Mental Benefits of Massage Therapy
As your body connects with your mind, the physical movements and relief that you are feeling can help release the tension and pain in your mind as well. Your overall wellbeing can be improved by taking advantage of the mental benefits that massage therapy has to offer.
Reduces Stress and Improves Quality of Life
Stress and pain often go hand in hand, with each perpetuating the other. When someone is in pain, that person can often feel stressed. And when someone is stressed, that can lead to chronic pain. Massage therapy has been found to improve individuals’ quality of life by being able to reduce the stress, and often pain, found within their body. Reducing stress helps to clear the mind and can leave you in a better mental state to confront and overcome any challenges you may be facing. While it may not eradicate all the pain, emotional or physical, that you are experiencing, massage therapy can help to alleviate these symptoms which will leave you in an improved mental state.
Enhances Relaxation
Even some of the shortest massages have been known to help slow down your heart rate and reduce your blood pressure. When these physical aspects of your body are reduced, it allows the anxiety and the stress in your mind to decrease. Depression and anxiety symptoms can be triggered through elevated anxiousness and stress found within your body and mind. Massage therapy allows for relaxation to impactfully and purposefully occur to help reduce these unfavorable but likely causes of anxiety and depression.
Improves Sleep Patterns
Mental wellness thrives in an environment that has been well rested. It is vital for you to have and implement healthy sleep patterns in order to improve your mental health each day. When you struggle with sleeping, it can make different mental conditions worse and make it more difficult to achieve the peace you are looking for. With the reduced tension and stress in your body and mind, it can allow your body to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep. When your brain has time to rest, it rejuvenates and recovers which promotes cognitive health, emotional regulation, and mental stability.
Increases Serotonin and Dopamine Levels
When massage is utilized to relax and reduce muscle tension, it releases endorphins throughout your body. These natural painkillers fill your body with the feel-good chemicals of serotonin and dopamine that can boost your mood and energy levels. Massage has also been found to reduce the stress hormone of cortisol as well. When cortisol is found in excessive amounts it leads to numerous mental health challenges such as anxiety or depression. Boosting the natural chemicals of serotonin and dopamine in your body is a vital part of improving your mental wellness and massage therapy is a great way to increase these transformative levels within your body to be able to improve your mind.
