Stress Management for Stressed Out Moms

by Debbie Kacic, LMT

If you’re like me, your day starts somewhere around 6:00 A.M. and doesn't stop until around 11:00 P.M. It's a hectic world out there, and for most moms it’s a go-go-go lifestyle. We barely have time to sleep let alone slow down to enjoy life. If this sounds like you, chances are you have some stress in your day and need to figure out how slow it down a bit.

When stress becomes a regular part of our lives it most often results in a declining sense of wellness. In fact, scientific studies indicate that up to 80 percent of all illnesses are due in part to stress. This is because in these heightened states of stress the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for our “fight or flight” mode, is in a constant state of arousal. We produce the hormones cortisol and adrenaline to help us cope with the stress. When faced with a truly stressful event this is helpful, but over a long period of time this every day stress response can produce chronic dysfunction in almost any system in the body. Managing stress and stopping its harmful effects are critical to your over all health. We all know a massage session feels great, but did you know that it is also a great way to cope with these daily stressors and turn off our flight or fight mode? Depending upon your needs, even as little as once a month can help to calm down the sympathetic nervous system and get our hormone levels back to where they should be. Massage therapy has become a staple of many professional athletes’ training regimens, but lifestyle factors such as long work hours or physically taxing tasks lead many members of the workforce to seek the assistance of a massage therapist. A seemingly minor injury can have a profound impact on a person’s ability to stay physically active, participate fully in life, or even make a living if it becomes chronic. Massage therapy can be one of the ways of preventing that kind of outcome.

We’re all becoming more aware of the role stress plays in health. People who are stressed, all other things being equal, are less healthy than people who are relaxed. Stress, for example, increases the risk of heart disease. Massage therapy is an effective and enjoyable way to reduce stress, and control pain, and create a sense of relaxation and well-being. A medically licensed, skilled practitioner can become a very important and integral part of your health care team.