Self care is not just about self...it takes a team! After a hard day my cat jump up onto my lap and purrs, calming me right down. Talking with my friends helps me talk about problems, laugh and share stories. A long hot bath soothes my aching muscles and lets me tune out from the outside world.
When I'm needing a pick me up or a calm me down, having a great self care team helps me to help myself. Who else is on my team? A hot cup of tea with a bit of milk and honey, a fantasy novel I can dive into, my yoga app, my running partner and my massage therapist. Who is on your self care team?
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As a caregiver you spend your time filling up other's cups, but what about your own? The stress and demands of looking after someone, while rewarding, can take its toll on our body. Insomnia, achey muscles, worry, and feeling generally run down are some of the ways in which our bodies can react to caring for someone long term. Our bodies can manage stress in the short term, our heart pumps quicker and we are alert and ready for whatever may happen (fight, flight or freeze). After the stressful event has passed we relax and feel safe and calm. Our hormones regulate and our bodies heal. Chronic stress, that is stress that lasts for weeks or even months without rest or relaxation, can effect sleep, mood, appetite and immunity. Sometimes the stress starts to feel like normal, yet we are tired, irritable, constantly getting sick, gaining or losing weight and feeling helpless. Our nervous system needs a break.
Massage aids in bringing our bodies back to a calm, relaxed state so that the body can concentrate on digestion, rest and recuperation. A one hour massage can leave you feeling more grounded, in control and calmer. Massage also helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression and fatigue. If your schedule doesn't allow for a hour why not try 45 or 30 minutes while your mom gets a haircut or your kids are at their activities. Even a short massage of quiet music, deep breathing and slow rhythmic pressure can revitalize you. There are many ways to manage chronic stress and massage is just one of them. The Heart and Stroke Foundation has an excellent booklet the explains stress and how to manage it. If you are feeling overwhelmed and want more info click on the link below. CLICK HERE: COPING WITH STRESS - Heart and Stroke Foundation Booklet We all have a first time, but massage doesn't have to be intimidating. Here is what to expect at your first massage appointment at Hairlines. - plan to arrive 10 minutes early. This gives you time take off big wintery boots, fill out the client intake form and go to the bathroom. Also, planning to arrive early allows you to avoid rushing and you can arrive at your appointment relaxed. - your massage therapist will discuss your goals for the massage, whether you like softer or more firm pressure and what areas of your body you would like massaged. - they will explain that the massage is for your benefit and therefore if there is anything the therapist can do to make the massage more relaxing, like changing the volume of the music or the temperature of the room or the pressure to either lighter or firmer. - once a massage plan that meets your needs is found, the therapist will advise you on what clothes can be removed for the massage. Then they will instruct you how to get on the massage table. During the massage, the body part that is being worked on is the only part that is uncovered. - the therapist will leave the room for you to undress as much as discussed and you will position yourself under the covers on the massage table. - the therapist will knock, then enter the room when you are ready. They will make sure you are comfortable, asking about the heat and perhaps placing a pillow under your ankles. When you are perfectly comfy, the massage will begin. - everything about the experience should be relaxing, if it isn't, please let your therapist know. They are there for you and are doing everything they can to make it a pleasant, calm experience, but they can't fix what they don't know. - during the massage, you can talk or not talk, close your eyes if you wish, you could even fall asleep. - when the session is over the therapist will leave you to get dressed and is happy to discuss the treatment with you and suggest self-care exercises and stretches for you to take home. After the treatment: - you may feel tired, dizzy, relief and/or like a weight is off your shoulders. It is great to go easy after a massage, save the snow shovelling, 10 km run or stressful meeting for the next day. A hot bath, light stretching and lots of water is great self-care. - book again within the month before the stress and tight muscles have a chance to settle back into your body. Hope you enjoy your first time! Pamela Wolk RMT It's summertime and our daily routines can get turned upside down with vacations, kids home from school, gardening, heat and BBQs. Our bodies still get sore, so how can we relieve pain and tension when we are camping or visiting family in another province. If you've been sleeping on a pull out couch or been pulling weeds and your body is not happy, here are some massage hacks to help you relieve those aches and pains. TENNIS BALLS Grab a tennis ball and place it on that sore spot in your shoulder and lean up against the wall. Find the place where it feels good, not ouchy pain, and rest for 30 to 60 secs. Find another sore spot and repeat the process. Do two or three spots, then leave it and continue with your day. 2 minutes x 3 or 4 times a day can be very effective in reducing pain and tightness. Anymore then that and you may be feeling it the next day! It's not just for your back and shoulders, You can also use the ball on your glutes, leaning against the wall, lying on the floor or sitting in a chair. Using the ball on the floor with your full body weight will always be the most intense. If it is too painful you can support yourself to the right pressure level or switch to leaning against a wall where you have more control over the pressure. How are your feet after that long hike? Roll a tennis ball along the bottom of your feet for a few minutes, this is a great release to do while you are sitting (at work, watching TV or writing your next screenplay) Don't have a tennis ball? What about a golf ball, a lacrosse ball? Any ball will work, the smaller and harder the ball is, the more precise and deep the sensation will be, so go gently! A softer, bigger ball will cover more area and therefore will be easier on your body. Does your ball keep dropping? Put your tennis ball in a tube sock. Now you can throw the sock over your shoulder, let the ball hang down to the sore spot and easily move it around using the sock. Want double the fun? Put two tennis or lacrosse balls in your sock. Place them close together so they will rest on either side of your spine, roll up and down, move the balls slightly farther apart and roll up and down again. Use it against the wall, use it in the car, at work even sitting in your camp chair. Make your own dual ball massager or peanut massage. Take two tennis or lacrosse balls and tape them together with first aid tape. This will fit comfortably on either side of your spine, lay back and relax. Remember, if you are tensing your muscles, griting your teeth or feel uncomfortable you are probably using too much pressure, ease off, lean on the wall instead of laying on the floor, go gently and have fun. Remember to book in with your massage therapist when you are back from vacation! Or call Hairlines at 7805940554
Too much gardening and your low back pain is kicking in? Get a massage.
Training for a 10 km run and want to keep your body in tip top shape? Get a massage. Tight shoulders from sitting in front of a computer? Get a massage. Massage therapy works our tight sore muscles, A thousand thoughts running constantly through your head? Get a massage. Did you just move, have a baby, change in living conditions, new job? Get a massage. Feeling unconnected and alone? Get a massage. Massage therapy works on our nervous system. As with overworked muscles, our overworked nervous system needs a break. An hour on the massage table stops us from running on overdrive and gives our brain calmness and safety to ease us into relaxation. Constant stress through external (life changes) and internal events (anxiety, mood disorders) can over burden our nervous system which in turn affects the other systems in our bodies. Digestion slows down, immunity weakens as our body puts all its efforts into making it through the stressful event. We are on high alert, eyes focused, limbs ready for action, our breathing is quick and rapid. Ideally, when the stressful event has passed our bodies relax and digestion and immunity are back in full swing. But what if the stressor doesn't end, or doesn't seem to end. What if there is no break, no relaxation. Our bodies want to protect us and will stay on high alert as long as there is perceived threat. The hormone cortisol, a built in alarm system produced by our adrenal glands, works to keep us safe in times of stress. It is great to have an alarm system alerting us to danger, but if the alarm doesn't shut off because it sees everything as a threat it isn't doing it's job properly. Too much cortisol in our system can lead to rapid breathing, high blood pressure, anxiety, restlessness and irritability. Massage therapy can shut off that alarm and decrease cortisol. Now production of serotonin and dopamine, the feel good hormones, can increase improving our mood, sleep patterns, memory, and general well being. Help your nervous system recover with a massage. Great question! The answer: It depends. The best way to determine whether you book your next massage in a week or a couple months depends on a few things. If you have an injury or pain, such as backache, headaches and sprains, it is best to book weekly until the situation is more managable. The reason is that your body is like an onion. Each session your therapist will be able to assess a new layer of muscle to relax and stretch. If you wait a month or two before rebooking your body may tense up again and your therapist will be back at square one. After 3 or so weeks your therapist will reassess and if you find your injury and pain has gotten better your therapist may stretch out the time between treatments to two or three weeks and eventually months or every 2 months. If you are going through a short stressful period, such as you a very intense work project or new life events such as marriage, children or moving you may want to book yourself some self-care weekly until the stressful situation is resolved. Massage can bring relaxation to a stressed mind and body, help getting a good night's sleep and ease anxiety. Then when your world is a bit more balanced stretch out the time between massages to monthly if your budget allows. If you do not have any huge health concerns or your life is quite balanced at the moment, then a monthly, or every couple months, even twice a year can be a delicious treat. If your budget doesn't include monthly massage treatments check to see how much your insurance covers, many times insurance coverage doesn't get used up. When your budget is tight it can be helpful to talk to your therapist and together you can come up with a plan that works best for your body's needs. I made a promise to myself to write a little blog every week - well I'm almost a week late and feeling bad about breaking my promise. I had time to do it, but I didn't. Each day that went by I feel a little worse about not getting it done. Why so much pressure on myself? Sure I had the time, but last week was a big one, my kids are now doing school from home, tensions are high, feelings are big as we all wade through the next few weeks together. So now, instead of being so hard on myself, I am choosing to go easy and acknowledge that there have been a lot of changes this last week. By being kind to my self eases the stress of trying to continue as if life is normal right now. It's not. So it's the simple pleasures, good food, big white fluffy clouds in the distance, a relaxing massage, digging in the garden. What are your simple pleasures?
Whether it is for relief from a physical injury or aiding mental health, massage can help. While military members are not covered for massage through Sun Life, their spouses and dependents are. At the moment Sun Life covers 80% of massage therapy up to a total of $300 per calendar year. That means a $85 60 minute massage will be covered for $68 leaving only $17 out of pocket and for a $120 90 minute massage will be covered for $96 leaving only $24 out of pocket. To access these benefits it is necessary to get a prescription for massage therapy from your physician or nurse practitioner. Each dependant will need their own prescription and it is good for one year. Most doctors and nurse practitioners are happy to give a prescription for massage. If you don't have a doctor, you can get a prescription for massage through Maple. Maple is a virtual doctor app that lets you connect to health care 24/7 from your phone or computer. Maple provides consultations, lab work requisitions and some prescriptions, including massage therapy. This service is provided free to military families and can be accessed here. www.cafconnection.ca/National/Programs-Services/Health/Health-Care/Virtual-Doctor-Support-for-Military-Families.aspx There are many reasons to get a prescription for massage including:
Once you have your prescription, make an appointment with your registered massage therapist. After the treatment upload a photo of the prescription and the receipt from your Registered Massage Therapist to Sun Life (the Sun Life App makes this super easy) and Sun Life will refund you quickly. As a military dependent you have certain insurance benefits so why not put them to good use and go get yourself a massage. My schedule is Tuesdays through Saturdays and I'm now accepting new clients. Call Hairlines to book. 780-594-0554 BEFORE YOU GET ON THE TABLE
1. Take a nice bath or shower Bathing before your massage will warm you and your muscles up, making you more supple and relaxed. If you want to shave your legs, do it a day or two before your appointment or wait till after. 2. Drink water It’s important to hydrate. Drink water before and after your massage. 3. Communicate Communicate clearly any symptoms, concerns and the expectations you have of your therapy before you start. Let them know about problem areas, like a bad back, strained hamstring or severe shoulder pain, so your massage therapist can plan the massage session specially for you. You are the expert of your body, so let the massage therapist know when the pressure is too much or too little; if you're feeling cold; or if you'd like them to work more on a specific area. ON THE MASSAGE TABLE 4. Turn off your brain Focus on your breathing. While the therapist is setting up, begin deep breathing, inhaling from the stomach, upwards through the chest cavity and mentally following the path of your breath. Deep breathing helps your whole body to relax and settle into a calm state. 5. Talk or don't talk, it is up to you It's your time on the table. Some people enjoy light conversation to get to know their massage therapist, some prefer to be quiet and just enjoy. Sometimes when we are quiet our body can relax even more. 6. Don't go past "Ouch" Sometimes your massage therapist finds a painful spot. The body can release tension easier and gentler if the pressure is at a level of more pleasure than pain. Communicate your pain level and if you feel yourself tensing up or wanting to say "Ouch" ask your therapist to ease up. 7. Breathe through discomfort When the massage therapist begins working a painful pressure point or knot, return to your breath. Try to visualize tension leaving your body on the exhale and allow your body to relax a little more with each breath. 8. Recover slowly When the massage is over take a minute to appreciate your newly relaxed body. Slowly open your eyes and breathe in the room's ambiance. Roll slowly up to sit on the edge of the massage table for a few moments. AFTER YOUR MASSAGE 9. Chill out Enjoy the benefits of your massage as long as possible by committing to a more relaxed pace. Leave that heavy workout till the next day and on the evening after your massage soak in a bath with Epsom salts and then curl up in bed for a deep, restorative sleep. 10. Schedule your next sessions The best effects of massage can truly be felt after a few sessions.The more often you get a massage, the better you will feel and the more quickly your body will respond. From one session to the next, relaxation deepens as the chronic patterns of stress in the body are affected and released. |
AuthorI'm a massage therapist, but also a mom, a playwright, a yoga enthusiast, a lover of movies and a hobby jogger to name a few. Archives
March 2023
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