Consensual touch has been shown to positively impact mental wellbeing. Due to increased connection through technology, the covid-19 pandemic necessitating social distancing and a general increase in societal anxiety, we all may have noticed less touch in our lives over the past few years.

Touch facilitates and fosters connection. Newborns develop a sense of touch first. Touch prompts the release of oxytocin, a hormone with functions that support a sense of safety. It can also promote calm by slowing activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain that is responsible for processing emotions, especially fear and anxiety.

Higher scores on the Touch Deprivation scale have been linked to anxiety and depression. Touch interventions have resulted in reduced pain, reduced anxiety and reduced depression in both adults and children.

In adults, studies have shown that it makes no difference whether touch is received from a familiar source such as a family member, instead of a non-familiar source. This means that mental health benefits can be gained from receiving a massage even if that person does not have bond with you.

Some opportunities to receive touch more consistently include facials, professional hair washing and pedicures. Also, taking up partner dancing as hobby has the potential to be rewarding

People with autism can often be very sensitive to touch and therefore be touch avoidant. Brushing therapy, which involves brushing the body with a small surgical brush throughout the day can be part of a sensory therapy program. It involves using a soft, plastic sensory brush, and running it over the child’s skin with firm pressure, starting with the arms and going down to the feet, avoiding the face, chest and stomach, and typically should only take 2-3 minutes.

There are techniques to help self-soothe as well. Similar benefits can be derived from massaging yourself with your hands or elbows or brushing your skin with lymphatic drainage massage techniques. The butterfly hug technique can also be used to provide psychological relief.- Butterfly Hug Grounding Techniques , Trauma Research UK

It can be helpful to reflect on if you feel you could benefit from incorporating more touch into your life. We all have complex life experiences that contribute to how we feel about it. Touch can be part of a vital memory of being cuddled and comforted by a parent or it also can be associated with deep emotional pain. Cultural differences play a major role as well. Some cultures incorporate causal touch as part of everyday greetings more than others do. If you find that lack of wanted touch could be impacting you emotionally or find yourself avoidant of touch in a way that is bothersome to you, working with a therapist could be beneficial.