Doing a lot of activities every day can make you feel stressed. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people feel stressed because they are not used to new "habits" that they have to do. As we know, stress can have a bad impact on the body, including lowering immunity, increasing the risk of heart-related diseases, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.

There are many ways you can do to help relieve stress, even in your home. According to a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers found that massage and relaxationhave been shown to activate the body's systems that can helpto deal with stress. You don't need a long session; a 10-minute on is enough.

In their study, researchers divided 60 participants into three groups. The first group received a massage for 10 minutes on the head and neck with moderate pressure. The second group received the same treatment with lighter pressure, while the last group (control group) was asked to relax by sitting relaxed for 10 minutes. Researchers measured the impact of each treatment, both physiologically and psychologically.

The result showed that although the session is short, massage and relaxation have been shown to help reduce stress, both by activating a system in the body that plays a role in managing stress, namely the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). In addition, massage and relaxation were found to increase heart rate variability. High variability in heart rate is related to a relaxed body. In times of pandemic like today, there is no need for professional treatment, ask your family for help with a 10 minute massage.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Meier M., Unternaehrer, E., Dimitroff S.J., et al (2020). Standardized massage interventions as protocols for the induction of psychophysiological relaxation in the laboratory: a block randomized, controlled trial. Scientific Reports, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71173-w.
• Medical News Today - Massage measurably reduces stress (2020). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/massage-measurably-reduces-stress#The-study, 5 October 2020.