The stress of everyday life can be overwhelming at times, and have devastating effects on personal relationships, quality of life, and create serious health problems, such as depression, disturbed sleep, and high blood pressure. Many people use modern medicine to relieve stress and anxiety; however, these drugs also carry risks of abuse, and have long term effects on your health. A healthy alternative is acupressure. It applies pressure to specific points to relieve stress, which is a quick and effective long-term solution.
Pressure Points to Relieve Stress
Acupressure is a form of therapy based on the same principles as acupuncture, in which pressure is applied to certain points on the body using the hands. All the following points can help you relieve stress.
1. Three Mile Point
This pressure point is located on the front of the leg, four fingers below the kneecap, and one finger width towards the outside area of the leg between the shinbone and the leg muscle. Applying pressure on this point restores stamina, energy, concentration, and helps regulate energy flow. Apply pressure for about a minute on both legs.
2. Great Rushing
This point can be located behind the webbing between the big and second toe. Putting pressure at this point helps you calm the mind enough to make better decisions, because you perceive your situation more clearly. It also can help to reduce or stop pain, especially in the lower abdomen by regulating menses and help ease spasms.
3. Grandfather-Grandson
This point is located on the medial aspect of the foot, in the depression distal of the foot, three fingers width behind the base of the big toe. Pressure at this point helps with acute gastric pain, gastric distention and stuffiness, poor appetite, pain around the upper central and lower abdominal regions, diarrhea, and irregular menstruation.
4. Inner Gate
This point is located on the palmar aspect of the forearm on a line running from the index and middle finger, 3 fingers width above the crease at the wrist. Another one of pressure points to relieve stress helps by protecting the heart from chest congestion, excess stress, cardiac pain, palpitation, pain in the hypochondrium, relieves nausea and encourages deep breathing.
5. Outer Gate
The location of this pressure point is on the back side of the forearm, 3 finger widths above the crease at the wrist, and between the two tendons. Applying pressure to this pressure point helps with fever, headache, redness, swelling, and pain of the eye. Benefits also include controlling spasm and pain of the upper extremities.
6. Union Valley
The location of this pressure point is in the webbing between the index finger and the thumb. Applying pressure to this point helps with gastric pain, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and dysentery. It also regulates the face and head area, strengthens immunity and can help induce labor.
7. Central Treasury
The location of this pressure point is two finger widths above a point where the arms meet the chest. It is one of the pressure points to relieve stress, which helps with cough, asthma, wheezing, and helps control the chest, shoulder and back pain. This point can also be used to strengthen the spleen, and treat abdominal distention.
8. Will’s Chamber
The location of this pressure point is on the lower back at the waist, about 3 finger widths away from the back bone. Applying pressure to this point helps treat the psychological/spiritual aspect of the kidney. It tones the kidneys, benefits urination, strengthens the low back. It can also be used to strengthen will power.
9. Heavenly Pillar
This point is located on the nape of the neck, one finger width below the base of the skull within the posterior hairline. Applying pressure on this point helps with dizziness, neck stiffness, pain in the shoulder and back, headache. Benefits also include relief from nasal congestion, sore throat and ligament pain.
10. Crooked Marsh
This point is located on the inside both arms near the lower end of the elbow crease whenever the arm is bent. The benefits include relief from anxiety, nervous stomach, vomiting, gastric pain, chest discomfort, elbow pain, and arm pain.
11. Shoulder Well
This point can be located on the ridge of your shoulder, halfway between the base of your neck and point of your shoulder. As one of the pressure points to relieve stress, it helps with dizziness, headache, rigidity pain of the neck, and limitations of the upper extremities. It also provides benefits to the breasts (insufficient lactation) and promotes labor.
12. Spirit Gate
It is located on both forearms on the little finger side on the crease at the wrists. The Spirit gate is the point for emotional issues, especially excessive anxiety and worry. It provides relief for emotional imbalances, insomnia, nervousness, fear, anxiety, irritability, and forgetfulness.
13. Third Eye Point
This point can be located at the forehead, where the bridge of the nose meets the forehead and midpoint between the two medial ends of the eyebrow. Benefits include relief from headache, vertigo, nervousness, insomnia, and epistaxis, or bleeding from the nose.
14. Sea of Tranquility
This point is located near the center of the breastbone, 3 fingers width up from the base of the breastbone at the midpoint between the two nipples. Benefits include relief from difficulty or discomfort in swallowing, anxiety, depression, nervousness, chest tension, hysteria, anguish, and many other emotional imbalances.
15. Ear Shenmen
This point can be located one finger width below the top of the ear in the inner fold. It helps to regulate the body's internal organs, structures, and functions. It provides stress relief and also addiction treatment, mood disorders, obesity, and pain relief.
16. Gushing Spring
This point is located on the sole of the foot. Draw a line down with your thumb between the 2nd and 3rd toe to a third of a way down your foot. Press your thumb firmly down and then knead that area with your thumb for about two minutes. This point helps relieve headaches, pain of the neck, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, swelling of the pharynx, dryness of the tongue, dysuria, and constipation.