Skip to main content

Easy Acupressure Techniques for Stress Management

Peter G. Hanson, M.D.

“Stress is simply the adaptation of our bodies and minds to change.”

Whether it’s the daily pressures of work, personal challenges, or simply the fast-paced nature of modern life, stress can take a toll on our well-being. Fortunately, there are simple, effective ways to find relief and restore balance. This blog will guide you through easy acupressure and self-massage techniques you can use on-the-go to manage stress and cultivate a sense of calm whenever needed.

Techniques & Benefits

These techniques combine the benefits of acupressure and self-massage to calm your nervous system, release tension, and manage stress effectively.

Hand Pressure Point for Tired, Achy Hands

  • Benefits: Relieves hand fatigue and pain.
  • Location: Web of muscle between the thumb and index finger.
  • Technique: Press your thumb and index finger into the web of the muscle between the thumb and index finger of the other hand. Press and wiggle through the muscle tissue toward the edge of skin. Repeat as desired.  

Yin Tang Acupressure (Third Eye Point)

  • Benefits: Calms the mind and reduces anxiety.
  • Location: The point between your eyebrows.
  • Technique: Gently apply pressure with your index finger for 1-2 minutes, focusing on deep, slow breaths. 

Heart 7 Acupressure (Shenmen)

  • Benefits: Soothes the mind and alleviates anxiety.
  • Location: On the wrist crease, aligned with your little finger.
  • Technique: Apply firm, steady pressure with your thumb for 1-2 minutes. 

Pericardium 6 Acupressure (Neiguan)

  • Benefits: Reduces anxiety and nausea.
  • Location: On the inner forearm, about three finger-widths below the wrist crease, between the two tendons.
  • Technique: Apply gentle, circular pressure with your thumb for 1-2 minutes. 

Neck Relief for Headaches and Soreness

  • Benefits: Relieves headaches and neck tension.
  • Location: Base of the skull where it meets the spine.
  • Technique: Take the palm of your hand and center it at the back of the head. With medium pressure, squeeze and grasp the back of the neck by drawing the fingers toward the center. Release and repeat 4 times with the right hand, then 4 times with the left hand. 

Temple Massage for Tension Headaches and Tired Eyes:

  • Benefits: Alleviates tension headaches and eye strain.
  • Location: Temples, just beside the eyes.
  • Technique: Place your index and middle fingertips at the temple. With light pressure, make 6 to 8 clockwise circular movements, then 6 to 8 counterclockwise circular movements. Repeat as desired.

Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

The use of essential oils and aromatherapy can also help amplify some of these techniques.

Key Essential Oils & Benefits:

  • Lavender: Promotes relaxation, reduces anxiety  
  • Chamomile: Calms the nervous system, promotes relaxation  
  • Bergamot: Reduces anxiety, uplifts mood  
  • Ylang Ylang: Reduces anxiety, promotes relaxation  

Usage: Diffuse, inhale directly, or apply diluted to the skin 

Thank you to our content partners at Sharp HealthCare. 

Need Additional Well-Being Support?

While acupressure and self-massage techniques can be powerful tools for stress management, sometimes we need additional support. California Schools VEBA (CalVEBA) offers a range of resources to help you navigate life’s challenges and daily stress.

Optum Wellbeing Solutions (EWS)

  • 24/7 Support: For immediate assistance with stress, relationship conflicts, work-life balance, communication strategies, and more, contact Optum EWS.  
  • Dedicated Workplace Support Consultants: CalVEBA members and their dependents (18+) in California can access no-cost counseling visits virtually or in-person at the VEBA Resource Centers (Kearny Mesa and Carlsbad).  
    • Available: Monday – Friday, 10 am – 7 pm.
    • To Book: Visit https://bit.ly/optumvrc, create an account, enter the verification code, and select “Onsite service” to choose your appointment type (in-person, video, or telephone). 

Therapy Resources:

  • California Schools VEBA (CalVEBA) Therapy:
    • Short-term mental health support is available. Schedule a consultation with a CalVEBA Care Navigator—a critical care and holistic Registered Nurse. 
    • To schedule a Care Navigation appointment, call 619-398-4220 or book an appointment here. The Care Navigator will assist you with scheduling your therapy appointment and connect you with the resources you need for long-term support and care. 
  • Health Plan Network Therapists:
    • Kaiser Members: For mental health care, call Kaiser Permanente directly.  
      • Call: 833-579-4848 (8 am – 5:30 pm, Monday – Friday). 
    • UnitedHealthcare Members: Sign in to your member account or call the number on your member ID card. For more information regarding wellness resources visit.

Questions about your mental health benefits or need help finding an in-network provider? Contact the California Schools VEBA Advocacy Team for assistance with benefits eligibility, enrollment questions, or finding a therapist within your network.

Thank you to our content partners at Sharp HealthCare.

What Does “Integrative Medicine” Mean?

From Sharp Health News, a publication of Sharp HealthCare

Integrative medicine is an approach to health care that addresses physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental wellness. It combines conventional care and holistic aspects of Eastern medicine.

What are the benefits of integrative medicine?

Some patients are drawn to the more natural, less invasive treatments associated with integrative medicine. It promotes better tolerance of unpleasant symptoms and often uses less pharmaceutical medication than traditional treatment.

What are some common examples of alternative therapies used in an integrative approach?

Some common techniques include music, pet or art therapy, massage and meditation. Guided imagery, acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology and Healing Touch are also options.

How can mental and social wellness have a positive impact on our health?

People respond differently to illness, and some have trouble coping with these challenges. The support of family, friends, practitioners and community help us maintain a positive outlook, which aids the healing process.

What are a few things we can do to promote our own mental and social wellness?

Practice a positive, self-help mentality and focus on maintaining wellness before illness strikes. Regular physical exercise, deep breathing techniques, yoga and meditation are excellent practices to do routinely.

The VEBA Resource Center offers Healing through Natural Medicine Classes. In this class, you will learn the power of foods, herbs, teas, essential oils, acupressure points, body-mind practices and home remedies for a variety of conditions. Learn the holistic approach to feel empowered to get your health back, have energy, and feel and look fabulous. Check out our calendar to sign up for an upcoming class.

¿Qué significa “medicina integrativa”?

Por parte de Sharp Health News, una publicación de Sharp HealthCare

La medicina integrativa es un enfoque de la atención médica que aborda el bienestar físico, emocional, mental, social, espiritual y ambiental. Combina la atención convencional y los aspectos holísticos (naturales) de la medicina oriental.

¿Cuáles son los beneficios de la medicina integrativa?

Algunos pacientes se sienten atraídos por los tratamientos más naturales y menos invasivos asociados con la medicina integrativa. Promueve una mejor tolerancia a los síntomas desagradables y a menudo, utiliza menos medicamentos farmacéuticos que el tratamiento tradicional.

¿Cuáles son algunos ejemplos comunes de terapias alternativas utilizadas en un enfoque integrador?

Algunas técnicas comunes incluyen la música, terapia con mascotas o arte, masajes y meditación. Imágenes guiadas, acupuntura, aromaterapia, reflexología y terapia de imposición de manos (Healing Touch) también son opciones.

¿Cómo puede el bienestar mental y social tener un impacto positivo en nuestra salud?

Las personas responden de manera diferente a las enfermedades y algunas tienen problemas para hacer frente a estos desafíos. El apoyo de la familia, los amigos, los médicos y la comunidad nos ayuda a mantener una perspectiva positiva, lo que ayuda al proceso de curación.

¿Cuáles son algunas de las cosas que podemos hacer para promover nuestro propio bienestar mental y social?

Practique mentalidad positiva de autoayuda y concéntrese en mantener el bienestar antes de que ocurra una enfermedad. El ejercicio físico regular, las técnicas de respiración profunda, el yoga y la meditación son excelentes prácticas para realizar de forma rutinaria.

VEBA Resource Center ofrece clases Sanación a través de Medicina Natural. En esta clase, aprenderá el poder de los alimentos, las hierbas, los tés, los aceites esenciales, los puntos de acupresión, las prácticas cuerpo-mente y los remedios caseros para una variedad de afecciones. Aprenda el enfoque holístico para sentirse empoderado para recuperar su salud, tener energía y sentirse y verse fabuloso. Consulte nuestro calendario para inscribirse a una clase.

Increase Your Concentration in Between Classes

By now, you are probably in a back-to-school routine — a routine that looks so different then years past. Your days, which normally includes a full classroom, may now include a virtual component. With so many meetings and lessons filling your schedule, it’s important to stay alert. Keeping your mind-body connection strong will help you keep you focused. VEBA Resource Center’s Holistic Practitioner, Dr. Ioanna Vouloumanou, shares some acupressure points and breathing techniques to improve your mental clarity.

Acupressure Points for Focus

In between meetings, take a few minutes to find some acupressure points to help activate the brain, body and blood flow. Rub your ears for 15 seconds until they are hot. This short, simple movement connects the brain with the body.

Another technique to try is called the Du 20 Point of the Sea of Marrow. For one minute, initiate some acupressure point stimulation by tapping the top of your head. This movement is an often-used acupuncture point to increase alertness, concentration and resetting of the body. Tapping helps to activate the point and increase blood flow, oxygen to your brain and stimulates your nervous system.  

Breathing Techniques for Mental Clarity

If you are experiencing brain fog or mental exhaustion, sometimes some simple breathing exercises will help. By focusing on your breathing, you can bring more oxygen to the brain and improve your concentration. Depending on your situation and how much time you have in between meetings or class, there are different types of breathing techniques you can practice any time of the day. 

Deep Breathing Technique: Most of the time, we take shallow breaths throughout the day. Taking deep breaths will bring as much oxygen as possible into as many cells as possible to activate all organs, the brain and body function. 

Gently place your hand onto your stomach. Inhale deeply for 10 seconds and exhale slowly for 10 seconds. As you breathe in, you should feel your hand move out; as you exhale, you should feel your hand go down. If 10 seconds is too long to start, try starting with five seconds and working your way up. Repeat five times.

Nostril Breathing: To change your body and mind from stress mode to a more relaxed mode, try nostril breathing. This technique will bring more oxygen into your body, help you find relaxation and activate your focus.

To do the nostril breathing technique, you’ll want to find a comfortable chair. Sit down and put your left hand on your knee and place your right thumb on your right nostril and “close” it. Then, breathe in and out with your left nostril. After you are done with your left nostril, use your right index finger to gently close your left nostril and breathe in and out with only the right nostril. You will notice that one nostril will be easier than the other — this is normal. Repeat the cycle 5-10 times depending on your schedule. Be sure to finish this technique on the left side.

Taking short breaks in between classes will help you stay focused and alert. To see demonstrations of the acupressure points or breathing exercises, watch VEBA Resource Center’s Acupressure & Movement for Focus and Breathing for Mental Clarity.