Welcome to the Guardian’s Power of Touch series

Stories and poems full of loss, longing and tenderness

The power of touch: having sex with another woman shook my brain and restarted my heart

I had known her for a month or so, and ending up in bed seemed inevitable. The experience elevated touch to a whole new level

Lockdown has been a bumpy ride towards rediscovering the joy of our marriage

I looked forward to spending more time with my wife – but it took a while before romance found its way back in

I like the sound of my own voice – but does that make me a narcissist?

Millennials are said to be more narcissistic than any other cohort of society. A self-confessed self-obsessive works out whether that’s a problem

​Lockdown is straining so many relationships. ​A lot of people need help

Romantic and family ties are facing new kinds of challenges. Maybe there’s something the state can do, says Observer chief leader writer Sonia Sodha

‘There’s enormous screenshotting going on’: how Covid-19 changed the way we gossip

With most of Australia in some kind of lockdown, one might assume there’s little left to whisper about. But while the topics have changed, we’re still hungry for gossip

Touch saved me from loneliness. What will we become without it?

Touch is essential to our wellbeing, from the time we are babies. It’s how we transmit meaning, care, love and community. Our sudden loss of it has been agonising

Self-love in isolation: ‘I hope people are using this time to explore their sexuality’

Sex toy sales have spiked during the Covid-19 lockdown. For those curious about buying into the trend, experts advise how to get yourself started

I am extremely attracted to my brother-in-law – and now we’re locked down together

My family is house-sharing with my husband’s brother during the pandemic. I’m worried our mutual attraction could go too far

My wife is in China, I’m in the US: should I brave coronavirus to fly home?

Travel jeopardises strangers, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Now is the time to think of people you’ve never met