Getting in 'touch': How physical contact can impact your well-being
Lack of touch has been linked to weakened immune systems, anxiety and loneliness
The pandemic has required a lot of separation and distance from others. There's been fewer hugs, handshakes, kisses and cuddles.
Touch can have a big impact on your physical and mental well-being: research has linked a lack of touch to weakened immune systems, anxiety, and loneliness.
That's why — for the third part of our 'Get Well' series — we're focusing on people who know the true power of touch.
Emma Janssen and Pablo Perez are known as the Cuddle Couple, and their goal is to provide a safe space for people to practice "cuddle therapy." Hear from Emma, Pablo and one of their clients, Kazherin Munoz, about how non-sexual cuddling can play a part in your mental health.
As much as parents adore their children, the sustained physical contact that comes with parenting can lead to feeling "touched out." It's a difficult thing to talk about and admit — but four brave mothers are creating space for the conversation.
Now or Never listeners share their heartfelt stories of the hugs they'll never forget.
While climbing, 79-year-old rock climber Myra Rodrigues relies on her sense of touch more than most. Hear how this visually-impaired athlete connects with nature through her fingertips.
Julie Jolicoeur knows first-hand the impact her therapy dog Isaac can have. Every week, she brings Isaac to Ottawa's Ronald McDonald House — but this week is special, because Isaac is saying goodbye to a special young patient named Darby.
Does the phrase "skin hunger" mean anything to you? At the beginning of the pandemic, Lara Ceroni went nearly three months without human contact — which was a challenge for the admittedly "touchy-feely" writer.
When Andrew Terhoch goes out for a walk with his friend Kalvin Kristjansson, who lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, people will just walk up and touch Kalvin without a second thought. That's part of what inspired the pair to give workshops on "mindful touch" for care workers.
This episode originally aired in February 2022.