The Stress Secrets

Last year, 82% of GP appointments in the UK were directly related to stress and this harmful condition is becoming the leading cause of absence from work and a trigger for many other health problems.

One of the challenges, we believe, is that although so many of us say we ‘feel’ stressed, most of us think it is a state of mind. When experiencing symptoms of stress, many of us look our for irritability, tiredness, unhappiness and a lack of motivation. However, stress is much more complicated than that and even if we aren’t thinking stress, it can be quietly attacking our bodies and damaging our health.

Stress has a powerful negative impact on our body and can be responsible for aches and pains, changes in weight, changes in bowel movements, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat and a loss of sex drive. Stress also attacks our immune systems and can be the cause of frequent colds and other viral illnesses.

So the question is, what do we do about it? Many of us have some understanding of the lifestyle changes we can make to reduce stress or some of the mindful techniques or talking therapies that can are available to help us process and minimise stress. Yet, how do we deal with stress if we are ‘feeling’ stressed rather than ‘thinking’ stressed?

Here at Connect to Health, we believe the key to keeping stress at bay lies in understanding your mind and body … and freeing both of stress through a combination of bodywork and counselling therapy and embracing the intrinsic connection between both.

For example, a massage offers much more than an hour of relaxation - it is infact one of the easiest ways to detect and release stress from the body. Research has shown that massage can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and reduces both serotonin and dopamine which help to relieve both short term and acute levels of stress. Clinical studies have also shown that even a single 1 hour massage can reduce your heart rate, your cortisol levels and your insulin levels which will help you ‘feel’ less stressed.

Massage can also help release some of the stress we ‘feel’ and move it to the stress we ‘think’ which, when combined with mindfulness, coaching or counselling therapy can help us totally remove stress from our bodies and create a life that is balanced, connected, happy and healthy.

If you would like to know more or book any of our therapies to help you manage any type of stress, please do get in touch.