Your body is talking... but are you listening? I'm told regularly "I didn't realise I was holding so much tension in my body" or "Feeling this way just feels normal, I did not realise it was stress".
Most people know when they are stressed. But sometimes I meet a clearly very stressed person who confidently tell me that they are not stressed. Yes, they are juggling a stressful job, children, elderly family and health issues... but they are definitely not that stressed. Then they struggle to relax during the session. It is only after the session that they tell me that they had not realised how stressed they really were. Stress had become their normal.
I remember that 'normal' feeling well. Before becoming a well-being therapist I travelled into central London every day and worked for 10-12 hour days. I ignored my husband telling me I was stress as I enjoyed the buzz of my job. Even though I had psoriasis, headaches, IBS and fertility issues I didn’t connect it to stress. But I ended up getting signed off work! Now I know the stress signs my body sends me.
But what are the signs?
Your body will whisper quietly to you through a nagging tension headache. Or it may shout loudly with panic attacks or high blood pressure. Here are some examples of stress symptoms that maybe you recognise:
IBS and other digestion conditions
Shallow breathing or panic breathing
Unexplained muscle tension
Jaw clenching and teeth grinding
Tension headaches
Low immune system and constant colds
Auto-immune conditions
High blood pressure
Anxiety and panic attacks
Irregular sleep or insomnia
Hormonal Imbalance
Some fertility issues
Fatigue and burnout
Reduces memory and concentration
Mood swings
Hormonal imbalances
the lost goes on...
The Biology of Stress
Yes of course health issues can be genetic, due to eating habits or a unhealthy lifestyle. But stress is a major trigger to health problems. Your autonomic nervous system has two branches,:
Your Systematic Nervous System takes you into ‘fight and flight’ by releasing adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. It changes how your body functions as a temporary way of coping with danger (stress). But stress is often not short term and that is what causes the health issues.
Your Parasympathetic Nervous System is your best friend. It helps your body get back into balance, stimulate digestion, breath correctly - restore us back into a relaxed state. Stimulating your body to self heal and work healthily again.
See my ‘Ways to Reduce Stress’ blog for a bullet list of tips: https://www.headtotoeharmony.co.uk/post/10-ways-to-reduce-stress-daily
To book Reflexology or a massage check out my Bushey, Herts based business via: www.headtotoeharmony.co.uk