At the end of a tiring day at work, one of the best things that you can do for yourself is get a massage. It’s an excellent stress reliever that eases the tension from your worked-up muscles. It also helps soothe the mind and the spirit because the kneading of the muscles has a calming effect. There are times, however, when you might not necessarily have the time or the budget to get a massage from a professional. The good news is that there are do-it-yourself massage techniques that you can perform– on yourself or a loved one – so that you can get a quick or thorough massage even without leaving the comforts of your home.
Do-it-Yourself Massage Techniques
According to the American Massage Therapy Association, one out of six adults has at least one massage every year. More than just for relaxation purposes, a massage is a great way to relieve the everyday aches and pains that we feel without having to take medication or go on a trip to the doctor’s clinic. Take a look at a few DIY massage techniques that you can try at home, either on yourself or a loved one:
- For relieving tired eyes.
If you’re working in front of the computer several hours a day, performing this massage on yourself will help relieve your tired eyes. To perform, close your eyes and place your thumbs under your eyebrows, starting from the middle of your forehead. Using circular, gentle strokes, work your way from the forehead to the outside of your brows, making a big circle until you reach the bridge of your nose. Repeat several times, paying extra attention to the indentation near your inner eye. This massage will help relieve the tiredness from your eyes, decrease headaches and manage sinus pressure.
- For easing headaches and muscle tension.
If you’re suffering from a slight headache, use your thumbs to massage yourself. Place your fingers on your cheekbones, at that point which is near your ears. Use a circular, firm motions and work your way up to your hairline until you reach the middle of your forehead. While you’re at it, also massage the entire forehead along with the front part of your scalp. This is a great massage when done for or by a loved one.
- For massaging tired, aching hands.
Again, if you’re in front of your computer most parts of the day, you are bound to have tired, aching hands from all that typing. At the end of the day, you can massage and relax your strained hands. First, stretch one hand with the fingers out. Using the other hand, rub each finger from the base and work your way up to the tip. You can make gentle pulling and twisting motions as you go.
The second step is to rest your hand on your lap with your palm up. Using the other hand, squeeze the fleshy part of the palm, moving from the wrist to the base of the finger. Rub the entire palm with your thumb while applying light pressure. Do this on the other hand as well. What’s good about performing this massage is that the nerves of the hands are believed to be connected with other parts of the body like the neck, head, eyes, ears and the sinuses. So if you perform a thorough hand massage, you can ease the other aches in your body as well.
- Other DIY massages.
There are other massages that you can perform to get rid of neck tension; to loosen tight, tense shoulders; to ease the pain in the lower back; and to soothe tired, aching feet. You can go online to look for detailed instructions or videos – and perform these massages on yourself or a loved one. You will definitely thank yourself for learning these DIY massage techniques!