Why Massages Are More Than a "Treat Yourself" Splurge

It's so easy to get wrapped up in daily stressors, whether it's a mountainous heap of work emails or a strained relationship. Taking the time to temporarily walk away from those stresses can help us feel more grounded, thereby allowing us to efficiently tackle them with a sense of calmness.

"One of the best effects of massage is that it gets us out of our heads and reconnected to our bodies and our feelings. You come away from a massage and think to yourself, 'What was I so anxious about?'" says Close. She adds, "It's not uncommon for people to experience emotional releases and cry or laugh during a massage. [Further], when we experience touch, our bodies release endorphins and feel good hormones like GABA. Our bodies naturally crave this relaxation response as an antidote to stress."

And before you write all that off as mumbo jumbo, there's science to back it all up. For example, this 2014 study found that moderate pressure massage, "enhanced attentiveness, reduced depression,... anxiety and heart rate, altered EEG patterns, and increased vagal activity, as in a relaxation response."

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