By: Anuradha
When was the last time you gave your mom a morning kiss? Or hugged your sister when she was crying? Perhaps, you would have shown your love to them by these sorts of gestures even today. you might even be someone who doesn’t like much to be touched by others or to touch them. so, you might not have done these in years. But, do you know that physical touch is really important and it can change someone’s attitude about you in a drastic way?
We live at a time where we generally think that kissing someone or patting them is not normal. Most people are really concerned about how other people approach them and therefore, we try to limit our movements as those friendly gestures can be interpreted in the wrong way. But, it was revealed that physical touch contributes a lot in maintaining our overall health and that is why it is important to know about this.
It’s hurting us.
Physical touch has a direct influence on our mental health. When you are not given any friendly touch by your loved ones, you can feel depressed, isolated or anxious. Even a gentle pat on the shoulder can mean a lot for the person in the receiving end and a study conducted by University College of London has found that gentle touches can help people feel more socially included.
Human touch is vital when maintaining relationships. Princess Diana was the first celebrity who shake hands with a person suffering from AIDS. By that, she showed it is okay to touch people with AIDS and that it is important to show them kindness and love.
People are being warned against it.
However, physical touch has created a lot of arguments in society. There are foster parents who are afraid to hug their foster kids and doctors who are warned that they could be sued for comforting a patient by hugging them. we are living at an age, where we are being told to mind our business as even a friendly gesture can be interpreted in the wrong way if shown to the wrong person. With the increasing crime reports, people are afraid even if they happened to brush against someone’s shoulder accidentally and this situation is not really normal.
We are desperate for companionship.
Despite all these, people are really looking for love and affection. A hug or a kiss from a loved one will mean a lot and that is why people have even been compelled to hire professional cuddlers, people whom you can hire to hug and cuddle you.
There is a business running such as a Cuddle Up To Me retail center where you can select from an option on a cuddle menu. There are also machines invented to fulfill this need. Recently, Japan invented the machine called Tranquillity Chair which has soft arms to wrap the person sitting on it.
Instead of making people safer and more comfortable, lack of touch has created a generation with an emotional void and we all should learn to show our love to the people around us. The world would be much beautiful with love and affection and please don’t hesitate to show your love next time!