Mental Health Awareness Week this year takes place 13-19 May 2019. The theme is Body Image - How we think and feel about our bodies.
Sadly, according to research conducted last year, 30% of all adults have felt so stressed by body image and appearance that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. That’s almost 1 in every 3 people!! Further research is being done to assess how all ages are affected in order to provide support in schools, the workplace and other networks.
Mental Health can affect any one of us, at any time in our lives, and it's really important to remember that there are people all around you that you can share these feelings and worries with. Whether it's with friends, family or a complete stranger...talking helps!
It's ok to not be ok!
During my Reflexology and Reiki treatments I encourage mindfulness as it's extremely important for Mental Health to learn to be 'present' in life and not continuously get caught up in what's already happened and what's going to happen next in our lives. Too many of us fly through life from one moment to the next without stopping to breathe and appreciate what we have and what's around us at that moment. Mindfulness is a mind-body based approach that helps people manage their thoughts and feelings, and therefore mental health.
Breathing exercises and meditation are the most common techniques for practising mindfulness and I like to encourage my clients to participate in some breathing techniques during the Reflexology and Reiki treatments, as it helps focus the mind and let go of the constant 'buzz' that most of us have in our heads.
Over the past few months I have begun working with companies to provide 'Wellbeing in the Workplace' Reflexology and Reiki treatment services. These treatments focus on the wellness of employees by providing taster sessions of usually around 20 minutes. Giving employees timeout during the day to completely switch off, be mindful and focus on their health has huge benefits to both the employee and the employer. Up until fairly recently, stress and anxiety in the workplace have, for the most part, been swept to one side. Thankfully these employee struggles are now being recognised and supported by many companies and the results are overwhelmingly positive - improved performance, lower absenteeism and a higher regard of your company as an employer.
For more information please feel free to contact me.