Who doesn’t like a gentle, affectionate touch that feels safe as well as calming? Well, what if we tell you that being ‘babied up’ is good for your emotional health and can actually help support your mental health. Co-regulated C touch is just that. Let’s understand what a ‘co-regulated C touch is and how you can incorporate it into an everyday practice.
What is Co-regulated C touchThis practice involves the use of light, gentle and soothing exchange of touch between two people, who can be a partner, a caregiver, a therapist or a clinician.
Co-regulation is the process when a person helps another person regulate emotions and physiology through direct interaction.- C-touch, as per psychology study reviews, means gentle, slow skin contact that activates the
C-tactile nerve fibers .
In simple words, this practice strikes C-tactile, which directly sends signals to the brain. As per Cell Press Journal, C-tactile fibres are tuned to slow stroking at skin temperature and send signals to brain regions involved in affect, attachment and body awareness rather than fast discriminative touch. Together, when a calm person uses this kind of touch to soothe someone else, that interaction is co-regulated C-touch.
Other studies have also shown that affective touch therapies can reduce symptom severity and improve body awareness in certain mental-health conditionsAlso read: US doctor lists 7 hobbies linked to reduced stress and better mental healthThe guide to perform this technique is somewhat simple, but should be consensual. It involves caressing slowly and gently. In a recently shared video, mental health influencer Jesse Katches demonstrated the same technique as a tool that can regulate emotional well-being. So, if you have a partner whose love language is physical touch, you should definitely say thank you to them because their affection may be healing you in ways you didn’t even know.Note- Co-regulated C touch may not be a one-size-fits-all. Personal history and individual differences strongly shape whether touch helps or harms. What soothes one person may distress another.
