The pandemic has made it harder, quite literally, to keep in touch with our loved ones. The lack of physical touch has been detrimental to our emotional health, according to research from NTU. A touch activates the part of the brain that links to a person’s emotion and can alleviate someone’s pain. The next time you see a friend in need of comfort, a hand on his shoulder might help more than you think.

This story was published in the Aug-Sep 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.