A spa day or a trip to your local massage center are great ways to get that lovely, relaxed feeling we all crave. With our busy lifestyles and never-ending to-do lists it can sometimes feel as if relaxation is some kind of unattainable goal, but there are plenty of ways that you can relax and step away from stress without having to go too far or spend too much.

Breathe Deeply

Have you tried breathing lately? Silly question but although we all do it, day in and day out, we don’t always recognise the healing properties of breath work. Just stop as you’re reading this, and take a long, deep breath to the count of 10. Stop, and exhale SLOWLY. The act of concentrating on your breathing slows everything down, and if you do this for just a few minutes you’ll be mastering a very basic meditation technique.

Meditate on Life

Talking of meditation, if you thought that it was all about Buddhist temples, incense and hours of silent contemplation, you’d be wrong. You can start a meditative practice by just being mindful – being aware of your surroundings, even your body. One good meditation if you have time is to focus on a part of your body at a time; for example, how do your toes feel right now? Relaxed or tense? Warm, cold? Are they enclosed in footwear or bare?  Work your way along your body, breathing slowly in and out as you go.

Take it further by using one of the many free visualization and meditation downloads available and spend a few minutes focussing on YOU.

Get a Massage

Massage and the power of touch are incredibly relaxing. Our bodies crave touch and human contact, or even contact with a pet. If you don’t have a pet or a pet human to give you a soothing back rub or relax your shoulders when you feel stressed out, opt for a quick massage in a spa or center with a professional. You should never have to go without a massage when you need one, and so find yourself a great massage therapist and relax with touch of their healing hands.

Get Outside

If you work indoors, chances are that you skip lunch and don’t get outside anywhere near nature for most of your working day? The outdoors is a natural relaxant and getting some green space is a sure-fire way to calm down any stressful feelings. If you live or work near a park, beach or river, get yourself down there as often as possible and breathe in that fresh air. Beaches are especially good for calming and de-stressing, plus the sound of the waves and effects of the negative ions in the air really have a positive effect on many people.

Being a fibromyalgia or ‘fibro’ sufferer can feel miserable. There is no cure, so all you can do is learn to manage your symptoms as much as possible to try and avoid it impacting on your everyday life. This can be easier said than done.

What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a condition which affects around five million Americans, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, more females than males, and usually between the ages of 20 and 50.

The main symptom is pain, which can range from mild to severe. It varies from person to person but some people report shooting or burning pains while others complain of a constant deep ache which doesn’t let up. It’s common for joints to feel tender and the pain to get worse at night although some people feel it all day long. Other symptoms can include tiredness, depression, headaches and memory loss.

There is Some Good News for People Who Have Been Diagnosed with Fibro:

Massage can be a pleasurable and effective way to relieve some of the symptoms of fibro and help you to manage it better. This is because massage boosts circulation in your muscles, reduces heart rate, relaxes your muscles, improves the range of motion in your joints and increases production of the body’s natural painkillers. All of these effects are positively great for fibro sufferers.

Massage for Fibromyalgia

People who have fibro can be extra sensitive to pressure in some parts of their body. Massage therapists have been trained to look out for this and of course we will consult you before your session to ask you about any particular areas that might be a problem for you. If you’re worried that it will hurt…don’t be.

Professional therapists know that people with fibro can be sensitive and will make sure that you know you can tell them at any time if your massage feels in any way uncomfortable. If you’re concerned about whether a massage is a good idea for you, speak to your doctor first.

Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Massage can help to promote better sleep, so it follows that if your fibro leaves you waking up tired, even after what you think was a normal night’s sleep, a massage can help. A decent massage will leave you relaxed and promote deeper sleep – and deep sleep helps fibro symptoms because it’s when you enter the deep sleep phase that your body can repair and restore itself.

Boosting Your Mood

Massage boosts the feel good hormones and endorphins that can help to banish the low mood and depression that can go hand in hand with fibromyalgia. Getting a regular supply of feel good hormones is a great way to manage the symptoms that can sometimes really get you down.

Banishing the Pain of Headaches

Improving blood flow to your brain with regular massage can help to reduce the pain from a fibro headache.

Just having one massage session can leave you feeling better for a while, but as with most therapies, the benefits increase with the regularity of your sessions. Book in for regular massage therapy and you could start to feel much better in-between your sessions as well as during and after. Schedule your session easily online at www.enerQiwell.com.