April 2019 is Stress Awareness month, a month for healthcare professionals and experts to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.
Stress is your body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, the release of hormones such as Adrenaline and Cortisol helps you stay focused, energetic and alert in an emergency. Psychological stress can be caused by many things such as an exhausting work schedule, a rocky relationship, buying a house, getting a promotion or taking exams. What affects one person may not affect another in the same way, but the huge impacts that stress has on our health means that we each need to find solutions on how to manage our stress and cope.
So just how many of us are feeling stressed? Well A UK-wide stress survey has found that almost three quarters of adults (74%) have at some point over the past year felt so stressed they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope, with 18-24 year-old's being the most affected.*
This stress can do more than some may at first think - the US National Safety Council reported that Work-related stress has only recently been recognized as one of the major causes of some of the most costly, time-robbing health problems for business; of the 40.2 million working days lost by illness and injury, 13.4 million are from stress, anxiety, and depression.
Stress is also a significant factor in mental health problems including anxiety and depression. The American Medical Association has reported stress was a factor in 75 percent of all diseases, it is linked to physical health problems like heart disease, problems with our immune system, insomnia and digestive problems.
A recent study has even linked the effects of stress to the weakening of the heart muscle. They discovered that the more stress, anger, and sadness someone experienced, the less able their hearts were able to respond effectively. As the pressure exerted on the heart by constant stress causes it to stretch beyond its capacity to bounce back.
But don't stress, Reflexology can help.
Reflexology can reduce and offset the effects of stress on the heart and overall health. It endeavors to treat the body, mind, and spirit as a cohesive system by getting to the cause of disease, not just its symptoms. Muscular tension is released, nerve function is improved, it release toxins from the body's tissues, improves sleep and helps to circulate the blood and lymph systems with overall health and well-being being improved, encouraging the body to relax and restore its natural balance.
A Chinese study found that Reflexology efficiently alleviate the effects of extreme stress. Whilst being treated for neurasthenia - a condition of extreme emotional stress, patients were given a course of reflexology. Overall 90% found improvement with 40% experiencing a complete cure.*
Reflexology is a fantastic treatment that has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, and can be used with great effect to help numerous disorders and problems. At a time in which stress impacts the majority of society, with alarming consequences if it becomes too severe, now is a time for you to get on top of your stress management and improve your entire well-being with Reflexology.
- www.reflexology-research.com
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