Stress is a prevalent component in today’s busy world and can affect our health and well-being negatively. We all experience stress and it isn’t always bad; it’s a part of life. Stress is working when we feel excited before an important event or we hit the brakes to avoid an accident. The adrenaline boosts your heart rate and cortical boosts your blood sugar at the same time energy is diverted away from your digestive system and immune responses. This is how prehistoric humans survived to flee or fight attackers. However, the fight or flight response can cause issues if you don’t get any breaks from it and can lead to physical symptoms. Skin & Body Refinery outlines the negative affect of stress on our body and how massage can relieve it.
What Does Stress Do to Us? Physical & Psychological Effects of Stress
Symptoms of stress include headaches, increased blood pressure, chest pain, stomach upset and trouble sleeping. There are also diseases that can get worse when there’s too much stress.
1. Stress changes behavior– stress can lead to angry outbursts, eating too much or too little, increased tobacco use or drug and alcohol abuse along with social withdrawal.
2. Stress affects mood– stress can cause anxiety, anger, irritability, feelings of restlessness, sadness and depression as well as a lack of motivation and focus.
3. Stress changes your body– elevated levels of stress can change your body. There can be muscle tension or chest pain, headaches and fatigue, stomach upset and disruption in sleep patterns.
Stress Relief; How Does Massage Enhance Well Being
Any symptom of stress can be relieved from massage. Massage can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. It can also increase the production of endorphins to relax your muscles and lead to that “feel good” chemical coursing through your body. Massage increases dopamine and serotonin levels that will lead to feelings of calming relaxation and will make stress levels easier to overcome. Studies show that even one session lasting a 1 ½ hours can greatly reduce cortical and insulin levels and your heart rate. This is the reason that stress relief and massage therapy go together so well. You should always take care of yourself. If you’re not taking care of yourself then you can’t take care of anyone else. You can feel, look and be healthier when you add massage therapy to your routine and the stress relief can do wonders for your state of mind. Stress relief isn’t the only thing that massage can do for you. It can reduce levels of pain, increase your energy levels and can also improve your overall mental and physical performance. Stress relief is the best benefit from massage therapy. If you want to get healthier and improve your lifestyle, it can be a key component to getting there.
Deep Tissue, Swedish & Prenatal Massage & More in Waco, TX (Just Minutes Away from Axtell, West, Lorena, Bellmead, Woodway, Hewitt, Robinson & Crawford, Texas)
We could all use a little less stress in our lives and the position of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is that massage therapy is effective for stress relief. When you’re ready to reduce your stress levels, contact Skin & Body Refinery to schedule regular massages. We have experienced massage therapists to customize each massage to address the specific areas you need taken care of and have you ready to handle the stress that will inevitably come.
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