Stress Management: Lower Your Stress with Massage Therapy

Stress just seems to be part of our lives like eating and breathing. There are more demands placed on us over shorter time periods than perhaps ever in the history of mankind. In the days of old, stress was usually from physical danger. If you were a pioneer for example, then the seeing of indians would definitely cause stress as the pioneer surely feared physical harm. This type of stress is called the flight or fight reaction. However, in modern times most of our stress is mental and not physical. Yet our bodies have the same reaction to mental stress as they do to physical stress.

When we come under stress our bodies prepare us for action in the following ways: Adrenaline is released to boost the energy and strength of the body. This increases our heart rate and breathing. Our major organs will direct their efforts to only those that immediately serve supporting physical action. This adrenaline rush causes us to feel tension and perhaps nervous as we anticipate taking some type of action. There is a great release of chemicals and a redirection of bodily activity to support our reaction to stress.

You know when you have a big meeting, you have a nervous reaction which is similar to the fight or flight reaction. Part of your stress management is to redirect this nervous energy into helping you perform better in the meeting. This takes discipline and training. Many top athletes are able to channel this nervous energy into higher levels of performance. But again with athletic performance there is a physical release of this built up energy.

When we are under stress, our bodies are primed for taking physical action. When we take physical action, then we are releasing out the increased energy out our bodies physically. If we do not have a physical outlet, one excellent method is massage therapy. Massage therapy helps loosen up muscle tension, it releases toxins trapped in our muscle tissue and it helps us to mentally relax. Some massage treatments also can reverse the tension in the major organs via the trigger points in our hands and feet.

A very convenient alternative to going to a massage therapist is a massage chair recliner. These advanced massage recliners have massage therapies ranging from deep tissue, Shiatsu, sports massage, Swedish and many others. There are various benefits to each massage type and each may focus on particular benefits. They will all help relieve discomfort and tension. They all help your mind to relax. These treatments enhance the flow of the lymph system and the blood. Both of these systems filter out chemicals that build up in the body.

Massage cannot eliminate the causes of stress. Stress comes in many forms and individuals all respond differently to them. However, massage therapy can be an essential tool in stress management. Especially massage chairs which offer unprecedented convenience and availability. These massage chairs offer full body massage capability. They can massage from head to toe. Many advanced massage chairs have stretching capabilities to elongate and relax the lower body. They also may have built in music players which help take your mind off the mental stresses impacting you.

Stress management is about having the right set of tools to effectively redirect, neutralize and release the affects of stress. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to sit down in a massage recliner. Let it start to ease your aches and pains. Release the build up of tension in the shoulder and neck areas. Take your mind off the stressful situation for 15 or 20 minutes. Give you a chance to regroup, rethink your situation with a fresh mind and body. A massage chair recliner can be a very effective and convenient tool in your stress management tool box.