Do you have chronic stress? Why you're wired for stress and how massage helps.

Typically, we think of stress as negative – but when in balance, stress has a powerful and important function.

It helps us cross the finish line when we’re running. It helps us take that leap when we want to ask someone out that we really fancy. It helps us jump into action when we see a toddler with a fork close to a plug socket.

We can thank our stress response for keeping us motivated and safe – especially in ancient times when it would have helped rescue our ancestors from bears. But these days, the bears look different. The impending deadline at work. Meeting a new group of people for the first time. A read receipt on WhatsApp.

And over time, our stress response might become over-reactive, causing chronic stress, anxiety, sleeplessness and more.

The aim is to have a balanced stress response – one which knows when to jump into action, and is also able to return to an inherent sense of safety. In this article, we’ll explore the mechanisms behind rewriting your stress response, and how massage can help.

Your autonomic nervous system controls your stress response

Bear with me (pun intended) while we get into the science. 

Your autonomic nervous system has two branches: your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

The sympathetic nervous response (also known as fight or flight) reacts to stress, increasing adrenaline and preparing your body for action.

You can feel the effects of your SNS when you tense the muscles in your shoulders, when you’re constipated (and sometimes when you have diarrhoea), when your breathing quickens, and when you can feel and hear your heartbeat thumping in your head.

Your hypothalamus is in charge of your autonomic nervous system. Alongside switching on the sympathetic nervous system, it triggers a hormonal cascade during the stress response, which also results in the adrenal cortex releasing cortisol: a stress hormone.

Is your body wired for stress?

Your brain (and body) are wired to respond to patterns. Repeated stress can cause your pathways for stress to become more responsive and more active, making it difficult to switch off and relax.

Our modern world, 24/7 connectivity and constant access to screens make it more difficult to switch off – we’re in constant contact with something that stimulates us, and more often than not, stresses us.

Each time your stress response is activated, you can think of it as sledging down a path in the snow. If this route is frequently travelled, it becomes the default – it’s easier to slide down a pre-defined path than plough through fresh snow.

Key symptoms of chronic stress are anxiety, headaches, muscle tension, digestive problems like constipation, difficulty sleeping and changes in your eating habits. You might be often tired, or struggle to concentrate.

All of the above might lead you to isolate, staying in more often than you leave the house – feeling like you can’t get enough rest. This is likely because even while you’re ‘resting,’ your body is not – it’s still on alert.

Is your body running from a bear that isn’t there?

So many of us are chronically stressed, unable to switch off and slow down – unable to access the other branch of our autonomic nervous system. Our parasympathetic state – the state of deep rest.

Re-wiring your body for relaxation

The good news is that your brain is not fixed, and you can rewrite the responses of your nervous system. You can plough a new path in the snow. This is known as neuroplasticity.

It takes practice, but over time, becomes easier – and the trails that activate your PNS become deeper.

Your parasympathetic nervous system is the same system switched on during meditation and sleep – it’s also known as the rest and digest response.

Ever wondered why your stomach growls when you're getting a massage?

Signs of PNS activation include tummy rumbles, salivation and needing to go to the toilet -you’re ready to digest!

It also boosts circulation to your skin, causing healthy colour in your cheeks. Your PNS supports healthy muscle relaxation and contraction and slows your breathing and heart rate. It can also trigger crying, as well as boosting your mood.

If you’ve ever been conscious of your stomach grumbling during a massage – know that it's totally okay. As a practitioner, it’s a great sign that a client is drifting off and relaxing – and lets me know that I’m doing a good job. The same goes for dribbling or feeling a little tearful. These are all very normal responses when you're having a massage.

Ways to support PNS activation

Meditation is a scientifically proven way of activating your PNS. But if sitting still in silence isn’t for you, mindfulness can look different. It might look like cooking, taking time to note the smells, or going for a walk and noticing the sounds around you.

Humming helps stimulate the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in PNS activation. Singing, and talking can also help.

Co-regulation helps switch on your PNS. This might look like cuddling with a pet (or if your landlord won’t allow it – a cuddly toy can help activate your PNS, though this isn’t quite co-regulation, which requires another living being).

It might be receiving a cuddle or a stroke from your partner or a friend. Or – it might look like going for a massage.

The science behind massage and co-regulation

A really great massage will take you to a magical place. That dreamy, expansive place of not quite sleep, but not quite awake.

While there is a little magic behind the touch, there’s also science guiding you there.

Our bodies and brains register touch and categorise them as safe – or unsafe, causing our nervous system to switch states.

When we receive touch – or any sensory input, like smell, taste or sight – our sensory receptors send messages to our brain, or more specifically the cerebrum.

The cerebrum is the part of the brain that stores and retrieves memories. It accesses memories associated with the messages that our sensory receptors have picked up – and based on these memories, decides if what we’re experiencing is pleasant.

If the body perceives the touch or sensation as safe, the hypothalamus switches on our parasympathetic nervous system, and relaxation begins. This is how massage helps relieve chronic stress.

There are certain types of touch that help our brains switch off – and these are dependent on the individual. As a general rule, touch that is slow and rhythmic will help stimulate the PNS. Some folk like deep pressure that lands in the territory of ‘good pain’, and some like a feathery soft touch. And some, like a variety of both (my favourite).

Massage as a treatment for chronic stress

If you’re struggling with chronic stress, sleeplessness and associated symptoms like constipation, I can help. My treatments are tailor-made to help you unwind, let go of tightness and drift off into relaxation.

Book a free, 15 minute consultation today.