Many people think tension is something you feel right away. That you clearly notice when you are stressed or when your body becomes overloaded. In practice, it works differently. Tension often builds up slowly, without clear signals. You get used to it. You may notice that your neck is a bit stiffer, that you get tired more quickly, or that you sleep less deeply, but you do not immediately link it to tension. It becomes your new normal. Your body adapts, but it does pay a price for it. Muscles remain slightly tense, your breathing becomes shallower, and your nervous system stays active continuously. That costs energy, even if you do not realize it.
What happens next is that your body starts sending signals that you often misinterpret. Headache is seen as “just been busy”. Shoulder pain as “slept wrong”. Fatigue as “just a long day”. Yet in many cases these are not separate complaints, but a sum of built-up tension. Your body is trying to make something clear to you, but because it develops gradually, you do not recognize it as a problem. You keep going as you are used to. Until the moment it no longer goes away or becomes stronger. Then it seems as if the complaint suddenly appears, while the process had actually been going on much longer.
Breaking this pattern starts with awareness. Not reacting only once the complaint is already there, but learning earlier to recognize what your body needs. That does not mean you have to turn your life completely upside down, but it does mean taking moments of recovery seriously. Real relaxation, in which your body gets the chance to release tension and come back to rest. For many people, a targeted treatment is an effective step in this. Not as a luxury, but as a way to bring your body back to a state in which it can function normally. As soon as that tension eases, you only then realize how much you have actually been holding on to.
Written by
Patricia Entjes
Massage therapist
Hi! I'm Patricia and a massage therapist at MHC
