We all suffer from stress at times in our lives, whether at work or at home. Trying to come up with ideas for my Treatments of the Month, or even these blogs, is stressful enough, never mind the cost of living crisis we're all facing. Heaven forbid another COVID type lockdown.
Stress Awareness Month aims to raise awareness of how stress affects our mental and physical health. We can all too quickly fall into drinking/smoking too much or eating unhealthily, trying to deal with the daily stress.
For April 2024, the theme of the month is "Little By Little, A Little Becomes A Lot!" #LittleByLittle. It can be difficult to do all the things we're supposed to do each day or week to help relieve stress. In our busy lives, we just don't have time to take an hour out here, 30 minutes there. We have too much going on.
So how can we cope? By doing a little bit here, a little bit there. 10 minutes of something other than work, childcare, caring for relatives or hearing about the horrors going on in the world, can make a difference to your stress levels and wellbeing.
10 minutes of exercise, 10-20 minutes of meditation, 10 minutes of stretching, 10 minutes listening to music. Just doing one of these a day is proven to reduce stress over time, even by a small amount.
The Stress Management Society recommend a few small actions to make big changes:
Prioritise sleep - minimize screen time before bed and avoid caffeine after 4pm
Move - Walk, run, stretch, do yoga
Get outside - get some fresh air and spend time in nature
Breath deep - deep breathes can help with relaxation and stress relief
Practice mindfulness - focus on the here and now with a mindfulness session
Talk - check in with your support network, friends and family. Some people, especially men, don't talk enough about their problems/feelings. Remember - it's OK to not be OK.
Make time to look after yourself. My treatments are a great way to undo some of the damage done by life's stresses. Book in for a bit of me-time.
Does your company have a well-being budget? Ask them to book me for a full or half day session at your workplace. I provide 15-30 minute seated acupressure session at your workplace. You remain fully clothed and there's no oils used. You and your colleagues get a short treatment focusing on head, neck and upper back. Perfect for anyone whose job involves sitting down for long periods of time, for example, working at a computer or driving.