The Pearls of Life:
101 Simple Ways to Health and Happiness
Touch
and Be Touched
Studies have
shown that gentle touch of the skin and the underlying tissue can
trigger cascades of changes in our bodies, positively affecting our
brains and hormones to make us happier and healthier.
Babies do not
develop normally if deprived of touch. An experiment on survival after a
heart attack concluded with the surprising finding that among many
non-medical factors, pet ownership and the opportunity to “pet” a pet
have the strongest positive effect on survival. The effect is even
stronger than whether or not a person is married. Even subliminal touch,
when the recipient of the touch is not consciously aware of the gentle
touch by the experimenter during the encounter, is shown to make the
recipient feel better.
Depending on your
upbringing, certain touches are more acceptable than others are. Seek
out the contact that feels comfortable to you: tender touches from a
spouse or a partner, firm and warm touches from friends, and reassuring
touches on the shoulder from someone you respect and trust.
Also, give
welcomed touches to people you know who appreciate your sharing
of personal
space. The giver of a welcomed touch appears to benefit as much as the
person receiving it does.
In addition, as
suggested earlier, petting pets brings happiness and longevity to their
owners.
You yourself can
even be a source of touch. Massage the forehead, temples, back of neck,
lower back—anywhere on your body that can appreciate the release of
tension.
Many patients come
to me for headache or neck pain. During the examination, a gentle
massage of the tense area often promptly alleviates and relieves the
pain.
There are tools
for massage as well. In Taiwan, where I come from, there are even parks
with paths paved with smooth stones where people can walk barefoot to
stimulate foot massage. I like to use a commercial foot massager when
reading at the end of the day. Some people enjoy chair massagers.
- Learn how to massage yourself and others:
Take a massage
course or learn from videos or books. Make sure that when massaging the
limbs, you always massage toward the heart, rather than away from it.
- Cultivate close
relationships. Share touches with people you are comfortable with.
- Use massagers
that make you feel good.
- Have a
professional massage.
- Enjoy a relaxing shower:
Let the warm jets
of water massage your forehead, face, back of your head, shoulders, and
back.
- Get a pet if
your circumstances allow. Be mindful of possible allergies.