It's Personal

Stress is personal. 

I think that this is the biggest lesson that I have learned in a long time and it's not anything that can be taught; you simply have to go through it yourself to experience it.

As you may know, David and I are moving house on June 2^nd, which will be the second move in 6 months. It's been a tough time but I am sure that we will come out the other side of it with a big smile on our faces.

However, when life has got to me I have had to learn what allows me to unwind is something that is personal to the way that my body, mind and soul works. All the articles that I have read over the last few months suggest ways to unwind when life gets on top of one. They often suggest a nice walk in the woods, a picnic with a loved one, space in a quiet room with a scented candle, as well as the classic warm bubble bath! All these ideas are great and I have found them to be really helpful in the past as a quick fix that I didn't have to think of myself. I often find myself giving these bits of advice to my clients as well as I do believe that they can help in the immediate.

But when there is an on going amount to deal with over weeks and months I think it is fair to say that no article can really come close to knowing you and giving you personalized advice on how to deal with it all.

I likened the feeling of stress for me as 'Agoraphobia Of The Mind'; there would have been too much space to ponder if I wasn't doing anything. So I needed something to fill my mind and take away the thoughts for a bit.

For me I have found that I really need to move my body when I am feeling wound up. But a 'nice walk in the woods' has nearly destroyed me at times because it gives me too much time to think and I have found it hard not to dwell on the issues that have surrounded the house move and David's work.

Photo by By Έλενα Λαγαρία 

So I got in touch with Ryan, a personal trainer, and Sally-Ann who teaches adults to swim. These two people have given me movement with a purpose and the way that they get me to think about what I am doing with my body when I am moving gives me no room to think on other matters. The quick drills that they have put in place for me mean that I only have about a 3 minute time frame at the most in which to do things, leaving no room for anything else. For an hour and a half I get complete freedom from the stress that has been around, as well as an almighty adrenaline kick! This mental space from everyday pressure and the great all round health boost that it gives to my body has allowed me to cope a lot better with situations that arise suddenly.

The result has been a good one. No longer do I feel that I have no outlet for the pent up destress within me as I can simply walk up over the fields to Charterhouse Club and hit the pool and the gym. My climbing ability has improved, (which is for me the best physical outcome!), but I can now enjoy a walk in the woods for half an hour with out working myself into a stupor, have a bubble bath with a book (reading also help me not think about the day just gone), and I can enjoy time at the pub over a curry for a few hours with friends and laugh all the way through with out feeling self consumed.

The other aspect of relaxation for me is of course therapy! Sports massage, facials, manicures and pedicures have got me through and I am looking forward to some aromatherapy next month. If my body is in good order and my skin is looking radiant with health, all I have to be concerned about are the situations around David and the house move as everything else is taken care of.

Photo by: By Ben Gillin

I hope that you are able to find a way of coping with your stress levels that is personal to you. Keep doing the little things every day, like buying a bunch of flowers to enjoy in the dining room, or reading a paper at your local coffee house; just 15 minutes is better than nothing and all the small things add up to make a bigger picture. And keep talking with friends and family if you can. If you can't, I can personally recommend that finding a professional counsellor or psychotherapist can be a real help.

No matter what you are going through, I hope that the path you find through it is straight and true. I look forward to helping you along the way.

Take good care of yourself

Jenny xx

What I'm loving in the Treatment Room today: My cold and hot stones; they have really helped with a client's acute muscle strain today.

Music in the Treatment Room today: Indian Ragas: 'Mater of the Indian Flute' Hariprassad Chaurasia