How to Deal with Touch Starvation
Original image by Marco Bianchetti on Unsplash.
Because of the lack of social interaction and social distancing protocols, many people may be experiencing “touch starvation”—a lack of physical contact and affection. Here’s how to handle it when you live alone. In all cases, close your eyes and think “this feels goooooooood.”
If you have a pet, cuddle it.
This works best with furry pets such as cats and dogs, but showing affection to your gecko or snake is also an option. Use what you have!
Hug yourself.
Wrap your arms tightly around your chest and squeeze, or lie down on the floor and hug your knees to your chest.
Massage yourself.
We often don’t show ourselves enough self-care—-take a few minutes for a self massage. Apart from your back, you can easily reach pretty much every other part of your body and show them some TLC! Focus on feet, calves, and arms, as well as your face and neck. To give yourself a back massage, you can roll around on a tennis ball.
Kiss yourself.
Hug yourself with one arm and kiss your bicep. No tongue, though.
Kiss a pillow.
You probably remember doing this in middle school—or was that just us?
Kiss a celebrity.
Pull up a picture of your celebrity crush on your computer or tablet, and show them some love. Just don’t wet the screen. Magazines are another good option.
Hug your computer when video-chatting friends and family.
Sure, it’s a rectangular piece of metal, but even a virtual hug feels good. Just don’t squeeze too hard—close your eyes and imaging your “huggee” is in the room.