Touch Is Not a Luxury, It’s a Basic Need

Touch from the very beginning of life

Humans are social beings. We have a deep need not only to be part of a community, but also for physical touch. Touch is one of the first senses to develop, and one of the most important for emotional well-being, the regulation of the nervous system and intimacy. From the very start of life, the human body is able to receive touch and respond to it. That is why touch is often called “the mother of all senses”.

A great deal of research explores the role touch plays in our lives… or the role its absence plays.

Without touch, we wither

In our fast-paced world, a technology-centred lifestyle and isolation leave us increasingly exposed to stress and anxiety, and we struggle to regulate our emotions far more often.

Technology, city life, isolation, the spread of remote work and cultural taboos around touch have all contributed to us drifting further apart from one another and losing contact with our own bodies.

Yet if we do not receive enough touch, it can seriously harm our health: researchers have found a link between a lack of touch and anxiety, depression and stress.

Even though we know how important it is, many people sadly suffer from touch deprivation, also known as skin hunger. This state, caused by a lack of meaningful physical contact, is marked by emotional and physical distress.

The physical benefits of touch

Physical touch activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs rest, digestion and recovery. Safe, caring touch helps calm the brain’s alarm centre and stimulates the release of oxytocin, the hormone linked to trust, bonding and emotional security.

Touch calms our nervous system, slows our heart rate and lowers blood pressure as well as levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. It also promotes the release of oxytocin, which strengthens our emotional bonds with others. It can even reduce pain!

Touch is not a luxury, it is a biological need

When someone holds your hand, you calm down; when someone hugs you, built-up tension slowly begins to melt away.

Dutch researchers found that, for mental health, a long massage can be just as effective as a friendly hug. Frequency matters too, of course: you cannot “stock up” on touch all at once – regularity is essential for our mental well-being.

Healing through massage

Just as trauma is stored in the body, so is the potential for healing. Touch can help us feel safe and at home in our own bodies again. Regular touch-based therapy supports emotional regulation and overall psychological well-being.

Massage can heal through touch, supporting body and mind by reducing stress, easing muscle tension and improving circulation.

Massage helps lower stress hormone levels while boosting the production of feel-good compounds such as serotonin and dopamine.

By regulating the autonomic nervous system, it slows the pulse and can help improve the quality of your sleep.

Sometimes a single hug, a gentle touch or a good massage can give more than a thousand reassuring words.

Thai massage at Goldfingers in Vienna

At Goldfingers, you can enjoy traditional Thai massage just as it is done in Thailand: our therapists work with calm, mindful movements that release tension and let your whole body come to rest. Besides classic Thai massage, we also offer oil and leg massages as well as couples and four-hands massages – from 30 to 90 minutes.

You will find us in two salons: at Siebensterngasse 25 in the 7th district and at Landstraßer Hauptstraße 104 in the 3rd district. We are open daily from 9 am to 10 pm. Treat yourself to this break regularly – your body and soul will thank you.