up with real research, not your Aunt Carol’s Facebook post.

Physical benefits, your body likes a good squeeze

1) Hugs can support immune resilience during stress

One of the most surprising findings in hug research is that hugs may buffer the “stress makes you sick” effect. In a well-known study, people who reported more frequent hugs had lower susceptibility to respiratory infection when under interpersonal stress, and those who did get sick tended to have less severe symptoms. That’s huge during cold and flu season.

2) Hugs can calm cardiovascular “fight or flight” reactivity

Warm partner contact (yes, hugging counts) has been shown to reduce cardiovascular reactivity during stress, meaning lower spikes in blood pressure and heart rate during challenging moments. Translation: your body stops acting like you’re being chased by a bear when you’re really just being chased by your email inbox.

3) Hugs are linked with oxytocin and healthier blood pressure patterns

Oxytocin gets called the “bonding hormone,” and research in couples has linked more frequent partner hugs with higher oxytocin levels and lower blood pressure in premenopausal women.

4) Hugs can reduce cortisol, the “stress hormone”

Cortisol isn’t evil, but too much of it for too long is like leaving your engine revved all day. Research suggests receiving a hug can reduce cortisol responses, which matters because chronic stress load is one of the big factors that can drag down sleep, mood, and immune function over time.

Mental and emotional benefits, hugs are mood medicine

1) Hugs can soften the emotional fallout from conflict

Ever had an argument and then, after a hug, thought, “Okay… I still disagree, but I don’t want to throw a lamp anymore”? There’s research on this. Hug receipt is associated with less negative mood on days that include interpersonal conflict.

2) Touch is a real stress buffer

There’s also broader work on social touch showing it can help regulate the body’s stress response, which is one reason humans who feel safely connected tend to be more resilient.

Spiritual benefits, connection is part of how we’re designed

There’s something deeply human about a hug that goes beyond chemistry. It says, without words: You’re not alone. You matter. You’re safe with me.

As Christians, we might say it like this: we were designed for relationship, with God and with each other. Appropriate, welcomed touch can be one small way we practice compassion, encouragement, and presence. A hug can be a simple act of love that quiets fear and reminds someone they’re seen.

And sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is not deliver a sermon, but deliver a genuine, kind, appropriate hug to a person who’s carrying more than they’re saying.

A quick “hugging with wisdom” note

Hugs are powerful, but they should always be consensual and welcome. Some people love hugs, some people don’t, and some people are carrying experiences that make touch complicated. A smile and a kind word still count as care.

Try this: “The Full 5 Second Hug” challenge

Many people do a quick “tap-hug” like they’re checking pockets for car keys. Try a real one: safe, appropriate, welcomed, and held for a few seconds longer than normal. Not awkward-long, just long enough for the nervous system to notice.

This week, hug your spouse, your kids, your grandkids, or a close friend (the ones who actually like hugs), and pay attention to what changes in your breathing, your shoulders, and your mood.

It might be the simplest immune-season upgrade you’ll ever do.

Research links, all in one place



🤗 HUGGING: Doctor-Approved, No Prescription Needed

Five Hug Facts You Probably Didn’t Know:

• A 10-second hug can calm your nervous system more effectively than scrolling your phone for 10 minutes.• Hugging releases oxytocin, which literally tells your body, “You’re safe.”• People who get hugged more often tend to handle stress and conflict better.• During cold and flu season, hugs may help buffer stress-related immune suppression.• Hugs burn about 1 calorie per minute, so yes… technically it counts as exercise. Don’t cancel your gym membership yet.


🛑 The Bright Light Hug Safety Checklist

Because not all hugs are created equal.

✔️ Consensual – A hug is only therapeutic if both people want it.✔️ Appropriate – Context matters. Use wisdom, not awkward enthusiasm.✔️ Present – No distracted, one-armed “pat-pat” hugs if you can help it.✔️ Duration – Aim for a Full 5 seconds, long enough for the nervous system to notice.✔️ Heartfelt – The best hugs aren’t perfect, they’re sincere.


💡 Bright Light Bonus Tip

If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, run-down, or just plain “off,” try this simple combo:Get checked. Get adjusted. Give (or receive) a real hug.

Your nervous system will thank you.


Why Chiropractic and Human Connection Go Together

Chiropractic is about restoring communication within the nervous system, and human connection does something remarkably similar. When the spine is moving well and the nervous system is clear, the body shifts out of fight-or-flight and into a state of adaptability and healing. Safe, loving connection, like a genuine hug, reinforces that same shift by calming stress responses and reminding the body it is not under threat. Both chiropractic care and meaningful human connection honor how we were designed, not as isolated parts, but as whole beings, body, mind, and spirit, created to function best when communication is clear and relationships are strong.


💛 Bright Light Reminder for Kids(and grown-ups too)

Hugs should always be kind, safe, and welcome.A smile, a high-five, or a thumbs-up works great too!


Not a Hugger? That’s Completely OK.

Let’s clear something up right away: not everyone likes hugs, and that’s perfectly fine. Some people didn’t grow up in a hugging family, some are more private by nature, some have past experiences that make physical touch uncomfortable, and some just don’t like being squeezed. None of that means there’s anything wrong with you.


The beautiful thing is that the benefits we often talk about with hugging, calming the nervous system, reducing stress, increasing a sense of safety and connection, can be created in many other ways too. A genuine smile, kind eye contact, a warm conversation, a firm handshake, a friendly high-five, a reassuring pat on the shoulder (when welcomed), deep breathing, prayer, laughter, or simply feeling truly listened to can produce many of the same calming effects in the body and mind.


At Bright Light Chiropractic, feeling safe, respected, and at peace always comes first. If hugging isn’t your thing, just let me know. I’m more than happy to shake your hand, give a high-five, offer a smile, or simply meet you exactly where you’re comfortable. Healing happens best when you feel secure, honored, and heard, and that looks different for everyone.


You get to choose what feels right for you, always.


Laughter Is Also Healing...



And Now A Prayer


Heavenly Father,As we enter this new year, we thank You for the way You hold us, steady, patient, and faithful. Thank You for the bodies You designed with wisdom and the quiet ability to thrive when cared for with intention.


This month, help us live embraced, by peace instead of pressure, by consistency instead of urgency, and by trust instead of fear. May our nervous systems rest in that embrace, our minds grow calm, and our hearts remain open to connection, gratitude, and care.


Let this office be a place where people feel held, supported, and safe. A place where no one is rushed, judged, or overlooked, and where every visit is an opportunity to receive encouragement and light.


We place ourselves, our health, and this new year gently into Your hands, trusting that You will continue to guide, sustain, and restore us.Amen.


In Health and Faith,

Dr. Jay, Kim, Kerrie, Tammie and Lori

 
 
 

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