Massage Therapy for Stress Relief

Ahhhh. I've always wanted to go to a spa and receive a real massage. More than just for my relaxation and pleasure, a massage can be used to reduce my stress levels for 26 weeks or more according to Tessa Graf of my Apeiron experience. Just one massage session can reduce self-reported anxiety by incredible numbers! Massages consist of manipulation of the soft tissue. It can improve circulation, relaxation, overall well-being, and pain reduction. According to Graf, the people who can best benefit from massage therapy are those with chronic pain due to stress. I definitely fall into that category because I get headaches and tight, painful knots in my shoulders and neck from stress.

Since I don't have a lot of experience with massage, I wanted to give you another resource page that gives several techniques for stress relief. The results are listed below, so please visit the page and try them on yourself or someone you know! I will definitely be utilizing these techniques with finals coming up. Click on the link below to try them with me!

Massage Therapy for Stress Relief and Much More by Susan Seliger

• Relieve Tired Eyes
• Ease Headaches and Tension
• Relax the Hands (especially after typing all day...or night)
• Relieve Neck Tension
• Loosen Tight Shoulders
• Release the Lower Back
• Soothe Tired Feet

Picture from http://cubiclebot.com/comics/a-different-kind-of-foot-massage/

Why You Can Make Art and Get Massages for Stress Relief

This weekend was the Apeiron research presentation day at my university. At this event, students present research or practicums they have completed over the year for other students, faculty, and community members. Tessa Graf, a psychology student, completed research over Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies (CAM) for stress reduction and I was so intrigued by what she discovered.

Did you know 43% of adults feel like they aren't managing their stress, and 54% of college students report feeling overwhelming anxiety? You could use pills and medicines to reduce these ailments, but for those of us who are hesitant to try or who have tried and not been successful with pills, there are alternative therapies that could prove to be more successful than the pharmaceutical route.

In the next few blog posts, I will be outlining the therapies Graf researched. I think it is so important to look seriously at alternative therapies because many of them are free! Below is a list of alternative therapies to research for yourself...it might be worth it!

• Stress and relaxation techniques
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Acupuncture
• Kava
• Homeopathic or naturopathic medicine
• Dietary supplements or herbal products
• Massage therapy
• Art, music, or dance therapy
• Meditation, prayer, or pastoral counseling, including mindfulness
• Bioelectromagnetic therapies

*This list was adapted from a post by the American Anxiety and Depression Association of America