5 Reasons You’ll Benefit from Adding Massage into Your Self-Care Routine

When you feel your best, you perform at your best. You’re much more likely to be the partner, friend, employee, business owner, or parent you want to be when your mind’s at ease and your body’s energized.

But if you already have a long to-do list, integrating self-care into your routine can feel like just another task to check off. It can be overwhelming. The good news is that a self-care routine doesn’t have to be dreadful. It can be something you look forward to while also improving your overall health. 

And I know, a massage may sound like a fancy treat. But what many people don’t realize is how a massage can add more time into your days. Massages improve your physical and mental wellbeing so you can focus better and be more productive. 

And the best part? You don’t have to wait to see a massage therapist to get one. 

There are many simple self-massage techniques you can do as part of your daily routine. These can bring as much relief as feeling the knots in your back melt away under the hands of a professional therapist. We go over a few of these techniques in every Stress Management Class.

Whether you opt for a self-massage or go to a licensed massage therapist, regular massages are an extremely beneficial tool in your self-care arsenal. Here are 5 reasons why.

1) Massage Reduces Stress by Lowering Cortisol Levels

If you find yourself feeling stressed frequently, you’re not alone. In 2021, nearly 75% of Americans report feeling moderate to high-stress levels. Taking care of your mental health through practices like meditation and mindfulness is the first step to reducing stress. 

But another effective way to relieve stress is to promote relaxation in your body. Getting a massage doesn’t just bring relief to your muscles and tendons. It also has an effect on the neurochemicals in your brain. 

The International Journal of Neuroscience reports that massage has been shown to decrease the stress hormone cortisol by 31%. Cortisol is a hormone that prepares your body for action. It’s part of the fight, flight, or freeze response that’s built-in to help you survive. 

When you constantly have cortisol running through your system, you feel like you can’t relax. This feeling prevents your body’s systems and organs from running optimally. A massage helps you flush this cortisol out and instead replace it with feel-good hormones. 

2) Boost Motivation and Feel-Good Hormones

Relaxing activities naturally make you feel good as you break away from the demands of daily life. But we rarely think that relaxing and being pampered by a massage therapist can improve our productivity and mental well-being too!

In addition to decreasing stress hormones, massage has been shown to increase the levels of the energizing hormone dopamine by 31%. Dopamine gets us to take actions that will either help us achieve a goal or avoid a threat. 

When you’re already excited about a project or a goal you’re working towards, a burst of dopamine can give you the boost needed to get it done - finally.

And when it comes to cultivating positive feelings like peace, calm, or fulfillment – massage boosts the feel-good hormone serotonin by 28%. When you come out of the massage room glowing, you can’t help but share that happy energy with others. This type of energy improves your relationships because your communication comes from an authentic and joyful place.

Inspire yourself and others to Grow and Glow with our Unisex Motivational T-Shirt, featuring a beautiful illustration of seedlings growing into stunning flowering plants and fruits. Motivate and boost the morale of everyone you encounter!

3) Sleep Better So You Can Fully Enjoy Your Days

We all know the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Making the most of your moments of rest is as important as being efficient during your on-the-go periods. But with a racing mind and a tired body, getting the sleep you need can be a challenge.

When you treat your body with a massage, you boost your odds of sleeping peacefully through the night. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage therapy has been shown to improve sleep in adults, children, and those with chronic pain or illness.

Getting a full night’s rest allows your body to do what it needs to replenish its reserves and heal wounds. Excellent sleep can also boost your immunity so that you’re less susceptible to colds, viruses, or other things that could drain your energy. As you awaken feeling rejuvenated and refreshed, you have the energy to enjoy your day with less stress, anxiety, or irritability.

4) Clear Your Mind and Improve Focus

When your body’s constricted, your mind can’t relax. Tension in your muscles or even slight aches can be extremely distracting when working on something important. Go ahead and try it out for yourself.  

Is there any particular part of your body that feels tense right now? When you bring attention to that spot, can you focus on doing other complex tasks?

Probably not. 

Just as it can be hard to properly focus on your work while your back is aching, it’s also hard for your brain to stay focused if you’re carrying tension in your muscles. By releasing tension in the body, you’re giving your mind a signal that it’s ok to slow down. 

This is a feedback loop that also works the other way around. When you release tension in the mind through practices such as meditation or mindfulness, you give your brain the signal that allows the muscles to relax. 

As your body relaxes, so does your mind. Practices like mindfulness open up the pathways to process new information more fully rather than re-hashing old or limiting stories in your mind that keep you stuck in stress and worry.

5) Be More Present and In Tune With Your Body’s Needs

We don’t notice how often throughout the day we lose touch with our bodies. Even if you work with your hands, you may notice that you spend most of your time in your head. Paying attention to mental chatter means we’re disconnected from what it feels like to simply be present and alive right now.

Because a massage is a full-sensory experience, it brings you back into the present moment. You feel the soft touch of the massage therapists’ hands on your back. You notice the pressure applied by your own fingers as you do a self-massage. You smell the essential oils or lotion as it glides over your body.

As you experience these sensations, you temporarily suspend the ruminating – and often negative – mind. You shift your focus away from disempowering thoughts. You notice the emotions or physical sensations that your body’s sending you. These are often signs that something may need to be attended to. When you listen to these signs, you’re taking the important step of looking after yourself instead of just using massage as a quick fix. 

The Road to Lasting Wellness Begins With Self-care

Self-care is all about refueling your mind and body so you can handle whatever comes your way without the stress and overwhelm. Thanks to making massage or self-massage a regular part of your self-care practice, you can stop the yo-yo effect of maximum productivity to then feeling burnt out. 

Interested in an absolutely AMAZING massage therapy gun? Check out the Deep Tissue Massage Therapy Gun in the Pure Life Energy Amazon Store.

Ready to learn simple self-massage techniques that can help you find relief even in the midst of your busy day? Click Here to see if a Stress Management Class is right for you!

Show off your love for massage therapy with the “Every Body Needs to be Kneaded” T-shirt!