Holiday Stress Lives in Your Shoulders: How Massage in Auburn Can Help

Every year around this time, I feel it on my table. Shoulders up by the ears. Necks that won't turn all the way. Jaws clenched so tight you can see it.

Nobody comes in saying, "I'm stressed about the holidays." They say, "My shoulders are killing me." It's the same thing.

Why stress goes straight to your shoulders

When you're stressed, your body gets ready to protect you. Your shoulders lift, your neck tightens, and your breathing gets shallow. That's useful if a bear walks into your kitchen. It's not so useful when the bear is a grocery list, a full calendar, and family coming to stay.

The trouble is, your body doesn't always let go when the stress passes. Weeks of small tension add up. By December, those muscles have forgotten what relaxed feels like.

Signs your shoulders are holding your stress

• Your shoulders creep up toward your ears when you drive or type
• You get headaches that start at the base of your skull
• Checking your blind spot feels stiff
• You wake up with a sore neck or a tight jaw
• You rub your own shoulders without noticing

How massage helps

After 25 years of doing massage, I've seen it do three things for stressed shoulders:

1. It loosens the muscles that have been tight for weeks: the tops of your shoulders, between your shoulder blades, and the base of your skull.
2. It gets blood moving, which helps sore muscles recover.
3. It tells your body it's safe to stand down. That's the part people don't expect. Most clients notice their breathing slow down halfway through the session. When your body calms down, your mind usually follows.

That last one is why I pay attention to stress, not just muscles. If you only work the knot, it comes back. If your body remembers how to relax, the knot stays away longer.

Three things you can do at home

• Drop your shoulders. Right now. Notice how far they fell? Check a few times a day.
• Take 3 slow breaths, with the out-breath longer than the in-breath. It tells your body to calm down.
• Put heat on your neck before bed, with a warm shower or a heating pad.

These help between sessions. They don't replace hands-on work when tension has been building for weeks.

A little holiday gift

If your shoulders are already up by your ears, I'd love to help. Book a 60-minute massage by November 7 and get $20 off.

Book your $20-off massage

You'll find me inside Syrah Day Spa at 938 Lincoln Way in Auburn.

Your shoulders carry a lot this time of year. Let them put it down for an hour.

Jamie