We know how it goes: Before the boot hits the pavement at the Whiskey Row Boot Drop in downtown Prescott and the Pinecone lowers in Flagstaff, each of us will have pondered and made one or more New Year’s resolutions.
The beginning of a new year is the most popular time of the year for people to hit the reset button. The new year offers an opportunity to review the past year and determine what we want to change in the coming year.
We promise ourselves or resolve to do or not do something to be better, accomplish a goal, break a habit, live healthier. Some resolutions are practical – buy a new vacuum, write one thank you note a month. Others are more of a stretch – lose 100 pounds, write a novel, sail the seven seas.
The most popular resolutions are to be a better person and to lose weight, followed by exercise more, eat healthier, spend less and save more, and get a better paying job.
The ideas behind resolutions are to reflect and resolve. We promise ourselves to improve our quality of life.
Unfortunately, the odds of keeping those resolutions are not in your favor. According to several surveys and reports, including a 2017 U.S. News report, it is very rare for someone to keep his or her resolutions for the whole year and approximately 80 percent of resolutions fail by the second week of February.
So, why bother? Perhaps the problem is not the making resolutions; rather, it is the resolutions we are making and why we are making them. Too many resolutions are made because we feel we “should” rather than because we “want” to. I should quit smoking; I should save money; I should exercise more; I should get a new job …. yadda, yadda, yadda! It is exhausting living in Shouldsville!
However, when we resolve to do or not do something because it is what we want, then we are more empowered to do the tasks and make the changes. For example: I want to have more savings so I can go to the beach for vacation; I want to quit smoking so I feel better; I want to exercise more often so that I can play soccer with my kids or hide and seek with my grandkids; I want to have more energy; I want fewer feelings of stress and being overwhelmed.
Not sure where to start when it comes to setting resolutions for the things you want? Here is an idea: Determine to get a monthly massage! Join the millions of Americans who believe massage is an important part of overall mental, emotional and physical health and well-being.
When you experience the benefits of massage on a regular basis, you are more likely to have the energy you need to tackle other resolutions. Imagine yourself feeling great on your way to the gym, enjoying better relationships and putting a positive spin on your finances.
Here are 22 reasons how monthly massages will help you move toward fulfilling your resolutions by improving your life. Massage therapy helps to:
1. Reduce stress and cortisol (stress hormone) levels
2. Relax tight muscles and release tension
3. Reduce anxiety and soothe the mind and body
4. Increase immune responses
5. Clear the mind
6. Create mental, spiritual and emotional alertness
7. Release emotions and relieve depression
8. Increase circulation
9. Increase joint and muscle range of motion and flexibility
10. Remove toxins
11. Manage symptoms of chronic illness
12. Relieve pain and promote healing
13. Reduce the need for pain medication
14. Sleep better
15. Increase energy
16. Improve digestion
17. Soothe headaches
18. Recover more easily from injury and surgery
19. Prevent and decrease sports injuries
20. Stimulate the immune system
21. Lower blood pressure
22. Increase the effectiveness of medical treatments
Make your New Year’s resolutions stick this year by making regular massages part of your promises to yourself. Massage can enhance your quality of life and your health! Whatever your resolution is, we are sure massage will help. FBN
By Mark Love
Mark Love is the Franchisee of Massage Envy Spa Flagstaff, located at 1235 S. Plaza Way in the University Plaza Shopping Center next to Safeway. For more information on the benefits of massage and to schedule an appointment with a massage therapist, visit MassageEnvy.com or call 928-526-ENVY (3689) and follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/MEFlag. Schedule an appointment online – your time, your convenience, your massage.
