My husband was out of town for a few days on business, then tested positive for covid the day after he came home. Then everyone else in the house got it, except me. (Though I did not take massage appointments while my family was in isolation.)
After my second negative test, and several days after his last symptoms, I decided I’d had enough of wearing a mask around the house, eating on the patio, and sleeping on the couch. I slept in the real bed last night, right next to my husband. Cuddling up to him felt like a drink of water on a hot day.
It made me think about how touch-starved we are. Before covid, we were not a particularly affectionate culture; then we went into lockdown, stopped shaking hands, and put up barriers to separate us from one another.
We are social animals. Without loving touch, infants fail to thrive. Mental health degrades. Aggressive behaviors increase. How much of the antisocial behavior we are seeing these days is rooted in a lack of touch over the past two years?
Clearly, there are ways that we touch one another that cannot be substituted; however, professional massage therapy can help to bridge the gap when our modern lives leave us touch-deprived. Touch is one of my favorite parts of my work.
Has global pandemic left you touch-starved? I invite you to find ways to touch someone every day, by hugging or shaking hands with friends or family. Cuddle up on the couch when you’re streaming a movie. Young children often welcome the opportunity to sit on a lap (particularly when they are NOT pressured to by others around them). You can also share touch with companion animals.
Massage therapy can be one of your sources of nurturing touch. I love to be part of a person’s touch life; I hope it is not the only touch a person receives. If you feel that massage might be a good addition to your touch experience, please book an appointment. I look forward to touching you.
For more on the importance of touch, here’s a good interview with Tiffany Field, who is perhaps the most prominent scientist researching the importance of touch today.
Rachel Creager Ireland, LMT 