Self-Massage for Stress Relief

The mental health benefits of massage include:

 Stress reduction
 Lowered anxiety
 Decreased depression (mild to moderate)
 Increased sense of relaxation or sense of peace
 Elevated mood and increased positivity
 More energy
 Improved sleep

Massage influences the body's production of serotonin and melatonin, both of

which promote sleep. Improved sleep is essential to our health as eating,
drinking and breathing. It allows our bodies to repair and our brains to
consolidate our memories and process information, as well as playing a
significant role in maintaining both physical and mental health.

Face, neck and scalp massage

The scalp is full of pressure points that can reduce stress levels and face,
neck and scalp massage can have a positive effect on the parasympathetic
nervous system, which produces calm and relaxed feelings in the mind and
body:

Try neck stretches: drop your chin slowly to your chest for a minute or two,
then raise slowly.

For a facial/scalp massage: use acupressure points on the face while

rinsing your face with warm water in the evening. Using your thumb and index
finger, start at your inner eyebrow and gently squeeze, moving along the
eyebrow. Massage the temples either side of your head. Then give yourself a
scalp massage.

Ear massage

Your ears might not be an area you immediately associate with massage, but
gently squeezing your ear lobes can feel good. ‘A gentle pull and rub of the
ear lobes stimulates the nerve endings that lead to the release of endorphins.
 Hand massage

Your hands are hardworking and often neglected, so show them a little love
with a quick massage. The hands are extremely responsive to touch, having a
total of 17,000 touch receptors and free nerve endings in the palms.
Massaging the hands releases serotonin in the brain, which will lead to a
better night’s sleep.

Back and shoulder massage

The muscles in your upper back and shoulders can get knotted and
uncomfortable, whether you do a physical job or whether you’re hunched over
a screen all day. Releasing all of this unwanted tension with massage can
feel wonderful. Gardner recommends the following:

 To realign your spine: sit straight, lengthening the spine and

abdomen.
 To stretch the back and shoulder blades: allow your body to
lower down over your knees, head hanging and arms hanging to
either side of the legs.
 Try rotating your shoulders: use your fingers to pull up your
back and across your shoulder on both sides.
 Use your fingers: along the top of the shoulders, to find the
bunching of contracted muscle fibres.
 Ask for help: employ a family member or friend to smooth along
the shoulders and up the neck towards the base of the skull (the
occipital ridge). This will feel amazing and you can take turns.

Leg massage

Massaging your legs from top to bottom can help to improve circulation, as
well as contributing to feelings of relaxation in both body and mind.

 Starting from the top, massage your hips and thighs using the
base of your hands for deeper pressure using long, fluid strokes.
 For your calf muscles, interlace your fingers across the shin and,
using the heels of both hands either side of the head of the
muscle, move up and down, squeezing each section.