13/12/2025
Wow, it really has been a long time since I was on here! It's also been almost a year since I secured my new day time job. Unfortunately this isnt a post about advertising availability, im fully booked with regulars for the times and days I have available with a list of people waiting for the odd availability.
I am however going to be back on here with some self help, starting with stress. Definitely the correct time of year to share.
It's OK, I'm just stressed.
How many times do you hear yourself saying that statement? How many times do you just pass it off and just keep going?
Have you heard of fight or flight? This is the term given to our bodies response to stress and or trauma. It's a natural response and in most cases is needed to deal with the situation at hand. The response should only last 20 - 60 minutes and your body recovers as it should. Below is an explanation of fight or flight.
A stressful situation, whether environmental or psychological, can activate a cascade of stress hormones that produce physiological changes. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system in this manner triggers an acute stress response called the "fight or flight" response. This enables a person to either fight the threat or flee the situation. The rush of adrenaline and noradrenaline secreted from the adrenal medulla causes almost all portions of the sympathetic system to discharge simultaneously as a widespread mass discharge effect throughout the entire body. Physiologic changes of this mass discharge effect include increased arterial pressure, more blood flow to active muscles and less blood flow to organs not needed for rapid motor activity, increased rate of blood coagulation, increased rates of cellular metabolism through the body, increased muscle strength, increased mental activity, increased blood glucose concentration, and increased glycolysis in the liver/muscle. The net effect of all these effects allows a person to perform more strenuous activity than normal. After the perceived threat disappears, the body returns to pre-arousal levels.
Now what happens if you're stuck in fight or flight mode, continously feeling stressed, living a stressful situation that you can't control?
It's not only exhausting to spend so much time in a state of high alert, but it can also be physically damaging. The physical consequences of acute stress can include high blood pressure, migraine headaches, and exacerbation of fibromyalgia, chronic gastritis, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms.
It can also lead to disruptions in everything from basic life skills like sleeping, self-care and eating, to complexities like learning and self-soothing.
We all experience stress and fight or flight, but its how its managed that's different. Some of us can snap straight out of it and others can't. This isn't a reflection on you, we're all just built differently. Some of us know and others we don't know until the physical signs start to show. These can be almost instant where others can take weeks, or even months.
Physical results from stress can be worse than an injury. Injuries heal, but with stress, the triggor needs to be addressed as well as calming the nervous system.
I treat a lot of people for injuries but massage isn't just for that. Holistic massage is about treating the person as a whole. Having a chat, talking through things, calming your nervous system with massage techniques with either Indian head, reflexology, aromatherapy or Swedish massages. Aromatherapy is the best form, essential oils are incorporated for your personal needs to give an almost hybrid treatment. Not only does it help with the mental state and calming the nervous system, it also helps to relax and release tense muscles, almost telling them, it's OK to relax, we're safe.
