Soothe your mind through touch

It’s one of the things we missed most during the pandemic: the stroke of a hand, a kiss on the cheek, the simple act of hugging friends and family. But just why is touch so powerful? Michael Banissy explains…

Touch is vital to human connection from birth to old age, playing a role in communicating, nurturing, and helping one another. Yet, even before the pandemic, there were some reports that half a million older people in the UK can go at least five days a week without touching another person.

People living alone reported wanting more touch during the pandemic than people who were cohabiting. ‘My mental health had never been worse,’ says Jane, a university student who spent much of the pandemic-related lockdowns living away from home with two flatmates, under stay-indoors orders.

‘The lockdowns felt like existing, not living,’ she continues. ‘It’s one thing being away from family if you have friends you can meet and greet and interact with in a normal way. But, when this stopped without notification, I missed the connection with other people. Don’t get me wrong, we could still talk virtually, but I used to see my friends daily, and I missed being able to physically interact with them – to touch them. It may sound silly that not being able to simply hug a friend or laugh and put a hand on their arm mattered so much, but it really did,’ says Jane.

We know that the amount of touch we desire is a very personal thing. But adapting from a norm where touch was available, to a situation where touch was withdrawn almost overnight, was challenging for everyone.