Stress and Massage Therapy
Massage is a known antidote for stress. If you are looking for stress relief, try one of the many different types of massage therapy techniques available.
Is stress getting the better of you? Massage therapy may be the answer.
Massage Therapy Research
So much of the research on massage therapy suggests that when there is a reduction in stress levels following a massage, we in turn will feel less pain, be less depressed and anxious, less fatigued, and have less difficulty falling asleep (The Touch Research Institute).
How do you reduce stress levels?
Just Relax
It's easy to say just relax and deal with your stress, but the reality for most people is that they don't really know how, and the kind of stress we experience today is actually very different than it was years ago. It seems that stress has become a chronic condition and is literally built into the fabric of our society: rush-hour traffic, constant deadlines, sirens and loud noises, constant stimulation, financial and family pressures. Everything seems urgent. I get stressed just writing about it.
Coping With Stress
In 1998, Statistics Canada revealed that approximately one in four Canadians had difficulty coping with stress. We don't teach our children to manage stress or relax. Some of the older generations were taught that it was selfish to take care of oneself. The high incidence of drug and alcohol abuse tells us that many people self-medicate to cope with the stress in their lives.
Massage Therapy Helps Reduce Stress
The reason that massage therapy has become popularized is most likely related to the fact that stress plays such a big role in our lives, and we all seem to be looking for a way to lessen its influence on our health and quality of life.
It has been suggested that a very high percentage of visits to family physicians are for stress related problems. The Massage Therapy Association of British Columbia suggested that 67% of medical doctors in BC made referrals to massage therapists in 1996.
Stress and Your Health
How can stress cause so many health problems? When there is an increase in sympathetic nervous system activity, the end result is an increase in adrenaline, cortisol and other stress-related hormones. Stress has been shown to be very harmful to our health (The Canadian Institute of Stress).
Stress Management
So what's the solution? On an individual level, there are many things one can do. Find a good massage therapist or body worker that can help you manage your stress levels. Participate in some kind of relaxation program, whether it's walking or doing yoga or meditating on a regular basis. Take time out to turn everything off. Enjoy nature or listen to relaxing music. Have a hobby that you can really immerse yourself in. Laugh a lot and surround yourself with a good support system.
If stress is getting the better of you, it's time to stop and enjoy some of the calmer things in life, one breath at a time.
© Copyright, Sylvia Carlson 2006. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
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