A new pilot study suggests that a simple physical gesture, hugging oneself, could help university students feel more comfortable with themselves. Researchers in Vietnam trialled a brief technique combining breathing exercises, guided imagery, and self-hugging, and found a marked increase in self-acceptance among the 12 students who took part.

The technique, called the Self-Embrace Technique, was developed to support young people experiencing stress, low self-esteem, and difficulty accepting themselves. It was tested at the European International University in France, with participants recruited from a group of Vietnamese undergraduates who reported these challenges. Most were in their final year of study, and many had previously sought counselling or therapy. The findings were published in Psychreg Journal of Psychology.

Over two weeks, participants took part in four guided sessions lasting around 30 minutes each. Each session combined mindful breathing, visualisation of a compassionate inner self, gentle self-talk, and a physical self-hug, followed by brief journalling or group reflection. The approach draws on established concepts from self-compassion research, as well as the theory that touch and physical warmth may help calm the nervous system.

The results, measured using standard psychological scales before and after the programme, showed a large and statistically significant improvement in self-acceptance. Self-esteem also increased slightly, although the change was not statistically significant. Reported stress levels rose slightly, too, a pattern the researchers suggest may reflect greater emotional awareness rather than genuine distress.

In follow-up interviews, participants described feeling calmer and more forgiving towards themselves after the sessions. Several said the self-hugging exercise left them feeling physically relaxed and safe, while others spoke of rediscovering parts of themselves they had long ignored. Many said they intended to continue using the technique when life felt overwhelming, describing it as something simple they could turn to without professional support.

The study’s author noted that self-acceptance, unlike self-esteem, does not depend on achievement or approval from others, which may make it a more stable foundation for well-being. Because self-esteem tends to develop slowly over years, the author said it is unsurprising that a two-week programme did not produce a dramatic change.

The research is only a small pilot involving a dozen participants and no control group, so its findings cannot yet be generalised. The self-acceptance scale used in the study was also newly developed rather than a validated psychological measure. Even so, the results provide an early indication that brief, low-cost interventions combining mind and body could offer meaningful support for stressed and self-critical students, particularly in settings where formal mental health services are limited or difficult to access.

The researcher behind the study hopes larger, more rigorous trials will follow, potentially including physical measures such as heart rate, to better understand how a simple act of self-embrace might translate into lasting psychological change.