Many women who come to me recognise the same feeling: the body is “switched on” all day and doesn’t settle down by itself in the evening anymore. Below are the signals I come across most often in practice.

1. Your shoulders are pulled up, even when you’re not paying attention

Many women only notice how high their shoulders are sitting when someone points it out, or when they consciously try to let them drop. That tension has already become so normal that you no longer feel it yourself.

2. Your neck and jaw feel tight, especially by the end of the day

Neck tension and a tight jaw often go together. Both are places where your body holds stress without you being consciously aware of it.

3. You sleep badly, or wake up at night with your mind racing

If your body doesn’t get the chance to release tension during the day, it often carries that tension to bed. That can show up as trouble falling asleep, light sleep, or lying awake with thoughts that won’t stop.

4. You get overstimulated quickly by noise, busyness or people around you

A body that’s constantly on edge has less room to process stimuli. Noise, busyness, or simply a lot of people around you can then become too much more quickly.

5. Relaxing doesn’t happen by itself anymore, not even on weekends

Maybe this sounds familiar: you finally have time for yourself, but your body stays tense. That’s a clear signal that relaxation no longer happens automatically, and that your body needs help switching back down.

What you can do about it

These signals aren’t a weakness, they’re a sign that your body has been pushing through for a long time without truly recovering. In my practice in Hoofddorp I work with targeted massage to help your body settle, step by step, whether you’re coming from Hoofddorp itself or from Haarlem, Amstelveen or Aalsmeer. Want to know what that could mean for you? Read more about massage for tension pain or make an appointment right away.