How touch can help us cope

I wanted to talk about touch today and how it is an important tool to help us cope with the stress and anxiety that comes with social distancing, with more technology and uncertainty. I write this knowing that we are all different and that all things are a spectrum. ( I also say all of this as a true advocate of safer at home practices, wearing your masks, washing hands.)

There are so many scientific studies that show the importance of touch to human beings. With the right type of touch we communicate, we convey emotion, we can calm the nervous system and active parts of the brain that release Oxycontin, which make us feel good. According to an article in WIRED magazine it ,”elicits activation in the orbitofrontal cortex, a region of your frontal lobes that signals expected rewards of an action.” Touch is something that we all need on some level or another, even the people out there who say they aren’t “touchy-feely” people probably still need touch on some level, a handshake, only hugs from family, their favorite massage therapist. It is written in our biology to thrive from touch. When an infant is born we put them on our skin next to our heart and this simple act can bring them from the brink of collapse, it can help them gain weight, bring strength to their hearts, and warmth to their skin. We are need touch more then we need to speak. We can convey so much in one touch. So what do we do when that is limited our eliminated?

Our current situation is telling us that touch isn’t safe and that one of our most comforting tools for both our physical and mental health, touch, isn’t a good idea right now. Don’t touch the playground, don’t touch the books at the library, don’t touch other people, and in some cases don’t touch your loved ones. Or if you do touch something or someone wash it away. So we limit contact, we stay at home, we isolate. Then our minds, our bodies, our biology is telling us that what we need to comfort us is to hold your hand. I need to stay close to you, I need to hug you, I need to be there for you. We need it because it is written deep and hardwired in our nervous systems that with the right kind of touch we will be ok, we will get through whatever is throw at us. There is a real game of tug-o-war happening.

So now that things are slowly opening back up, like spring itself, our minds are racing with questions about safety, future practices, future plans, social unrest, and what should or shouldn’t I be doing? I am advocating finding a trusted form of touch right now and begin reintegrating touch back into you “safer at home diet.” Again I know that we haven’t all be completely along, we haven’t all been starved of companionship but because it is a spectrum our needs are different and our desires are different. Perhaps you are a stay at home mom of four kids, who obviously isn’t alone, who gets touched nonstop by little hands all day but what you really need is a massage to calm you nerves and a quiet space. Perhaps you are an athlete who can’t train with your team so there are no slaps on the back and no high fives. Maybe you are a single man who lives alone, doesn’t have family here, no kids and now no social outlet and feeling alone. Or you could be a business owner faced with the notion that this is make it or break it time and the stress is weighing heavy. In all situations a little therapeutic touch may just be the trick to come into a new world with more mental stability, clarity and strength.

For some this may mean going to an acupuncture visit, getting a massage, a haircut (yes this is touch) meeting with a trusted friend, a chiropractic adjustment. So seek out someone who is using safe practices (cleaning thoroughly , hand washing, mask wearing, etc.) and get back into the world of touch.

If you are interested in easing back into the touch with me please call, email or schedule online. We can chat about your stresses, anxieties and fears about getting back into self care. I will be happy to answer your questions about what I am doing to ensure your safety.

Hugs, handshakes, & pats on the back

Serena