How Massage Can Improve The Winter Blues

Well done everyone! We made it through another winter. 

 

The first few months of the year may have seemed a lifetime away from the relatively recent merrymaking and frivolities of December. However, as January quickly approached, it felt like we were all just left with the impending long stretch of winter. We faced dark cold nights, grey skies, and the hangover of a Christmas credit card bill! 

 

January in particular is notorious for starting the calendar year full of promise and optimism for the year ahead, but quickly finding yourself to be less eager to fulfil that resolution as the year goes on. Motivation starts to dwindle like the daylight hours, and we feel that our new year goals are less achievable than we initially believed. 

 

Although we all have good intentions regarding new year resolutions, enthusiasm can wane and the motivation to keep on top of our fitness goals can drop. Now more than ever, many people find this can be a tough time of year, as we struggle to keep our spirits and energy levels up. This can have a negative impact on both our physical and mental wellbeing. 

 

To some extent, it’s expected that we’ll feel this way, as the winter blues begin to take hold. Common symptoms of the winter blues are having less energy, finding it tricky to get up in the morning and eating more than usual, especially in terms of sweets and foods that are rich in starch. But what can we do to help ourselves get out of this way of thinking and feeling? 

At Fire & Earth, we believe that getting regular massages can help during these cold and bleak months, by restoring vigour and general wellbeing. 

 

Massage is beneficial in a few ways. For example, it helps to increase circulation, which aids in stimulating and strengthening the body’s natural immune system. This in turn helps to keep those usual winter bugs at bay. 

 

It also decreases muscular pain and aches and helps the body recover from injury. 

 

The act of touch releases endorphins in the body, which decreases blood pressure. Soft tissue massage can therefore also improve your mood by releasing such endorphins – which helps to reset circadian rhythms by promoting relaxation. The circadian rhythm, also known as the circadian cycle, is the term used to describe the internal process that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. So, massage is likely to lead to better sleep and give you more energy by helping to keep your circadian rhythm set to a more positive pattern. 

 

All these elements therefore ensure that massages help us achieve an overall feeling of wellness, so we can have a greater sense of physical and emotional health. Before you know it, you are feeling more like your normal self and ready to face the New Year afresh! 

 

Studies have also shown that massage can help alleviate depression and improve mental health throughout the year. So, it may be beneficial to arrange massage therapy outside of the winter months too. 

Make sure you fit in some ‘me time’ this coming month. Why not book a massage with us today?