The Effects of Stress and Anxiety on our Muscles

Many of us are experiencing stress and anxiety. This frazzle that we feel while running on auto-pilot can leave us feeling tired and overwhelmed.

Our lives are full to the brim with work, school, appointments, sport practice and endless responsibilities around the home. It’s no wonder that many of us are experiencing stress and anxiety. This frazzle that we feel while running on auto-pilot can leave us feeling tired, snappy and overwhelmed.

Does this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone! A recent Australian survey indicated that over 75% of us admit to having daily stress in our lives.

When the body is stressed our muscles become tense, as this is the body’s way of guarding against injury and pain. When this occurs, we tend to hold our bodies in a tight rigid pose leaving our muscles in a shortened position resulting in discomfort and pain.

This stress and tension can cause numerous issues for our bodies, the most common are:

Muscle tension and soreness
Joint pain
Headaches and migraine
Fatigue
Insomnia
Nausea
Irritability

These aches and pain may come and go, or it may persistently affect only one area of your body. Either way, if you are experiencing these symptoms it will begin to impact your long daily to-do list and further increase your stress. If left untreated, this stress may lead to further debilitating conditions such as anxiety and depression.

There are many different approaches to dealing with stress, such as:

Massage! Massage is one of the best forms of muscle tension management. Massage addresses the muscle tension directly by releasing contracted muscles and lengthening the tight ones. Massage also increases the levels of serotonin in our bodies and giving us an overall sense of calm, benefiting our levels of stress tremendously.
Exercise, by releasing endorphins (the brains feel good chemical) our bodies receive a natural stress relief that improves your overall health & well-being. Why not try a new sport? Or give group training a go?
Meditation can help you manage your stress, leaving you feeling calm and relaxed. Meditation will also teach you how to manage your stress in daily life and reduce the impact on your body.
Doing something you enjoy! Organise to catch up with a friend, go and see a movie or soak in a hot bath. Whatever is it that you enjoy doing will assist in reducing your stress.

So if stress is a part of your daily life or someone you know and love, why not take the opportunity to relax your tense muscles and book a massage or purchase a gift voucher online today. Not only will you be giving your tense muscles the opportunity to relax, you will be giving yourself the opportunity to reduce the stress and improve your overall well-being.

Categories: : Remedial Massage, Women's Health