At-Home Tips to Relieve Stress Through Massage Therapy

There are few things that are as revitalizing to your body as a full-body massage. Many studies have confirmed the healing attributes and restorative benefits of regular MT (Massage Therapy) treatments. Some of which include improved circulation, reduction in stress, and boosted mental health and wellness, among other things.

However, sometimes accessing massage therapy services near you may be out of the question. It doesn’t matter whether it’s due to lack of time, money, or work obligations that get in the way. There are just certain times when it’s not in the cards, and that’s okay.

But when this happens, there are still things you can do to relieve your stress. Through a few effortless, self-massage methods, you can gain some of the same restorative advantages that a professional massage therapist can provide — all without ever leaving the comfort of your home.

Alleviate Fatigued Eyes

This is a particularly useful technique if you happen to do work that requires you to stare at a screen for hours on end. It allows the flow of circulation to move freely; relieving the pain of headaches, sinus pressure, eye tension, etc.

• Start by shutting your eyes, put your thumbs underneath your eyebrows, beginning at the interior pockets of both eye sockets. Gently press on the area and rotate your thumbs in little circular movements. As you do this, slowly work your way to the exterior of your eyebrows. Continue this motion all around your eye-area until you arrive back to the interior of your eyes once again.
• Repeat this process; focusing a little longer and more intently on problem areas (where soreness and achiness happen to be particularly prevalent).

Relieve Migraines and Stress

• Begin by putting your thumbs on the cheekbones near your ears. Then utilize the tips of your fingers to apply light pressure while massaging your temples.
• Follow this up by applying additional pressure as well as a small circular movement, slowly relocate your fingers alongside your hairline till they connect at the central point of your forehead. While this action is taking place, ensure that you are calmly rubbing and massaging your forehead to alleviate strain.

Relaxation for Your Hands

Here are a multitude of movements you can try to relax your hands if you’ve been typing on the keyboard for hours:

• Take a few minutes to stretch your fingers and hands. Gently massage each finger from the hand moving upward to the tip as you lightly tug each finger
• Relax your left hand with your palm upward — placed on your lap. Gently compress the squishy portion of your palm with your pointer finger and thumb on your right hand.
• Gently compress the “web” section of your hand that connects your index finger to your thumb. As you do this, be on the lookout for any soreness, tension, or tender areas.
• After that, gently massage your whole palm with your right hand. Ensure enough pressure is being used.
• Use this same procedure for your right hand

Alleviate Neck Pain

• While at your computer, clasp your shoulders and neck with your hands. Calmly breathe out as you allow your head to drop, and calmly compress your fingers in toward your palms, while gently pressing the muscles in your neck up toward the base of your skull.
• Relax your elbows by resting them on your desk. Permit your head to slightly drop forward. Begin rubbing your neck, starting from the shoulders, and then moving up toward your head using the tips of your fingers to make tiny circular movements in the muscles in your spine on both sides.
• Put your hands behind your neck, connect your fingers; crossing them together. Allow your head to drop, permitting the weight of your elbows to lightly tug at your head; pulling it down in a snug, stretchy way.

Unlatch Stiff Shoulders

You’ll need a ball (tennis ball or a rubber playball will suffice) for this exercise.

• Perch yourself about 18” from a wall. Ensure that your feet are 12” to 15” apart. Do an incomplete squat with your butt to the wall.
• Slant forward, putting the ball to your back, right at the tip of your shoulder.
• Gradually begin standing up — incrementally, one inch at a time — compressing yourself to the wall and allowing the ball to slowly roll down the tendons, muscles, etc. Stop and spend additional time on achy or tender areas.
• Reverse the whole procedure, gradually squatting while sitting down. And permitting the ball to find its way back to the top once again.
• Here, you’ll want to flip it to the next side and repeat the same process.

Relieve the Lower Back

• Place your hands on your waist — standing up. Keep your thumb in the back of you with your fingers to the front of you while facing ahead.
• Lightly compress your thumbs in the muscles of your spinal cord.
• Ensure that your thumbs remain pressed in as you utilize small movements, upward, downward, and side to side — all in tiny circular motions.
• Shift your thumbs slowly — inch by inch — upward on both sides of your spine as far as you comfortably can. Then slowly move back down your spinal cord; pressing on the skeletal veneer of your backside.

Relax Exhausted Feet

• Take your left foot and place it on a chair/seat. Utilizing the right thumb, apply strong pressure along your foot. Ensure you are slowly inching your way from the toe to the heel or vice versa. Gradually move your thumb over the fringes where your toes connect with the “ball” portion of your foot. Once you arrive at the pinky toe, utilize both your index finger and thumb to compress and spiral along the veneer of the toe. Do it separately with each toe.
• Support the left foot using your left hand. Take your hand, and while using your knuckles, apply firm pressure to the whole veneer of the underpinning of your foot.
• Stretch, flex, and extend your toes and feet. Ankle rotations are very helpful as well.

Word of Caution

It’s important to remember that these exercises are supposed to relieve pain — not cause it. If at any point, you feel the tension in your body is becoming worse instead of improving, stop. You’re either doing something wrong, in which case, readjust your methods. Or there could be something else at play, and if that’s a possibility, see a medical professional as soon as possible.