When you are feeling stressed out, a good massage can help you become more relaxed. Beyond the physical relaxation you experience from a good massage, allowing your muscles to relieve tension, massage also helps improve your overall mood. People who are stressed out often have a high level of cortisol in their system. When you get a massage, cortisol levels are reduced, lowering your flight-or-fight response that occurs in an emergency. In addition, your feel good neurotransmitters are released, allowing your body and mind to feel more relaxed. You have a physiological response to massage that tells your body and mind that you don't need to be afraid and can relax instead.
Understanding Feel Good Neurotransmitters
A massage improves your mood because it helps to increase your levels of serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. For people who struggle with depression, medication to increase serotonin is often used to help reduce the severity of symptoms. Massage releases serotonin naturally, improving feelings of anxiety and depression. In addition, dopamine levels can rise after a massage. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps you focus, improves your ability to learn, and helps you better regulate your mood. Oxytocin is often called the love hormone, and you have high levels of oxytocin when you are falling in love. Endorphins are often released during exercise, which is why you feel relaxed after a good workout.
Why Massage Improves Your Mood
For people who are stressed, touch can be great for relaxation. Massage helps you regulate your responses to any situation in your life. You often have more clarity after a massage. If you have been feeling tense and you carry the tension in your shoulders, you may discover that you are in less overall pain after a massage. Beyond the reduction of stress hormones and increase in feel good neurotransmitters, massage helps you move easier and with less pain.
When You Need to Relax
If you are struggling to relax and find yourself overreacting to even the smallest of issues, a good massage can have a big impact. Just like deep breathing and meditation, massage gives you the time and space you need to let your body and mind unwind and take a break from the world around you.
Massage has a physiological effect on the body and mind that relaxes you and improves your well-being. When you are in need of some stress reduction, it's time for some self-care and a massage. For more information, visit sites like http://www.davidson-chiropractic.com.
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