“Give Grandpa a 20-second hug.” my son said.

His son obliged. Arms around each other, grandpa and grandson stood and hugged for 20 seconds. That’s a record for most huggers.

“It’s a game changer,” my son said.

Hugs are hugs. Most of the time they take place when you enter a room and greet people you haven’t seen in a while. Hugs takes the place of thank you’s, love you’s, and  congratulation you’s. It’s usually a squeeze-and-go kind of move. Don’t get too body to body — just enough to give them an extra physical sign of affection.

Grandpa hugged and hugged. And hugged some more. Grandson happily obliged. I watched their faces melt with delight the longer they stood hugging.

“It’s a game changer,” my son said. “We 20-second hug every night before we go to bed. Something about sharing the extended squeezing, blissful seconds transforms the moment.”

I have not always been a hugger. Always felt awkward being so close to family and friends for too long. Afraid my boobs were pushing into others’ sides, little kids’ hugs pushing into my chubby belly, crossing someone’s personal space boundaries.

We started hugging others around the time I got married. We also started saying “Love You” at the end of every phone call.

That wasn’t easy, either. More pushing into personal spaces.

Neither grandpa or grandson wanted to stop at 20. Grandpa kept counting to 19 then start the next number as 16. Big smiles all around when they were done.

“Give granny a 20-second hug,” my son said to my granddaughter. We linked up together and I got my 20-second continuous hug too.

It was amazing.

Those extra 10 seconds thrown in at the end transform the casual squeeze into something deeper and more magical. It was like electricity was softly running through and heating my veins. All that mattered in those last 10 seconds was the feeling of  pressure and electricity and positive ions running between the two of us.

Identical twin sisters Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., and Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A, authors of the book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. reads, “… research suggests a 20-second hug can change your hormones, lower your blood pressure and heart rate, and improve mood, all of which are reflected in the post-hug increase in the social bonding hormone, oxytocin.”

That — and so much more.

I’m going to try and 20-second hug more people in the future. I want to connect with those I love in a more physical/cosmic way. To share my affection and trust and blessings with my hug partner.

How about you? Are you a hugger? You should be! Work through the uncomfortableness and time restrictions and just do it!

Start a trend! You never know what you’ll get back!