Our bodies are doing things that we haven’t evolved to do. More and more we are spending our days sitting indoors, looking at a screen. We evolved to be hunter gatherers deeply connected to living with others and spending time out of doors. When we are separated from our connection to others and the land we have evolved to roam this elicits a stress response within our bodies. Our primitive brain registers this discomfort as a threat, so on a cellular level we feel that we are in a hostile environment and readies the chemicals that prepare ourselves for survival. Touch is simple form of connection to others. It can soothe us, help us feel more connected and able to pause and reflect. This gives our body a chance to re-balance and come out of the fight or flight mode which leads us to being burnt out if we are experiencing chronic stress.
