Time for a Reboot? Get a Massage
Without even being aware of it, our deadlines, work and home demands and even our socializing can take over our lives and fill every nook and cranny of our time schedule. As we strive to keep up with our obligations, the stress and tension can begin to translate into debilitating symptoms that we might ignore and just push through. However, those lower back pains, achy shoulders, sore necks and stiff joints can get progressively more frequent and persistent until we can no longer adapt but begin to be affected by the discomfort.
Additionally, our normal capacity to cope and manage our stressors can break down and keep us feeling out of sorts. Suddenly, we are having daily experiences of annoyance, crankiness and impatience with the people we work with and with our loved ones. We might also begin to mindlessly graze on unhealthy foods and suddenly notice that we are continually feeling exhausted.
Think about your computer when the hard drive is overloaded. The programs slow down, there are lag times in responding and sometimes displays are unexpectedly distorted. Just like that full hard drive, when we are in overwhelm, we can become overloaded with data and clogged with so many demands that we slow down and our efficiency and response times can lag. Things don’t flow smoothly, our mental clutter can rob us of our ability to think clearly, and we can be left feeling utterly out of control.
All that stress can take a toll on the body too. Blood circulation becomes restricted which reduces the supply of nutrients to organs and tissues. The fascia (connective tissue) throughout the body begins to seize up as it becomes increasingly dense and less mobile. Chronic stress and tension can also affect the function of hormones and biochemical systems in the body leading to reduced concentration, inability to focus and many other neurological problems that inhibits mental sharpness.
In the electronic world, when a device acts up and refuses to work the way it was intended, one of the first ‘fixes’ we learn is to do is unplug it, wait a minute and plug it back in. Nine times out of ten, just like magic, everything starts to operate properly again.
There is a similar reboot process in the world of your mind and body and it is massage. Massage therapy isn’t called ‘therapy’ for no reason. It is the medicine that helps encourage the body and mind to return to its natural state of balance. By allowing yourself to unplug during a massage session, you are offering your body and mind a chance to clear away the clutter and reboot.
Massage therapy can:
- Alleviate anxiety
- Relieve pain by interrupting the pain loop in the body
- Soothe tension headaches with trigger point massage
- Restore deep healing sleep
- Naturally reduce depression
Some time on the massage table under the loving care of a remedial massage therapist is your ‘power off’ button that resets your thoughts, slows your pulse, regulates your breathing, and recharges your mind. It restores the clear communication between brain, nervous system and muscles.
Perhaps it is time to take a moment to check in with your state of wellbeing – to wake up to the chronic pains, aches and stressed and exhausted mood you have unknowingly adapted to in your life. Your reboot and reset can be as close as a massage table.
To your wellbeing and inner peace,
John