Touch & Its Effects On Our Everyday Health
Since tender ages, we have expressed our love, gratitude, and feelings through touching gestures like kissing and hugging. We have also used our ability to touch as a method of comfort, support, and love. Did you know these simple expressions have an impact on your health for a positive benefit? What might those be? Stay tuned as we take a deeper dive into touching gestures that impact your health.
Why Is Touch Is So Important?
Humans are special beings we always have been. We don’t like being alone or the feeling of being alone and we don’t like to feel unloved. Besides just words, we use our touches and sense to help relay what we are feeling. By the impact of touch, we are able to create connection and also establish hierarchies. It is important to note that touching gestures are more intimate and you can’t just act on your emotions each time. Building up a relationship to the point that you can touch takes time such as meeting someone for the first time with a handshake compared to getting to know someone and embracing them with a hug.
How Does Touch Affect Us?
Touch can produce positive health effects as well as some negative effects according to a study in Finland. Touching can intensify any emotions whether its pleasant, fear, sadness, or anger. The way someone is affected by touch is also different between cultures and can bring about different emotions based on where you are. Touching activates parts of our brains that controls the reaction and processing, which can be a reason for its importance in human interaction. For instance when reassuring someone in America simply giving them a hug can send the thoughts of protection, affection, and comfort to someone in a rough place compared to words without action behind them.
Health Benefits
Touch can bring in many health benefits such as hugs tend to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Through touch, people can relieve physical pain such as a back rub or massage. As in the early example, hugs can help calm people and deliver a nice sense of comfort to the brain. It also helps develop positive thinking, reduces anxiety and stress and can even boost your immune system. With these types of benefits, what is stopping you from giving someone you love a nice hug!