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Benefits -

Giving yourself a massage can be an effective way to reduce muscle soreness and swelling. It's also relaxing, and can help reduce anxiety and pain.

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Head massage -

Use your fingertips to massage your scalp. This will increase blood flow and help release tension.

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Neck -

Our necks accumulate a lot of tension throughout the day. Use both hands and apply pressure to both sides of your neck. You can then move on to stretching your neck in various positions.

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Jaw -

This part of our body if often neglected, but we do accumulate some tension in our faces, so massaging your jaw can be quite relaxing. Use your fingers in a circular motion, while applying pressure.

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Sinus relief -

Ease the pressure in your sinus by placing your fingers above your nose and rubbing them outwards.

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Soothe tired eyes -

Rub your hands together until the palms start to generate heat. Then cup your hands and place them over your eyes and let the warmth irradiate to your eyes.

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Hug yourself -

Place your hands behind your shoulders and squeeze. Move your hands further down and repeat.

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Pinch your arms -

Cross one arm and pinch your triceps close to your shoulder. Move down your arm progressively, pinching for a few seconds and releasing.

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Hands and forearms -

Squeeze a stress ball or even a tennis ball to give your hands and forearms a workout. You'll find that these will feel relaxed afterwards.

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Hand massage -

You can combine two good self-care steps with this one. Apply some hand lotion and massage your hands thoroughly.

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Post-meal massage -

Rub your tummy clockwise after a meal. This will help stimulate digestion.

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Thumping -

Use your fists to gently thump your legs and arms. This will increase blood flow. Avoid this altogether if you bruise easily, or if you're taking blood thinners.

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Calves -

Particularly if you wear high heels all day, your calves can suffer, so it's good to massage them when you get home. Start from your Achilles tendon, all the way up to the knee.

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Feet -

Fill a shoebox with golf balls and keep it under your desk. This way you can take your shoes off and give yourself a foot massage whenever you feel the need to.

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Foot massage -

Use your fingertips to massage the soles of your feet. Start off gentle, and increase pressure as you relax.

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Foot massage -

Put your fingers through your toes and use the other hand to move your ankle. Start with small rotations.

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Lavender oil massage -

Massaging your feet with lavender oil can be a relaxing bedtime routine. Just put on some socks afterwards to avoid staining your sheets with oil.

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Balls and other massage tools - While you can do a lot of work with your bare hands, sometimes a ball or a roller is needed.

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Foam roller - A foam roller, for instance, is great if you want to some myofascial release.

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IT band release -

A good way to massage your IT band (fascial tissue along you thigh) is to foam roll it. Gently move up and down. Beware: this can be painful!

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Glutes -

Tight glutes can trigger a number of aches and pains, including lower back pain. Sit on a foam roller, cross you leg, and make subtle movements.

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Upper back massage -

Lay down over a foam roll with your arms crossed. Use your legs to gently move up and down.

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Lats -

You can give your lats and armpits a massage using a foam roll.

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Back massage -

Place a couple of tennis or lacrosse balls between your shoulder blades. Go easy, as this can hurt in the beginning.

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Glute trigger point -

Use a ball to find a trigger point in your glute to help you release tension and pain. This will hurt, but do it gently and increase pressure gradually.

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Foot arch -

Roll your foot over a ball to massage the arch. This part of your foot usually gets tight and rolling it will release the tension. 

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Homemade heat pad -

Fill a sock with uncooked rice, tie it up, place it in the microwave, and there you have it—your homemade heat pad. Add cinnamon sticks and cloves for a nice scent.

See also: Alternative therapies: become healthier, naturally

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