It is important to show affection. In other words, “let your fingers do the talking.” The type of welcome one gives their partner allows one to set the mood for interaction and conversation. The power of physical human touch lets the person know they are loved and cared about.
One can also show their love and passion by the way one looks at their partner while touching them. Physical touch goes beyond love and leads to a sense of security, according to “The Joyful Approach.”
The power of human touch can “help lessen pain, improve immune system functionality, improve pulmonary function, increase growth and development, and lower blood glucose.” This is a phenomenon that has been explored and proven in a variety of studies.
Touch is central to how people feel and think. It is essential to how people bond and communicate. It can have an amazing psychological impact on both the giver and the receiver. Touch conveys unspoken data and can have an effect on decision-making without one even being aware of it happening.
Neurologist Shekar Raman, MD explains:
A hug, pat on the back, and even a friendly handshake are processed by the reward center in the central nervous system, which is why they can have a powerful impact on the human psyche, making us feel happiness and joy.
According to modern science, when a person is touched, there are many nerve endings in the skin that sends messages back to the brain. This is how people feel things such as pain or heat.
When people touch each other, the signals sent to the brain translate into feelings of security, happiness, and comfort. These feelings are supported by a decrease in stress hormones and an increase in oxytocin, which is a hormone believed to calm one and counter stress.
The Power of Hugging
For some, especially in childhood, hugging comes naturally. However, if that natural hugging is not nurtured, children can become confused and uncomfortable with hugging. Some may even feel unworthy of a hug.
Hugging has the power to heal when people are open to giving and receiving them. Offering a hug to someone requires the strength to be vulnerable. There is a risk that the hug may be refused or misinterpreted.
Hugging benefits:
- Dispel loneliness.
- Overcome fears.
- Open doors to feelings.
- Build self-esteem.
- Slow down aging; huggers stay younger longer.
- Ease tension.
- Fight insomnia.
- Offer a healthy alternative to alcohol and drugs.
- Affirm physical being.
- Make happy days happier.
K. Ware grew up without a lot of physical touching. He was isolated for a long period of time and said it was the worst thing that anyone can go through. Human touch gave him a joy for life he had not previously experienced, and it helped him to feel loved and important.
Human interaction relies on body language. Reading this language will allow one to understand the power of human touch and use it wisely. Be open-minded; change a life, and hug a friend today.
Written by Jeanette Vietti
Sources:
The Joyful Anthology: The Power of Human Touch
WFMY News 2: Show some love through physical touch on Valentine’s Day
Greater Good Magazine: Hands On Research: The Science of Touch
Featured Image Courtesy of Dr Case’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Gonzalo Malpartida’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
