Out of Touch

Have we gone hands off for too long?

COVID criminalized touch.

Our hands carried germs, so we mastered the art of the air hug, hand-wave soap dispensers, contactless payments.

Five years later, I’m left wondering if many things that should have been temporary adaptations have instead become permanent “advancements.” And if there’s still time to course correct in small, meaningful ways.

Is our fixation with “touchless” interactions at odds with our human need for touch?

Now that I’m a Reiki practitioner, I can say with certainty that touch is powerful beyond our wildest imagination. A loving hand can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, lessen depression and anxiety, boost your immune system, and even relieve pain. I’ve had people report deeper sleep, reduced stress, and even a happier outlook after a single reiki treatment.

My own experience concurs. During a recent medical procedure, I needed an IV put into my hand. While one nurse prepared to insert it, another nurse asked if he could hold my other hand to distract and comfort me. It made a huge difference. And I felt better about the whole experience.

What can you purposefully make high touch?

I’m not here to take away your hand sanitizer. I’m here to urge you to reclaim your birthright for touch. To encourage you to seek out hugs, massage, dogs, weighted blankets — anything that eases your touch starvation. And to question whether something you’re building or making — whether a new tech product or a holiday party — can be engineered to require more human interaction instead of less.

“Untouched” is one of those words that is almost never positive. A meal untouched. A movie that left you untouched. Something that should have been a delight but missed the mark. Let’s remember that.

Until next time, remember that creativity knows no bounds.