The Nourishment of Physical Touch During Lockdown

We are all in different circumstances during the lockdown. One thing which can be really difficult to deal with is living alone and being unable to see people in person, and have physical contact. 

Consider generally before lockdown how much being physically close to people, greeting, hugging, touching someone on the arm while chatting may have been a general part of your life. The imposition of a new way of life as regards this may be affecting us in a way we don't necessarily notice. If we live alone and communicate with people only on the phone or internet or if we do have someone with us at home and are finding tensions between us are keeping us from physical contact. 

Of course communication on the internet or phone is very important and its really great that we have this. 

I know I may be stating the obvious. We know that human touch is helpful for maintaining our sense of self and mental health. It is something which is having to take second place to our safety and our managing of the global health crisis but let’s see what we can do to recognise this and nourish ourselves with physical touch.

Imagination, recall and visualisation is something which can switch on and satisfy the parts of our brain which are really nourished by human touch. 

We can take time to think of the people we are (or have been) close to in our life who may not be with us. Or maybe people we would like to have been close to.  We can think of having a long hug or of giving them a jovial slap on the back.  We can imagine holding their hand and looking into their eyes… or lying on the grass with them and looking into the sky and having a good laugh with them.  We can remember of melting into their loving arms. 

Another thing we can do is to give ourselves a massage on our arms, face or the whole body, daily or a couple of times a week. 

It’s worth trying to do whatever we can to notice and nourish ourselves and our needs in these changing times.