Stress becomes inevitable when working long hours with no way out. We all live fast-paced lives and squeezing out time from a hectic schedule to unwind is not easy for everyone. Weekends are dedicated to completing household chores, laundry, and other miscellaneous tasks. Relaxation can be hard to schedule but taking a break can offer mental clarity and a chance for the body to recuperate. Most common reason for not getting enough downtime is the scarcity of time as we often assume that we need at least a couple of hours to release stress. However, recent research shows that 10-minutes of downtime can be equally good for mental relaxation.

 

For a long time, scientists have known the deliberating consequences of stress on mental and physical health. Stress is the emotional response by the body that happens due to unpleasant thoughts or overwhelm that can be mental or physical. The body has a mechanism to deal with tension through an inbuilt regenerative system, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which induces a relaxation reaction. Recent reports say that short time relaxation techniques and rest reduce mental and physical stress. According to a 2020 research published in Scientific Reports, as short as 10 minutes of rest or massage can effectively ease the stress on a psychological and physiological level by activating the body’s stress-fighting system.

 

Related story: 7 Signs You Need To Take A Break For Your Mental Health

 

Method to stimulate the regenerative system for relaxation

A 2020 finding in Scientific Reports reveals that an easy-to-apply treatment like gentle massage or rest can boost the body’s principal engine for relaxation—the PNS. The study also indicates the consequence of therapy leading to a decline in mental stress. The same study discovers the effectiveness of massage mentally and physically through the body’s regenerative system.

 

By generating a standardised technique for robustly testing relaxation therapies, the study monitored the heart rate variability of participants (the higher the HRV, the more relaxed is the body). It was concluded that with just ten minutes of massage or resting participants felt more relaxed, and less stressed, compared with before the treatments. The above tests successfully proved the activation of PNS just by resting alone. The physiological effect was more distinct when receiving a massage, moderate or soft (tactile contact). So, what type of massage can help?

 

The study shows that expensive professional therapies are not needed to de-stress the mind and the body. A soft stroke around the neck and shoulders, or even just resting your head on the table for ten minutes, is an effective way to stimulate your regenerative system for relaxation.

 

Related story: Signs of Chronic Stress And How To tackle It

 

Short time, big result: Massage to kick-start stress release

As per the Scientific Reports, 2020, researchers applied different ten-minute massages as a standard analysing approach.

 

• The first massage involves stimulating the PNS through head-and-neck by applying mild pressure on the vagus nerve. This approach delivers electrical impulses to the PNS.
• Next, a neck-and-shoulder massage is performed with gentle strokes to analyse whether only touch can be relaxing or not.
• The final test on a control group of participants sitting quietly at a table involves the effect of rest without the sense of touch.

 

Related story: Ways to Tame Stress And Make It Empower You