Why does massage help so much?

In a previous post I outlined some of the benefits of the 15 minutes Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage including the scientific evidence for these claims.

But I think their is one benefit that stands out above these.

I know in my previous life as an IT project manage, several times I spent most of a day trying to fix a problem and I just couldn’t find a solution.  I had a tendency to get caught up in a problem and its just frustrating — it can literally stress you out. When you’re stressed out, it’s harder to think clearly. Emotional stress can send your problem-solving skills into a tailspin.  To make matters worse I used to flip over that fine line between being focused on solving the problem and obsessing over it.

The trick to break this cycle is to shift your focus. The purpose of shifting your focus is to temporarily get your mind off whatever challenge has it tied up in knots.   So when you come back to it you have are re-energised and have a fresh perspective.

Going for a massage, shifts your focus to your body releases anxiety and the seated acupressure massage energises you & improves your mental alertness.  So I found it an ideal way of breaking the cycle of mentally obsessing over problems when I worked in IT.

 

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