It would be nice to get a weekly massage from a professional, but most people don’t want to spend that much money or time on themselves. A great solution that will make you feel better is to do self-massage, and a perfect part of the body to focus on is the hands.
The best part is that you can do this anywhere. Anytime you are not using your hands actively, take a few moments to give them a bit of attention. They are one of the hardest working parts of our bodies and we rarely give them a second thought.
Action – Look at your hands right now. They are amazing tools, and the fact that we have lengthy opposable thumbs and dexterous fingers helped us to evolve into the humans we are now. The ability to grasp and hold onto things allowed our ancient ancestors to make stone tools which enabled them to hunt, forage, and cook.
We take our hands for granted until they either begin to hurt from overuse and arthritis, or we temporarily injure one and have to rely on the other. You become quickly aware of how important hands are when they aren’t working the way you want.
Steps – Turn your left palm to face up and, using the thumb of the right hand, begin to massage the palm using whatever movements feel comfortable. Vary the pressure and see what feels good. Cover the entire surface of the palm and then begin to massage the thumb and each finger. There is no wrong way to do this, just do what feels nice. Flip the hand over and massage the back of it as well, although it is bonier and doesn’t tend to feel as nice. Make sure to do in-between each finger too. Then repeat with the other hand.
Why It Makes You Feel Better – There are multiple acupuncture points in the hand that you can stimulate with massage. The field of reflexology maps the entire human body on both the feet and the hands, and stimulating certain spots is believed to correspond with an action on different organs and systems of the body. Other more direct benefits of hand massage include reduced pain from arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and neuropathy, as well as possibly reduced feelings of anxiety and better sleep.
It’s one of those things that doesn’t cost any money, is easily accomplished, and can make you feel better right now. It’s a nice gift to give to your hands which work so tirelessly every day.
Example – While watching tv or on the computer, giving yourself a hand massage is easily done. It also keeps you from doing other things like mindlessly eating. When working on a project or doing something that involves a lot of thinking, taking a two or three minute break to give your eyes and brain a rest is a great time to quickly massage your hands.
There are no drawbacks to this and if you are able to have someone else massage your hands on occasion, that can be a real treat. Taking time to do something that feels good is important for reducing stress and also for the future health of your hands. The best tips are sometimes the easiest!