Anxiety and Stress

​How can relaxation massage help with anxiety and stress?
 
I’m sure we all know the flight or fight response – (technically it's a sympathetic nervous system that jumps into action).  Your body provides a bit (or a lot) of adrenaline which gets your heart rate going a bit faster; sometimes we may sweat, and we become more alert and at the ready.  This inbuilt protection mechanism is valid for reacting to dangerous situations such as getting out of the way of an oncoming bus quick smart.  But we sometimes keep in this state - this dis-ease of being busy – is it becoming the 'norm’?

Continuous circles of stress to situations such as;  I must have this in by this deadline; I have emails I have yet to respond to; whoops there goes the phone; arrghhh I am late for the school run/doctors/work; the baby keeps crying and I can’t do anything to help; or my mind can’t slow down and I am constantly onto the next thing.  What if your doing too much training and your performance is beginning to decline?

​When do YOU get time to REST?….so you can repair and rejuvenate.
 
What are your early warning signs? Do you know that tipping point that you maybe approaching OVERLOAD into fatigue? They can be different for all of us and so subtle they can be often overlooked until it’s too late.

Stress and having too much going on can make anyone anxious.  Having a bit of anxiety is a normal when faced with a stressful event or when things turn upside down.  It's when the worry or anxiety start to become more frequent that these feelings start to interfere with daily life.  1 in 4 people (15% of New Zealanders*) suffer from anxiety which can lead to not wanting to interact with your friends (social impact) and you can also become susceptible to getting sick more often.   

Can you see a pattern?  - A little bit of stress or anxiousness now and then is completely normal, however when the stress or the feelings of anxiety start to become constant or consume your daily life, this is when it is time to ask for help.  

What could be useful in reducing stress and anxiety?

1. Only by looking after ourselves first, can we help others.  So here it is when did you last schedule in a bit of YOU time. What do you like to do, to relax? If you can't think of anything - then this is the first thing you need to address!  These suggestions may get you started - 20 ways to relax and unwind.
2. Friends - when was the last time you just got out and had a cuppa with your friends with the chance to download to a willing ear.  Sometimes when we can just talk about it, that can be enough to put things into perspective. 
3. Identifying the underlying issue - what is causing the stress? Could anything be changed? Can things be given to others to do on your behalf? Reduced? Stopped? 
4. If things are completely out of your control,  what can you reduce things in your life that you can control? 
5. Ask for help.  Perhaps a trusted health professional, life coach or counselor could help with gaining some insight from a neutral perspective.  Tackling the issue head on with a bit of problem solving and creating an action plan can help get the wheels in motion, making that steep mountain become less daunting and more manageable, especially when it is broken down to tackling it one step at a time.
6. Regular exercise is a natural way to boost those feel good hormones, and activities such as walking can be really inexpensive and effective for improving your outlook on life.  Can you do it with a friend? 
7. Have a look at what you are drinking - too much coffee/energy drinks? Reducing the amount of stimulants can reduce the effects of anxiety and help you to sleep better. Having a balanced diet, by reducing processed foods is a good start. You may already know this. Is there anything you might be able to change that is perhaps getting in the way of healthy eating?  The Ministry of Health website has some great resources to use for inspiration - click here.  If time is short and you want to take the thinking out of dinner - perhaps you can outsource to having your meals delivered such as My food bag, Food box, Feed me, or online delivery from Countdown? 
8. Getting a regular massage helps with reducing your stress levels. By allowing yourself space away to experience a relaxed and calm environment it will leave you feeling really good. Our clients who come in for regular treatments use massage to address their stress levels and have reported improvements in not only their sleep, but their moods are improved as they feel less anxious and certainly more calmer after their session.  

If you would like to know more about stress and anxiety please visit  Health Navigator website for more resources or you can call 0800 14 ANXIETY. 

*2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey. Quick Facts