What is National Stress Awareness Month?
Originally established in the UK in 1992 by the International Stress Management Association, Stress Awareness Month was created to help break the stigma around mental health in the workplace and bring attention to stress-reducing habits.
What is stress?
"Stress" was originally used in physics to describe force acting on an area of material. It was adopted by Austrian-born scientist Hans Selye in 1920 to describe strain on the physical body. When discussing stress, it's important to recognize that stress in itself is not negative, it helps our body build muscles, strengthens our immune system, and can reward us with joyful experiences. But the human body is not made to manage ongoing stress without extended periods of recovery.
Unchecked, stress leads to severe health issues from mental illness, heart disease, and cancer. Your body is stuck in a fight/flight/freeze/fawn mode and cannot properly rest/digest. But all is not lost.
How can I manage stress?
The theme for this year's Stress Awareness Month is #littlebylittle, emphasizing the importance of small daily steps. Here are some helpful places to start:
- Prioritize sleep: set aside a wind-down time each night, put screens away, do some gentle stretching
- Connect with others: check in with the safe people in your life
- Move your body: find a practice you enjoy, bird watching, basketball, hiking, farmers markets
- Spend time in nature: sit outside and read a book, take a walk, garden
- Breathe deep: taking deep conscious breaths helps shift your nervous system into rest/digest
- Practice mindfulness: meditation, yoga, tai chi, or any hobby that fully engrosses you
What role does massage play in stress management?
Massage and bodywork are powerful tools in helping your body and mind come back to relaxation mode. Not only are you physically allowing your body to come to rest and working out those stiff muscles, you are allowing your mind to pay attention to how stress has been affecting your system as a whole. Massage reconnects the link between body and mind, bringing a key part of stress management: mindfulness.
We at Auroraflow are aware that for many people in the current American environment, massage is a luxury product. To make it a little easier for those in our community at different socioeconomic levels to access this tool for stress reduction, we typically offer "Pay What You Can" days at least twice a month — follow us on Instagram for the latest updates, or give us a call at (919) 229-9555 to find out what's coming up.
