Having a pet boosts your well-being.

Spending time with a furry friend lowers blood pressure, relieves stress disorders and combats loneliness. It even ups your odds of surviving a heart attack, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study.

Researchers found that 28 percent of heart patients with pets survived serious heart attacks, compared to only six percent of heart patients without pets.

Hugging others stops stress.

The simple act of hugging helps dramatically lower blood pressure and boost blood levels of oxytocin, a relaxation hormone, report doctors at the University of North Carolina. Hug it out!

Being connected to friends and family helps fight cancer.

University of Iowa researchers have discovered that ovarian cancer patients who had satisfying relationships and a strong sense of connection to others had more vigorous "natural killer" white blood cells at the site of their tumor than those who didn’t feel as close with others.