CARE FOR HUMAN TOUCH TO INSPIRE TOGETHERNESS – POWER OF HUMAN TOUCH

These days, the pace of everyday life, more virtual connections, and the coronavirus pandemic are getting in the way of human touch and making us feel lonely and isolated. With our #CAREFORHUMANTOUCH initiative, we want to raise awareness and inspire everyone to include more human touch in everyday life!

EFFECTS OF TOUCH

What Happens to Our bodies When We Are Touched?


1

Heart rate is calmed and blood pressure normalizes


2

Symptoms of anxiety or depression are reduced


3

The level of stress hormones decreases


4

Level of feel-good hormones increases and the immune system is strengthened

“This is a traumatic time and the virus is not a game. We will still get back to physical touch once we can, because connecting through touch is in our nature.”
Prof. Tzipi Strauss

Prof. Tzipi Strauss

Specialist in pediatrics and neonatology

The Power of Touch Is Scientifically Proven

Touch Helps Ease Dementia-Related Agitation

The result of 163 studies involving nearly 25,000 patients is that multidisciplinary care, massage, and touch therapy were more effective than treating patients with traditional antipsychotic drugs.

Skin-To-Skin Touch Helps Preemies Thrive

The study offers added evidence that if a premature baby is medically stable, the age-old practice of holding the tiny child – skin to skin, heartbeat to heartbeat – might well do some good. As a survey of more than 100 previous studies, it found that overall, the skin-to-skin cradling widely known as “kangaroo mother care” may cut a premature, low-birth-weight baby’s risk of death by 36 percent.

Touch in Sports

A US ethological study coded the touch behavior of players from the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the 2008–2009 season. Consistent with hypotheses, early-season touch predicted greater performance for both individuals and teams later in the season.

DID YOU KNOW ...

EVERY SECOND PERSON

says that physical touch is not a daily occurance in their life

6 OUT OF 10

miss touch very much and want to make up for it after the crisis

3 OUT OF 4

realized during isolation how important physical touch is for their health

9 OUT OF 10

feel lonely when lacking human touch

EVERY SECOND PERSON

say that the isolation has made them feel lonelier than ever before

9 OUT OF 10

say that lack of human touch makes them feel lonely even if they have many contacts on social networks