Hug Power
What are you looking forward to in 2016?
Let’s hope it is the state altering power of touch.
While even our touch receptors start to betray us in our 20s, diminishing by about 1% a year, our centenarians still appreciate a good, ( but gentle please) hug.
Many of your friends may have lost a spouse and that sense of touch is always missed, even if they don’t mention it. It they were warring spouses, then they were suffering from a deficit of touch even before that loss.
David Linden and Martha Thomas of AARP reported this interesting fact:
“When it comes to touch, giving can be even better than receiving: In one study, Field had a group of volunteers with an average age of 70 get massages three times a week. Then the same volunteers massaged infants in a shelter for three weeks. Both activities produced benefits, but after massaging the babies, the group reported stress hormones, took fewer trips to the doctor and had higher levels of social interactions.”
Probably why extended family contact is so good for everyone. Gramma holds the baby, she gets the power of touch, baby is more socialized, and mom gets a rest.
We used to live in a world bordered by our family and how we conducted ourselves within that group mattered a lot. And we got a lot of nurturing, physical and emotional , as well as affirmation.
In our speed of light, screen based modern lives, less local and/or involved family means less feedback, so make a conscious point in the coming year to be fearless about affection. Hug, hold hands, link arms, kiss cheeks, hey, even a chest bump or two! It will do you good.
Navigating Olderhood 