Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Stressed???

Here is a quick little quiz to check your level of stress.
Give yourself one point for each yes answer.
  • Do you constantly feel exhausted?
  • Have you had problems with insomnia?
  • Do you get occasional or frequent headaches?
  • Do you hate it when your plans change?
  • Do you get upset having to wait in a line?
  • Have you had a cold in the past 6 months?
  • Do you find it hard to say “no”?
  • Does your life feel out of control?
  • Have you lost a job, moved, broken up or had any other big changes in the last year?
  • Do you never have time to daydream?
  • Do you hate the shape of your body, but can’t seem to do anything about it?
  • Has it been more than a year since your last vacation or massage?
The closer your score is to 12, the higher your stress level. If you rate 6 or more, it’s time to start managing your stress better.

What is stress?
Stress is defined differently by everyone.  A common ground is the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response.  Stress includes the usual physiological activity required to maintain homeostasis and the healthy emotional stress that makes life interesting and exciting.  Distress is the term used to denote harmful aspects of physical and emotional stress.  Through the common use of the term stress it is now  linked to the negative aspects of this state. 
Stress can affect everyone differently.  It can show up in physical and/or emotional symptoms.
There are also a variety of triggers that differ from person to person, what may stress one person out may have no effect on another. 

There are several different ways in which people deal with stress and it is an individual choice.  Some techniques include exercise, yoga, breathing, walking, talking to friends, write a journal, listen to music, take a long bath and many more.  One of the more common ways people deal with stress is by getting regular massages to promote relaxation.

How does Massage help reduce stress
Massage is been shown to be very beneficial  to alleviate the symptoms of stress.  The rhythmic movement and flow of a massage allows the body to relax.  "Massage has been found to reduce the levels of cortisol in the body and to decrease the person's perceived stress and anxiety levels.  It increases the person's  awareness of tense areas in the body which enables the person to develop more relaxed posture and better breathing." (Rattray &Ludwig, 2000) Clinical Massage Therapy  Elora, Talus

 

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