Mental Health and Massage

Mental Health and Massage

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to share resources and stories in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic. Lets end the stigma!

Mental Health and Massage

Some people joke that they’re getting massage to help keep their sanity, but there is some truth to that statement. Massages are great for mental health in many ways! They’re positively a great tool to have in your tool box for when things get tough in your world.

  1. Massage helps with insomnia
    There is nothing worse than not being able to get to sleep at night. If getting a massage just so you can fall asleep isn’t a good enough reason to get a massage we don’t know what is. How does it work? Different techniques in massage have been shown in research to help to reduce stress which leads to increased levels of serotonin, which in turn helps you to relax so you can fall asleep more easily.
  2. Massage stimulates production of feel-good hormones that help to alleviate depression
    When dealing with depression, getting out of bed in the morning can seem impossible. Studies show a high correlation between massage therapy and alleviation of depressive symptoms. Massage has been found to affect body chemistry, increasing serotonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters that are involved with depression.
  3. Massage increases energy
    Massage helps to increase circulation, which helps to remove toxins leaving your body feeling more energized.
  4. Regular Massage soothes anxiety
    If you are anxious, the simple idea of laying, trapped on a massage table for an hour with your thoughts may seem like a personal hell but we promise, massage helps anxiety! Massage helps to reduce built up stress in your body that leads to everyday anxiety. Massage has also been proven to reduce the levels of cortisol, which is the stress hormone, by up to 30 percent! This helps your body’s ability to fight off anxiety. Massage also offers a safe space away from your anxiety and personal triggers.
  5. Massage improves concentration
    When yo’re tight and tense in your shoulders, your body is pushing blood flow to that part of your body instead of your brain. When you get a massage a loosen up those muscles in your shoulders, the blood is readily able to flow to your brain, improving your overall concentration.

Next time you go to book a massage, remember you’re doing it for your mental health as well as you over all health and wellness!