This word and concept keeps popping up all around us. 51% of Americans are now using some form of contactless payment. We use it at:

• The grocery store 85%
• The Pharmacy 39%
• Retail stores 38%
• Fast foods 36%
• On public transit 9%

Are you part of the 51%?

We are being told by economists that there is a consumer shift occurring leveraging contactless products.

How many of us used delivery of foods, and products during the lockdown that we normally would not have?

Pretty much this contactless shift happened due to the desire toward cleanliness. “Let’s do as much as possible without touching”, seemed to be the driving force.

Unfortunately, after 16 months of conditioning and shifting thinking, it is not only our payment methods that have become contactless.

“Social Distancing” has become a fear of close contact with other humans for way too many. It appears that we may be developing into a contactless society with nobody touching or talking closely in public.

Touch plays a very important role in human development. We are social beings and herd driven. Our brains are built to socialize. Lack of consistent human contact leads to:

• Conflict with others
• Risk of heart disease
• Risk of stroke
• Rise of blood pressure
• Depression, anxiety
• Leads to balance problems

We all want to be alone sometimes. But not all the time. We do not really want to be contactless.

Michael Bond tells us that, “When people are isolated from human contact, their mind can do truly bizarre things.”

Studies on sensory deprivation have been done as far back as the 1950’s, when word was the Chinese were using it to brainwash American POW’s in the Korean War.

In the landmark study done by Donald Herb, professor of Psychology at Montreal’s McGill University , he sought to see how sensory isolation affects human cognition. His theory, the brain would deteriorate if it didn’t have a continue stream of sensory input.

He had hoped to study his volunteers for months. Most candidates never made it a week. It was so brutal, as to the level of sensory clamps they were put through. Here though are some of their findings-

• Temporary mental impairment
• Poor performance on arithmetic, word association and pattern regcognition
• Restless, childish emotional responses
• Vivid hallucinations

He concludes, “depriving a man of sensory input will break him in days.”

His colleagues noted, “ the mind unravels when we are truly on our own. Isolation is physically bad for us.”

Here are my thoughts, dear reader- our brains have been trying to break free from the foolishness and restrictions of Covid, from the isolation, fear, worry and contactless- ness. Our brains are wired for contact, socialization, conversation and human interaction.

So let me encourage you to intentionally make plans with friends. Intentionally plan a coffee time, or lunch date, maybe a hike or long walk. Purpose to make contact with someone each week.

Let’s be gone with this contactless nonsense when it comes to our personal relationships and mental health.

We truly need each other, and maybe even a HUG.

Here’s to contact,

Debbie