A key safety message currently, is to avoid touching your face. Although not enough is yet known about the coronavirus, we do know that it can travel in the large droplets generated by an infected person’s cough or sneeze. When those droplets land on a hard surface the virus can survive on those surfaces for some time. Touching a contaminated surface followed by hand-to-face contact, transfers that live virus to us.
Given that we typically touch our faces around 20 times each hour it is clear why regular hand washing is so important.
So why do we touch our faces so often? This video explains that we tend to touch certain pressure points (acupressure anybody?) on our face to calm ourselves.
So besides reforming our habits so that we keep hands clasped, what else can we do to help calm ourselves and avoid touching our face?
An acupressure alternative
A great acupressure point for calming the mind and reducing anxiety is Pericardium 6 (PC6). This point not only helps to calm us but also relieves tightness in the chest and reduces palpitations. Additionally it helps alleviate nausea. In fact travel sickness bands work by placing a magnet or small button of some kind over the PC6 point.
Instead of letting your hands fly to your face, move them to your inner arm and use your thumb or a couple of fingers to gently massage this PC6 acupressure point.
Pericardium 6 is located on the inside of the wrist, a short way toward the body and in between the two tendons that run approximately down the centre of the forearm. An easy way to find the point is to place three fingers across your wrist starting at the wrist crease, then massage the point where this line crosses between the two tendons. (Note: some people only have one of the two tendons, if this is you, locate PC6 just to the little finger side of the tendon).
So now is a great time to form a new healthy habit. As often as you can over the next few days, keep your hands clasped, avoid touching your face and instead replace that calming activity by gently massaging PC6.
Stay safe, stay well, stay home.