BENEFITS OF SELF-MASSAGE

Self-massage goes beyond skin maintenance. Massaging our bodies with our favourite Body Butter, moisturiser or oil just a few times a week, is a powerful regime to help reduce stress levels, increase our happiness and empower us to accept those magnificent and unique bodies of ours.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SELF-MASSAGE?

With the world in a constant state of flux, we could all do with more calm. Think back to when you last had a massage. You probably felt a release of tension, you might even have had a blast of energy.

So, what is self-massage? It’s a massage where you get all those benefits from the comfort of your home (or anywhere else). You can start to actively show real appreciation for yourself and get on board with your self-love journey.

So, why does the power of massage make us feel so good? It turns out that touching our skin releases the natural oxytocin love hormone. Self-massage helps increase our dopamine and serotonin levels which means a boost to our happy ‘feel-good’ hormones. It can also help drop levels of our natural stress hormone cortisol and lower our heart rate and blood pressure.

HOW TO SELF-MASSAGE

A lot of us see massage as an indulgence: something you book in as a treat for yourself. But what if we think of self-massage as part of our self-care routine, one step we can take closer to self-love?

Try choosing your favourite body oil or maybe a Body Butter you haven’t tried yet. Choose an oil or moisturiser that feels especially nourishing or one that has a relaxing or uplifting scent. You can practice doing long strokes up and down your arms and legs or even circular movements on your ear lobes. Did you know that massaging your earlobes by gently pulling and rubbing them stimulates the release of ‘feel-good’ endorphin hormones?

You can also try targeting painful spots. If your neck is feeling tight, for example, start by lowering your shoulders and straightening your back. Gently move your fingers in circles along the tight areas and repeat in the opposite direction for a few minutes. Even massaging your feet can ease stress or give you an energy boost.

MASSAGE AS A SELF LOVE REGIME

Start with self-massage as one of your regular self-love regimes. Try touching every part of you, even the wobbly bits and the hairy bits, and make sure you do it with love, with forgiveness, with humour.

We know that the topic of self-love can be a triggering for some people. If you have been affected by any of the self-love content, and would like to speak to someone further about it, please do reach out to the following organisations for support: