Massage for Stress Relief in East Yorkshire: How It Calms Your Body and Mind

If you’re looking for massage for stress relief in East Yorkshire, this post explains how stress affects the body and how massage therapy can help. As a mobile massage therapist covering Howden, Goole, Selby, Market Weighton, Brough, Beverley and Hull, I see first-hand how chronic stress builds up physically, and how regular massage can make a real difference.

Welcome to the Quiet Meadow Blog! This is my first blog post! I am hoping that with this blog, I will bring a bit of ‘Calm from the Meadow’ directly to you. When trying the think of what I wanted to tell you all about first, it had to be about the impact of stress on the body and how massage can help reduce the impact it has on our bodies. Because, this is really why I trained as a massage therapist, so I thought I would start with something I am really passionate about- using massage as a stress-management tool!

Before re-training as a massage therapist, I worked as a team manager in child protection services. Almost every time I met with one of my employees, they would tell me that they felt like they were struggling, and I had to try to coach them to make them feel better about it. I would lie awake at night thinking about how I needed to tell someone they needed to do a piece of work knowing they already felt like they were drowning under pressure. My jaw was clenched so often that I was grinding my teeth at night. I had persistent shoulder pain because they were up at my ears with tension. That combined with long working hours, sitting at a desk only to get up to use the loo and trying to juggle home life too- I needed something to help me cope with it. As much as I would say- ‘I am fine, this is just the job’- I was naïve in thinking that I didn’t need any help to cope. Once I accepted that I did, I turned to holistic therapies as a way to manage my stress levels. And that is when I fell in love with massage. Now it’s my job to soothe people’s stress, not add to it!

What Is Stress and How Does It Affect the Body?

We all think that we know what stress feels like- and it is different for everyone. Stress is the body’s natural response to pressure, change, or challenges. I am going to get a bit technical here- but bear with me!

Stress is a physiological (body) and psychological (mind) response that occurs when the brain registers a demand or threat that is beyond a person’s current coping abilities or comfort zone. This threat activates the body’s stress systems, (primarily the sympathetic nervous system, also known as fight or flight).

In response, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose availability to prepare the body for action. In the short term, these changes in hormone levels can enhance our focus and performance. It can also increase our awareness and safety, making us more alert.

If It’s Natural, Why Is Stress So Bad?

This is a really good question- some people can only do work when they are stressed, they need a looming deadline to be able to focus on the activity at hand. But when stress becomes constant, it can start to take a toll on both the body and mind.

Symptoms of chronic stress can include muscle tension, poor sleep, increased anxiety, fatigue, headaches, irritability, weakened immune function or feeling mentally overwhelmed. Chronic stress can be really hard to detect. Often, it can creep up on you. One or two horrible days can quickly turn into a fortnight, month, year. Because we live in such a fast-paced world, many of us do not realise we are running on empty. We don’t have the headspace to notice how our body is feeling, notice we are being short or snappy, and it can often be that we get to the point of burn out before we start to take notice.

If only I had the ability to make sure no one ever felt what chronic stress felt like! I have had time off work because of chronic stress, because I wasn’t looking after myself. After I had recovered, I was determined to not let myself get to that point again. I learnt healthy ways to manage and release stress. The biggest thing I learnt was, I can’t stop the stress, so what can I do to cope with it?

Feeling Overwhelmed?

If stress is sitting in your shoulders or keeping you awake at night, you don’t have to just “cope.”I offer mobile massage for stress relief across Howden, Goole, Selby, Beverley and Hull. Book your massage here.

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How Massage Therapy Helps Reduce Stress

Massage for stress relief works by calming the nervous system and helping the body shift out of “fight or flight” mode and into “rest and digest”. This is why many people search specifically for stress relief massage when they are feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.

So, it turns out- massage can help with stress! Shocking, I know! Whilst I do not think that this will come as a surprise to anyone-  a lot of people still see having a massage as a luxury. You might only have one when you’re on holiday, or book a massage as a birthday treat. And you should absolutely continue to do that, a massage on the beach, with the sound of the waves to help you drift off…. absolute bliss!

What is it about massage that makes you so relaxed? The kind of relaxed that you can’t even form sentences! Research suggests that touch can signal safety to your nervous system, so it stops pumping out high levels of cortisol and adrenaline and increases production of serotonin and dopamine. You may have heard these called ‘happy hormones’. That’s because serotonin helps calm and stabilise your mood, it also helps you sleep and dopamine is associated with anything we find enjoyable.  

Massage activates your ‘parasympathetic’ nervous system (this is the opposite of sympathetic nervous system or fight/flight) which is when our body goes into rest mode and also when your body starts to digest- which is why your stomach might gurgle during a massage, or why you might be starving after (that could just be me!). Your heart rate lowers, your breathing deepens, and your body begins to properly switch off.

There is this moment when I am doing a massage, it’s about 15-20 minutes in, and I hear my clients breathing change- and I know that is the spot we have hit deep relaxation. It always makes me smile when that happens!

That’s not all that massage does to your body, there are also other physical effects- it helps relax tight muscles. Targeted massage can help with those tight shoulders and niggly lower back pain from sitting at a desk all day. It gets the blood flowing (circulation) which has all kinds of benefits like reducing pain, improving immune system function, and supporting heart health.

So, massage can help reduce the impact of chronic stress on the body which is why it is such a useful tool to have in your stress management tool box.

Some people say massage has more holistic effects, making them feel grounded and more in control. It gives them some much needed mental space, much needed me time, where there are no demands, the only thing required of you is to lie there. A lot of people say it helps improve their mood and sleep. 

What Type of Massage Is Best for Stress Relief?

In the UK, Swedish massage is usually the most relaxing of the massages. Swedish massage is often recommended as the best massage for stress relief because it focuses on long, flowing movements that calm the nervous system and promote full-body relaxation.

I will do another blog post on Swedish massage vs Deep Tissue massage. But briefly, when muscles are really tense, deep tissue massage can usually help with that. It’s my opinion that it is a myth that deep tissue massage should hurt or ‘no pain no gain’. This is not true. For me, I do not want to spend my time and energy relaxing a client for them to tense up again when in pain! If the muscles are warmed up properly during your massage, a deep tissue massage should not be painful. Sometimes, if the muscles are really tight, there can be some tender pain, but you should always let your therapist know if you are experiencing any pain and adjustments should be made. At Quiet Meadow Massage & Holistic Therapies I do offer Swedish Massage with Deep Tissue for when your overall aim of a massage is to relax, but you have some areas of tension you would like targeting at the same time.  

If you are based in Howden, Goole, Selby, Brough, Market Weighton, Beverley or Hull and are unsure which massage is right for your stress levels, we can always have a conversation before you book.

How Often Should You Book a Massage for Stress Relief?

This is a tricky question for me to answer, because every body is different. You can have a massage as often as you want really- well, maybe not every day… but fortnightly, monthly or 6 weekly are timeframes that work for most of my clients.

Massage can be a really useful tool to manage your stress levels. It can help you have a clearer mind and improved mood. For many clients, booking regular massage therapy for stress relief, rather than waiting until they feel completely overwhelmed, has a much more lasting impact.

Most of us do not prioritise self-care; we often meet the needs of those around us before we meet our own needs. We feel like we are too busy, it feels like we are being selfish, or we simple feel like we should be able to “cope”, and then feel guilty or ashamed because we are struggling. Whoever said self-care is not selfish, was not wrong- it’s essential. When we don’t look after ourselves, it impacts on our sense of self-worth and in turn our self-esteem. Massage might just not be your thing, but please find something that is, because you are worth being looked after.

It was really important for me to make Quiet Meadow Massage & Holistic Therapies a mobile massage business in East Yorkshire. Our lives are so hectic, so my goal is to make it as easy as possible to prioritise your wellbeing, by literally bringing it to their doorstep (or office- because I also do corporate massages!). There’s no worries about leaving the house on time, no worrying about traffic or parking.

If you’re searching for massage for stress relief in Howden, Goole, Selby, Market Weighton, Beverley or Hull, you can book your mobile massage appointment below-

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FAQ: Massage for Stress

Does massage help with stress and anxiety?

Yes. Massage therapy can help calm the nervous system and reduce physical symptoms of stress such as muscle tension and poor sleep.

Is massage good for work-related stress?

Massage can be especially helpful for people with desk-based or high-pressure jobs, as it reduces shoulder, neck and back tension while encouraging relaxation.

Can I book a mobile massage for stress relief in Hull and East Yorkshire?

Yes. Quiet Meadow Massage & Holistic Therapies offers mobile massage across Howden, Goole, Selby, Market Weighton, Brough, Beverley and Hull.

Disclaimer:This content is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. If you have health concerns or conditions, check in with a qualified healthcare professional before trying new wellness practices, including massage.