the blood pressure, the body also diverts vital resources from the immune system and cholesterol levels rise. Common symptoms of prolonged stress include fatigue, headache, heartburn, indigestion, hair loss, insomnia and depression.
Some more serious conditions and diseases associated with prolonged stress are acidosis, backache, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s disease, diverticulosis, pancreatic and kidney disease and even heart attacks.
‘Regular [head] massage helps people work better. Absenteeism through stress would drop immediately if everyone had a massage at least once a week.’ Daily Mail
Do You Recognize this Person?
Although your body’s reaction to stress, described on the previous page, may sound drastic, we don’t always realize immediately when we are suffering from stress. There are several physical symptoms that can act as warning signals: advance notice from our body telling us to take preemptive action. Check the following list. The more symptoms you have, the more pressure your body is under.
• Shallow and/or faster breathing
• High blood pressure/palpitations
• Constipation
• Excess sweating
• Diarrhoea
• Muscular tension
• Hair loss
• Dilated pupils
• Constant tirednees
• Loss of appetite
• PMT
• Irregular menstruation
• Disturbed sleeping pattern
• Impotence
• Poor skin
• Low sex drive
• Poor hair condition
As well as experiencing one or more of the physical symptoms listed above, the emotions can also be thrown into turmoil. Anyone under a lot of stress will feel uneasy and vulnerable and may feel like crying continually. It is common to feel overwhelmed by negative emotions and to simply feel unable to cope with life. Different people react to these feelings in different ways but they can sometimes lead to violent behaviour or reliance on alcohol or drugs. The important thing is to recognize that these symptoms are the result of stress and to tackle the underlying cause.
Emotional disturbance can surface in many ways. The following is a checklist of feelings commonly experienced when under a lot of stress.
• Feelings of helplessness
• Loss of sense of humour
• Loneliness
• Low self-esteem
• Panic attacks
• Nightmares
• Irritability
• Lack of concentration
• Desire to escape
• Confusion
• Frustration
• Loss of sense of proportion
• Mood swings
• Forgetfulness
• Insecurity
• Hypochondria
• Anxiety
• Phobias
• Over-stimulation
When the physical, mental and emotional bodies are out of balance we need assistance to restore comfort and harmony. A sense of peace, tranquillity and wholeness can then ensue.
Indian head massage is an ideal way to restore homeostasis. Whilst giving Indian head massage, I can truly say that every person gives me positive feedback. So much peace is restored within each person that I am supremely confident that Indian head massage is a perfect tool to deal with the results of stress. The massage tackles the physical, mental and emotional effects of stress in a unique and particularly effective way.
‘If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your estimate of it.’ Marcus Aurelius
Tackling stress effectively is especially important in the workplace. Each year several million working days are lost as a result of stress. Two out of three medical consultations concern stress-related conditions.
Stress is not only caused by a high-pressure job; anyone can succumb: from the managing director to the office cleaner. We spend a major part of our lives at work, or looking for it. Thus, what happens at work is vitally important to our health and well-being. Stress can occur if you are working in an environment or a job that is not really right for you, or if you feel that your abilities are being over or under stretched. Your section leader or your boss may not appreciate your personal attributes, or strained personal relationships may begin to have an extremely negative effect on you.
CASE HISTORY
Age: 20
Sex: Female
Profession: Student
• Symptoms: Although Lillian complained of acne and dark circles under her eyes, the real problem was that she had lost the ability to concentrate. She was very worried about the approaching exams but her lethargic state prevented her from doing anything about it. She decided to try Indian head massage as a last resort.
• After the first treatment: Her neck and shoulders, which had been as stiff as boards, opened up. She felt like a new person and because the stored-up, tense energy had been shifted she felt able to return to her flat and get down to some real study.
• After subsequent treatments: Lillian found she couldn’t keep her eyes open during the sessions! She became much less stressed, her skin tone improved, the dark circles under her eyes disappeared and her smile returned. She was able to tackle
