Massage & the Winter Blues

Did you know that massage offers a powerful and natural remedy to the winter blues? Those blues that lead to low energy, feelings of sadness, and overall lethargy? In the winter, our reduced exposure to sunlight, the result of shorter days and weather that limits our ability to spend time outside, disrupts our internal body clock and lowers mood-regulating neurotransmitters. Kept indoors more and more by grey days, cold, and snow, we often experience tension, irritability, depression, and a general lack of motivation.

Massage therapy can address these issues by boosting the endocrine system, thus reducing stress hormones like cortisol by up to 50%. Regular massage also stimulates the production of serotonin and dopamine, both of which contribute to elevated mood and counter the lethargy associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Therapeutic massage also increases circulation, helping to warm the body and ease muscle stiffness brought on by cold weather.

Massage helps beat those winter blues.

The best medicine for our long, dark, cold, and snowy Maine winters is to get a massage every 2-3 weeks. Massage is the perfect self care during these dark months for supporting both your mental and physical well-being. Regular massage elevates your mood and increases your energy, thus lessening your urge to hibernate. Massage also reverses the body’s tendency to tense up or “brace” against the cold, thus reducing aches and pains. Winter blues no more.