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Stress Solutions

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Therapies for stress
Insomnia
Unable to switch off/whirring thoughts
Low energy & tiredness
Headaches
A note for hay fever sufferers
Concerns about your health
Relaxation exercise

Therapies for stress:

• If you are under stress, the natural stress response (conditioned in us since the dawn of humans) involves (among other physiological responses) tensing the muscles, to prepare us for 'fight or flight'. If we do neither of those things (and in the office environment, it's pretty hard!), the muscles remain under strain for prolonged periods of time. We eventually forget how it feels to have our muscles in their natural relaxed state, and constant tension becomes the norm.
• With massage, those tense muscles can begin their journey back to a more relaxed state. Aches and pains can be eased away, and as the muscles are relaxed, so the mind relaxes. After a massage, even just one, you have a new idea of how a less-stressed body might feel. This is a valuable tool. The more you become familiar with your body and mind in a relaxed state, the more you will be able to detect stress taking hold. The earlier you can detect it, the sooner you can take steps to reduce it - and that means reducing the long-term effects of a physiological stress response, which can be damaging to your body and mind.
• Massage, as well as easing muscle aches and pains, can: calm the mind; reduce anxiety; improve your sleep; boost your immune system; balance your hormonal and digestive systems, and give a great boost to your mood. It is a great support to any stress-management plan, and a great way to become more friendly with your body!
• Emotional Freedom Technique is a simple, effective way of dealing with mental, emotional and physical blocks. Is there something holding you back? Nerves about public speaking or meetings that make work a strain? A phobia that you have to work your life around? The after-effects of a traumatic experience still affecting you? Anxiety? Compulsive behaviour?
• EFT is a straightforward technique, using 'tapping' on acupressure points on the head, hands and torso to release thoughts and emotions that are affecting us, and move on to where we want to be. The results are measured within the session by the client, so you can see very quickly that it works. The technique is taught to you during a session, so that you can use it at home between sessions, to get great results. - Give it a try - you'll be surprised!
• For more in-depth explanations of these and the other therapies available (along with customer comments), click on any of the 'Therapies' in the menu bar on the left.

Insomnia:

• Try not to watch tv just before you go to bed - this contributes to poor sleep.
• Some people find that a lavender pillow, or a couple of drops of lavender essential oil* (see bottom of page) on their pillow can help them get to sleep. Be careful not to use too many drops, as in greater amounts, the oil has the opposite, stimulating, effect!
• If you can get some physical exercise in the evening - even if it is just going for a walk - your body is more likely to be physically tired, and more likely to relax and go to sleep.
• Have a treatment!

Unable to switch off/whirring thoughts:

• Some people find that meditation, or a meditative exercise form like tai chi or yoga, enables them to calm their minds more easily. There are classes available all over the city. For good value, try Edinburgh City Council adult education classes.
• Activities like this will help you regain control over your thoughts, allow you to experience and cultivate relaxation, which in turn can have an effect on stress symptoms like headaches, blood pressure problems and digestive problems**(see bottom of page)
• Some people find the Bach Flower Remedy 'White Chestnut', for repetitive thoughts, very useful. Bach Flower Remedies are available at Boots, Real Foods and Napiers, among other places.
• Have a treatment!

Low energy & tiredness:

• Exercise will give you energy. It may seem impossible to contemplate exercise when you are already feeling exhausted. 'Exercise', however, does NOT have to mean joining a gym, going to classes, or playing a sport. If you can manage a brisk walk of around 20 minutes most days, even this will have a positive effect on your energy levels.
• Cut down on sugary foods: Quickly absorbed sugars and simple carbohydrates will give you an energy high just after you eat them, but will also result in an energy slump later on. Do you feel particularly tired after lunch? Try having bread-free lunches for a while (bread - especially white bread - is a simple carbohydrate which is broken down into sugars and absorbed quickly into the bloodstream). Try more complex carbohydrates such as salads, rice, oatcakes, rye bread or -biscuits... It's not about dieting, it's about taking on foods that will keep your energy up for hours rather than minutes, and avoid that 'mid-afternoon slump', when you just want to go to sleep!
• Try not to have too much caffeine or alchohol - the stimulation of lots of caffeine can result in overtaxing your adrenal response, which, in the long term, leads to severely depleted energy.
• Some people find the Bach Flower Remedies 'Hornbeam' (for tiredness even at the thought of doing something), and 'Olive' (for mental and physical tiredness and exhaustion) very useful. Bach Flower Remedies are available at Boots, Real Foods and Napiers, among other places.
• Have a treatment!

Headaches:

• Eye strain:
• It is not good for your eyes to be focussing on a computer screen for long periods at a time - this can cause deterioration in your vision, and put strain on your eyes leading to headaches. The first step is to ensure that you regularly look away from the screen, and focus on something further away - you can set up a reminder on your computer to get you to do this at regular intervals.

  You may have heard this before, and most of us will often dismiss a reminder that comes when we are in the middle of a piece of work. However, your sight is very important, and it is a small and simple habit to get into for the sake of protecting your eyes. If you are experiencing headaches, do make an effort to try this simple exercise - it may make a great deal of difference.

  When was the last time you had your eyes tested? If your vision has deteriorated since your last test, this could be the cause of headaches, eye strain, and even dizziness - free eye tests are available - why not make an appointment?

• Postural problems:
• The way we are seated in relation to our computer screen, and the angle at which we are viewing it can have a huge effect on our bodies. Your computer, desk or chair may be too high, too low, or at the wrong angle. Often, a persistent and acute muscle pain (which can cause headaches) can be relieved simply by changing the arrangement of your chair and screen. Ask health and safety in your office to arrange a workstation assesment, or get them to have a look at the very helpful posture monitor.
• If both of these causes of headaches have been ruled out, your headache may be related to (among other things):
• the food you eat;
• your intake of caffeine, alcohol or dairy products;
• a lack of water (ideally, you should be drinking about 2 litres per day, but even a couple of glasses will make a difference);
• muscle tension in your neck or shoulders;
• or even a lack of good old fresh air!
• Try reducing your intake of those things listed above, increase your water intake, get outside more, or
• Have a treatment!

A note for hay fever sufferers:

• Many sufferers have found that if they eat a little locally-produced honey each day, their symptoms are alleviated. This may be because the honey is produced by bees using the same pollen which is causing your symptoms, and eating the honey allows you to build up some resistance. Anyway, why not give it a try? To source local honey, go to: www.beedata.com/localhoney, click on 'search database', and type in your area.
• Hopi ear candle treatments can greatly reduce the symptoms of hay fever.

Concerns about your health:

• If you are worried about any aspect of your health, do please see your doctor. There are some things for which a doctor may not be able to offer a great deal of assistance (headaches, fatigue), but even these can be symptoms of other conditions, and it is always best to keep your doctor up to date on what is happening for you. If you are worried about a particular symptom and its possible implications (changes in bowel activity, suspicious moles), it is essential that you report this to your doctor, who can put your mind at ease or arrange for investigation. There's no point worrying when it may be nothing at all to worry about!
• If you are not sure whether you should be seeing your doctor, or you are reluctant to do so due to time pressure or other reasons, you can, in the first instance, try NHS 24, who have both a phone line (08454 24 24 24) and a website (www.nhs24.com).
• I have heard from some clients that they feel their doctor is of very little help when they see them. There are two things you can do if you feel this is the case:
• Your doctor probably has relatively short time slots in which to see each patient. You can help them by making a note of what your concerns are, and taking this in with you (we often come out of an appointment realising we forgot to mention something). If you can let the doctor know simply and efficiently what is bothering you, you will get more out of your appointment.
• If your doctor has seemed consistently unhelpful, ask to see a different doctor in the practice. You are absolutely entitled to do this, and should have no trouble making an appointment with another of the practice GPs.

Relaxation Exercise:

As a small introduction to the effects of relaxation on stress, try the following simple exercise:

• Sit or lie down comfortably, with your arms and legs uncrossed if possible.
• Close your eyes.
• Focus on your toes. Tense them up, tighter and tighter, until they are as tense as you can make them.
• Take a deep breath in, relax your toes, and breathe out slowly.
• Next, focus on your feet. Flex your feet upwards, tighter and tighter, until they are as tense as you can make them.
• Take a deep breath in, relax your feet, and breathe out slowly.
• Continue tensing, breathing and relaxing all the way up your body your calves, thighs, buttocks, back, fingers, hands, arms, shoulders, neck and finally your face.
• When you have tensed and relaxed all the parts of your body, take three deep, slow breaths in and out.
• Notice the difference in your body.
• Sit quietly for as long as you wish, and then slowly begin to move around, opening your eyes and returning your attention to wherever you are.

This exercise can be done very slowly, taking as long as you like to really notice where the tension in your body lies, and how you can ease it through your actions and your breathing.

It can also, however, be done very quickly. If you do it for just two minutes each day, you will really notice a difference, both in the level of tension in your body, and in how easily you notice yourself becoming tense.

However, this exercise only works if you DO IT! Why not start now?

If you have any questions about any of the therapies, or if there is anything you would like to ask me about, please contact me. I can't promise I'll have the answer you want, but I can promise I'll reply!

If you have experience of a stress solution which you think others might find useful, I'd love to hear from you.

*this oil is widely used by many people, but is still a strong essential oil -please check before using it that there are no contraindications for using it with any conditions you may have, or medication you may be taking.

**if you have high blood pressure, please consult your doctor before undertaking any new physical activity.

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Therapies for stress
Insomnia
Unable to switch off/whirring thoughts
Low energy & tiredness
Headaches
A note for hay fever sufferers
Concerns about your health
Relaxation exercise