If there is one thing that I love about kindergarten students is that they love to hug. They hug each other, they hug their parents, their pets, their stuffed animals and sometimes, if you look friendly enough, their teachers.
I have two little kindergarteners this year who have taken it upon themselves to bless me with what they call the Daily Hug. Any any moment, one of the two will run to me and wrap their arms around whatever part of me is closest (this can sometimes be embarrassing with a parent volunteer in the room) and yell, "Daily Hug!" This act is unsolicited and genuine and I can always count on it (and them) to make me smile.
It made me wonder what the environment of any work place would be like if co-workers went around throwing their arms around one another yelling, "Daily Hug!" at the top of their mature lungs. A little scarey you say? Shocking? Disturbing? Unproductive? Personally, I think it would bring people closer. They would be more collaborative with one another. I mean, how can you be crappy to someone you just yelled, "Daily Hug!" to while wrapping your arms around them??? Impossible!
All the above aside, I realized that the Daily Hug makes my environment all that more interesting, fun and relaxing. My stress level, if only for a moment, dissipates and a smile comes to my face. And, let's be honest, we all need to smile more and frown less.
So, the next time your cube-mate, co-worker, boss or significant other look down in the dumps or mad as a hornet, try the Daily Hug. I guarantee you'll be the talk of workplace and might even be surprised at the responses you get.
