Anxiety used to be the background noise of my life. Some days it was a quiet hum—just enough to make my chest feel tight. Other days it was a loud, overwhelming buzz that made it hard to focus, sleep, or even breathe properly. Living in London didn’t help. Between the constant rush, crowded transport, and never-ending to-do lists, I often felt like I was running on empty but couldn’t stop.
I tried all the usual remedies: deep breathing, yoga, and mindfulness apps. They helped a little, but the relief was temporary. My body was always tense, my mind always scanning for the next thing to worry about. Then one day, after a particularly stressful week, I booked a massage—not for my anxiety, but for my stiff shoulders.
What happened during that first session surprised me. As the therapist worked out the knots in my back and neck, I could feel my breathing slow. My racing thoughts, which usually clung to me like static, began to fade into the background. For that hour, I wasn’t planning, overthinking, or bracing myself for the next crisis—I was simply there.
I left the clinic with my body feeling lighter, but the real change came that night. I slept more deeply than I had in weeks, and when I woke up, I noticed a rare sense of calm.
Intrigued, I started researching. Massage, it turns out, doesn’t just relax muscles—it has a measurable impact on the nervous system. It helps reduce cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, and boosts serotonin and dopamine, the chemicals that support mood stability. In other words, massage can help shift your body from “fight or flight” mode into “rest and digest” mode.
I began booking massages regularly—once every two weeks at first, then once a week during particularly intense periods. Over time, my anxiety became less consuming. It wasn’t gone completely (I don’t think anxiety ever truly disappears), but it was no longer in control of me.
The benefits went beyond the treatment room. Because my muscles were looser and my breathing calmer after each session, I found it easier to carry that relaxed state into my day-to-day life. My shoulders didn’t creep up to my ears when I got stressed. I had fewer tension headaches. And most importantly, I had a reliable way to reset when I felt overwhelmed.
Now, massage is a non-negotiable part of my self-care plan. It’s not about “treating” myself—it’s about maintaining my mental health. Just like going to the gym keeps my body strong, massage keeps my mind steady.
If anxiety has been wearing you down, I can’t promise a massage will be a magic cure. But for me, it’s been one of the most powerful tools I’ve found for calming both my body and my mind.
In a city that thrives on speed, massage became my way to slow down—and remember what it feels like to simply breathe.