Which area of massage is most effective for relieving anxiety

In fact, there is no absolute "most effective" part. Based on the meridian theory of traditional Chinese medicine and the practical feedback of a large number of ordinary people, when there is a mild to moderate acute anxiety attack, the effect is the fastest when you massage the Neiguan point. If you have chronic anxiety that is long-term and stuffy, and your chest feels like a small stone is pressing down, it will be more comfortable if you massage the Baihui point on the top of your head.

A while ago, my cousin was preparing for the re-examination of the postgraduate entrance examination. Before entering the examination room, her hands and feet suddenly became numb. Her mind went blank and she had forgotten all the words to introduce herself. The senior sister accompanying her took her left hand and pressed and rubbed it in circles three fingers above the horizontal crease of her wrist. In just over a minute, she could breathe more fully and her mind gradually became clearer. In the end, she performed well in the re-examination. That location is the Neiguan point.

However, I also asked a friend who works in the rehabilitation department, and he felt that there is no need to press acupuncture points. Everyone's physical reaction to anxiety is different, so there is no need to set a unified standard. Some people's shoulders and necks become as stiff as frozen rolling pins when they are nervous. If you ask them to press the Neiguan point, they may not feel it for a long time. Instead, they pinch the sore points on the shoulders and neck twice, and the whole person will feel relaxed immediately. For others, when they are anxious, their temples will beat so fast that they can keep up with the drumbeat. Massaging the temples and combing the scalp from the forehead to the back of the head with the fingertips will have a more direct effect than pressing the acupuncture points.

To put it bluntly, no matter which part is pressed, the core is to use controllable tactile stimulation to bring your attention back to the present moment from chaotic anxious thoughts. The soreness caused by pressing can also stimulate the body to secrete endorphins, which can naturally help relieve your mood. When I was doing psychological counseling before, I met a client who liked to pinch his earlobe when he was anxious. He could stabilize it by pinching for three to five minutes. Do you think the earlobe is a special acupuncture point? Not necessarily, it's just that she is used to touching it, and she feels safe when she pinches it, which is much more effective than finding precise acupuncture points.

By the way, don’t use too much force when pressing, just use your fingertips to rub with a little force. If you feel soreness but no pain, it’s just right. If you feel that the more you rub, the more irritated you are, then just stop. This is to help you relax. Don’t put more pressure on "finding the right acupuncture points to get the effect", which will outweigh the gains.