Cortisol is a chemical in our brain, released when we experience fear or stress. The stress response can be positive when we are faced with a real stressor such as violent person or animal. Blood rushes to our muscles and brain, away from our digestive system, so we are primed for fight and flight.
If channelled correctly stress can also be beneficial in the contemporary world, it can motivate us to challenge ourselves to do things outside of our comfort zones, achieve results in time for deadlines or ask for help and support from other people, which can all, in the long run, improve our self-esteem and possibly our relationships.
However, chronic negative stress can make us feel overwhelmed, trapped, isolated and helpless and affects the size and shape of the brain. When to much cortisol is released it leads to a higher amount of neural connections in the amygdala, the part of the brain which is responsible for fear, while levels in the hippocampus that regulates, learning, memories and stress control decrease. The hippocampus constrains the HMP axis, which is in charge of releasing the hormone cortisol. However if the hippocampus is debilitated, the HMP axis will run riot, causing the gradual loss of individuals being able to regulate their stress, as more and more cortisol is released into the system.
As more and more cortisol is released it leads to less and less synaptic connections, causing the brain to shrivel, the pre-frontal cortex to shrink, the consequences of which affect behaviours such as concentration, decision making, judgement, social interaction, learning and memory and also lead to serious mental illness such as depression.
Madhumita Murgia explains this well in TED talk animation below.
Therefore one needs to engage in activities which reduce the stress response, while meditation and gentle exercise can improve this. sometimes stress can only be remediated in a more drastic response, by a therapist and though a healing medium. Massage is very beneficial for this. Research has shown massage can improve brain function and growth in premature babies, so who is to say it does not do this with massage in adults.
Massage has been shown to reduce
cortisol levels
Improve self-esteem
Improves sleep which aids the brain in regulating the stress response.
Improves release of the hormone oxytocin.
Improves cognition
Improves brain development and cognition in babies
Reduces anxiety in children and adolescents