Stress Management

Our brains have two basic modes regarding how it manages how our bodies operate: Fight-or-Flight, and Rest-and-Digest. When we say that we're 'stressed out', what we're really talking about is being in the Fight-or-Flight mode instead of the Rest-and-Digest mode.

This is important to understand because when people express how stressed out they are, they might have difficulty finding strategies to reduce their stress. Many would seek to find ways to avoid getting stressed, which is definitely one method to reducing one's daily stress level. The other obvious solution is to find ways to relax.

It's not always appropriate to say to someone who has a high stress life, such as a single parent, or has a high stress job, such as a surgeon, to say that leaving those things is the best solution. Instead, they can get much more enjoyment out of their lives and careers when methods of coping with stress are explored.

There are many effective ways to promote relaxation in one's life. Massage Therapy (MT) offers several benefits, including:

• Me Time: leaving everything behind and taking time for yourself - worry about dinner later
• Focusing / Remove Distractions: a curious outcome during many MT sessions, and a property that is thought to explain some of the beneficial results of providing MT to infants and individuals with Autistism/ADD/ADHD, is the tactile sensation seems to help shut out the rest of the world and allow the brain to focus on one thing.
• Comfort: Most people feel better when there's someone taking care of them. It's difficult to reach one's own back, so for many it's comforting to know that someone they trust is helping them deal with the aches and pains they have.

The ideal treatment length and frequency will vary per person. The main considerations are regarding how many areas, how much attention each area needs, and how long the effects of the session lasts. Some individuals would benefit most from 1h or 1.5h every week or 2, while others find that 30 minutes every month or so works best for them. It is recommended to try a few different things to find out what is best for each person.