April is Stress Awareness Month

Stress Awareness Month is an annual event in the UK observed every April. It is dedicated to increasing public awareness about the causes and cures of stress. Following is a brief description of some of the different types of stress that we may encounter in our lives.

There are two categories of stress: acute and chronic. Acute stress is short-term and goes away quickly. Examples of stressors include slamming on the brakes whilst driving, working towards a deadline, or fighting a partner. Chronic stress lasts for a longer time. Examples of stressors are financial troubles, an unhappy marriage, or significant health issues. Often the body becomes used to chronic stress and you do not realise that there is a problem.

Stress may take different forms. These include physical, emotional, and mental/psychological. Examples of signs of stress are given below.

Physical signs of stress

• Tension in muscles: Muscles are tight and knots (trigger points) are present, especially in the neck, shoulders and back. Knots can be painful or refer pain to other parts of the body.

• Headaches: Tension headaches and/or migraines are frequent.

• Sleep problems: Difficulty getting to sleep, restless nights, and waking up early.

• Weakened immune system: Getting infections or falling ill frequently.

• Fatigue: Always feeling tired after sleeping or resting.

Emotional signs of stress

• Emotional outburst: Spells of crying, or angry outbursts.

• Look of unhappiness: Suffering from anxiety, sadness, or depression.

Mental/psychological signs of stress

• Memory problems: Being forgetful and difficulty recalling information.

• Difficulty with concentration: Making decisions is difficult as is focussing on something.

• Anxiety: Feeling of nervousness, being on edge, or apprehensive.

• Negative thinking: Being pessimistic, worrying all the time, always expecting the worst.

• Depression: Persistent feelings of sadness, helplessness, or worthlessness.

• Loss of interest: Motivation is decreased, as is interest in activities that were once enjoyed.

• Feeling of being overwhelmed: Feeling unable to cope with tasks or responsibilities.

• Being irritable: Becoming easily frustrated or moody.

• Changes in behaviour: Doing unhealthy activities like substance abuse and not taking part in social interactions.

So, as seen above, there are a number of signs that indicate that someone could be stressed. Stress management involves a number of techniques, and one of them is massage. The benefits of massage are well documented, many of which result in reduced stress.

For instance, in Raynor Massage the detailed work on fingers and toes in conjunction with deep tissue massage on the larger muscles can greatly reduce tension in the body. In addition, focussing on trigger points (knots) reduces pain. Massaging the head and neck is often effective at relieving headaches and migraines.

A head and neck massage can relieve headaches or migraines

Deep tissue massage can in some cases stimulate an 'emotional release'. This is where a client may cry or start shouting, but this is a way of relieving emotional tension and getting over past traumas.

Massage can also help with mental/psychological stress. For example, the increased blood circulation from massage is believed to enhance brain activity, including improved memory and decision-making. And the mind-calming benefits of massage can help with many of the other mental signs of stress.

A relaxation massage calms the mind

Since massage relaxes both body and mind, it is one of the best forms of stress relief. And having regular massages is one way to help keep stress out of our lives.