03/24/2020
How To Relieve Tension When You Can’t Get a Massage
Massage therapy is hands down the best way to relieve pain and tension in the body. Being cooped up at home for many, including me, adds to the tension and anxiety for many reasons. We need our jobs and we also need the relationships associated with the work.
At the present time, getting a massage isn’t an option. Here are a few things we can do to help ourselves relieve tension and pain in our bodies:
1. Deep breathing: Take five minutes for yourself and practice deep inhalation and exhalation. Focus on nothing but your breathing and allow your body to relax more and more. You’ll be surprised the difference in regularly practicing deep breathing makes in your overall health.
2. Sing: Did you know that singing boosts the immune system, improves your posture, is a workout, helps with sleep, is a natural anti-depressant, lowers stress levels, and improves mental alertness? Who knew? Sing, people!
3. Exercise: Get up and move. Whether you do yoga, stretching, walking or whatever form of exercise you enjoy, do it.
4. Change your sleep position: Is your pillow hurting your neck? Figure out how your sleep position may be contributing to pain or tension in your body and do something to change it. Often, just changing positions or replacing a pillow may be all that’s needed to be on the way to better health.
5. Take a bath: Soaking in a hot tub (or a long, hot shower if no tub is available) makes the world a better place to be. It just does. Adding a quarter cup of Epsom salts or your favorite bath bomb can help achieve further relief and overall feeling of wellbeing.
6. Work smart: Are you staring at your phone or a computer all day? Make sure your computer screen placement does not require you to turn your head at an uncomfortable angle. Your chair and keyboard should also be comfortable with back straight against the chair and feet flat on the floor. As for the phone, put it down and look at what’s real around you, like family, pets, etc.
7. Laugh: In a time when the world is shutting down around us, remember that it will not always be this way and laughter is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Let’s not let our bones get dry, let’s laugh because even in adversity, God is good and will sustain us.