Living Alone, Healthy Touch and Emotional Needs

This past week I had the wonderful opportunity to treat two clients that live alone. Some were older, some in their twenties, some guys and gals.

In November of 2023 a survey showed that 38.1 million people in the United States were categorized as “single person households” and the numbers are rising each year. (statista.com)

Important note: living alone doesn’t always mean being lonely. 

Equally important, human beings are social creatures. We need healthy, compassionate touch in order to fulfill a basic emotional need to increase the quality of our lives. 

Here’s a list of some people that may live solo : a young professional living in a town or city in their 20’s and 30’s. A retired individual in their 70’s. A single parent with a child in college.

For many people that live alone, the benefits of getting massage can be multi-faceted. Aside from working out tension and pain it can also provide the need for compassionate ,human touch.

Some people enjoy the autonomy and peace that comes with living alone and do so by choice. But the need for touch is fundamental.

The scientific journal Nature recently published an analysis on April 2024 that states

“The sense of touch has immense importance for many aspects of our life. It is the first of all the senses to develop in newborns and the most direct experience of contact with our physical and social environment. Complementing our own touch experience, we also regularly receive touch from others around us, for example, through consensual hugs, kisses or massages.“

As robotic technology increases, I’m occasionally asked about the future of this industry. While I support the use of massage machines for home care; human touch given in a caring way will never be something that goes out of style.

Actually, I predict that the Information Age that has become a staple in society will also create a strong social need for increased human interaction.

Professional touch services will become more popular than ever.

While massage is a profession and boundaries should be set in place for ethical purposes; many therapists genuinely enjoy meeting and caring for their clients.

Massage is a personal service and the power of respectful touch comforts the soul, even in a professional setting.

So, if you live alone here’s a friendly nudge to take time to assess your need for caring human touch.

Here is a list (other than massage) to inspire you to nurture healthy interactions with others in your life.

Hugging, holding hands, a pat on the back, high fives, cuddling or a kiss on the cheek.

In massage or any other professional service I am not including sexual intimacy at all. That is not appropriate but receiving positive affection is healthy. Healthine.com has an article featuring affection as #1 on their emotional needs list. 

(Disclaimer: make sure you are always comfortable receiving touch from someone and be respectful of how you give touch as well!) 

In conclusion, massage therapy can be a beneficial way for people to receive positive touch in their lives.