Mind Your Health: Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month and it has been celebrated across the country since 1949, reaching out to millions of people to bring awareness to various mental illnesses and to spread the word about mental health as something that everyone should not ignore. Although the issues pertaining to mental health should be addressed all year round, it is also important to highlight these issues during the entire month of May to allow people to be united and give assistance to millions of Americans suffering from mental illnesses through people's combined, passionate efforts.
Source: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/state-mental-health-america#Key
Massage and Mental Health It is widely known that massage helps reduce pain and muscle tension. But apart from that, it is also a powerful and effective way in improving and maintaining a healthy mental condition. It alleviates anxiety and depression and helps enhance sleep quality. Though stress is an unavoidable fact of life, the benefits of massage therapy counters its negative effects such as insomnia and fatigue. "It helps your body to relax, which in turn helps you to de-stress,� said Heidi Ezzat, registered massage therapist (RMT) in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia. In addition, massage therapy's power of touch aids in reducing cortisol and adrenaline while increasing serotonin and dopamin to lessen anxiety and depression. According to a research conducted by the University of Miami School of Medicine, the levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been decreased to about 53% after receiving massage treatment. Clearly, our overall health, longevity and quality of life largely depends of some factors and that includes food, shelter, security, social interaction - and finally being on top of these is cognitive health. Being mentally healthy allows us to have healthy relationships, develop our own potential, manage natural circumstances suitably, make good life choices and maintain our overall health and wellness. Peace of mind is an innate condition and it should be available to everyone.