Sleep – Its only one way of getting energy.
The function of sleep is to renew us and its gives us our vitality or give us energy to live our lives. But while it may be ideal to have 7, 8 or 9 hours a sleep it’s not always possible with our 21st century life styles. For many people there is simply too much to do to sleep. So given you can’t create time, what can you do. First remember that sleep is only one way to recharge our energy battery.
Energy
How much energy you have right now isn’t purely based on how well you slept last night or how well you have been sleeping recently. By “energy” I mean your personal ability to live life to its fullest capacity. So where would you put yourself on an energy scale of 1 to 100% where 1 is very low energy and 100 is full of energy? Below 30% we are de-motivated, low in self-esteem and feel out of control. Just like jump-starting a car when the car battery has gone flat, if your energy falls below 30% then you need an energy boost from something like acupuncture, shiatsu or reiki. Once your energy level is about 30% then it’s possible to help yourself boost your energy.
Physical Energy Boosters
This is what we do to care for ourselves physical and the things that give us our vitality and make us feel physically well and energised.
- Rest is not just the essential precursor to brilliant sleep; it is also a substitute for sleep as it allows us to recharge our batteries.
- A healthy diet provides the nutritional support your body needs to provide physical energy.
- Exercise including yoga, swimming, walking and tai chi help re-charge our batteries.
Emotional Energy Capacity
This is related to your emotional health and energy – your ability to manage your guilt, worry, concerns, fears and anger. How you nourish positive energy enhancing emotions such as joy, happiness, love and build supportive relationships with your nearest and dearest.
Mental Energy Capacity
This is about the ways in which we think, problem solve and nourish ourselves intellectually. For most people this boils down to how we manage our need to control what’s going on around you and our tendency to be a perfectionist. It also incorporates how we deal with uncertainty in our lives and how we generate optimism even in times of adversity.
Spiritual Energy Capacity
Spiritual energy is different for every one, I define it as what makes life worth living, its what motivates you. Its unleashed when you tap into your values when we are doing something you believe in, and gives you determination and resilience.
For anyone struggling with their physical energy levels, why not try Reiki, I offer 15 minute Reiki tasters for £12.50.
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How to stay healthy at your desk
This week the daily mail reported that three in four office workers blame desk for sickness: badly set up desks and chairs cost companies 7bn each year. Rather than sitting in silence or popping pain killers to ease headaches or back pain, here are my top 7 tips for staying healthy while working at your desk.
- Sit up straight. As you read this post, if you’re not running to an appointment or standing, how are you sitting? Really take notice of how you are sitting and poised. Are you legs crossed? Is your back hunched over as you read this? Or are you sitting up straight? If you are sitting ensure that you are sitting up straight, not slouched, with your head directly over your torso and your feet on the ground, using a foot rest if necessary.
- User a wrist support. Repeatedly bending your wrists up and down (extension and flexion) compresses structures inside the carpal tunnel in the wrist. This can cause pain and lead to injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Place the heel of your palm on a wrists pad to minimise wrist pain.
- Use a headset. If you spend a lot of time on the phone user a head set rather to avoid holding the phone to your ear by raising your shoulder which may cause neck & shoulder pain.
- Don't bang the keyboard instead use a light touch. Try to use the minimum amount of force necessary to depress the keys. The tendons from your fingers connect near your elbow, so striking the keys too hard can lead to problems you might not associate with your keyboard-for example, pain and inflammation in your elbows (Epicondylitis).
- Look straight ahead. Maintaining proper eye level with your computer monitor is essential. This helps you avoid straining your back, neck, shoulders, and arms. In addition, proper eye level reduces unnecessary eye strain. To accomplish this sit in your office chair and stare straight ahead. You should be looking directly at the center of your monitor. If you are not looking at the center of the screen adjust the monitor until you have the correct measurement and use a monitor riser where necessary.
- Save your work, save your shoulders. Working as a massage therapist who specialise in Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage withing an office environment, I know muscular tension in shoulders causing neck and shoulder pain is a common problem. To minimise the build up of muscular tension in your shoulders, every time your save your work or send an email simply circle your shoulder three times clockwise and then three times anti-clockwise.
- Book a massage. If you are feeling the stain and pain for working long hours at your desk then book a massage which are highly effective at relieving neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and tension headaches.
What helps fights colds? Part 1
Its that time of year when people tend to get colds, so I wanted to share some tips on natural ways to fight colds. Vitamin C The first thing I reach for when I feel I am run down or coming down with a cold is high dose Vitamin C. There is scientific evidence to suggest that taking vitamin C can shorten a cold by nearly 20%. Zinc One study showed that if kids take a zinc supplement they reduce the number of colds they get by 50%. If you take zinc when you start getting a cold it can help to shorten the duration of the cold. Pelargonium Sidoides An African herb is the key ingredient in Umcka ColdCare. Studies sho that this herbal remedy can help resolve coughs, especially chesty coughs and relieve sore throats. Salt For sore thoats, I normally gargle with salt water. Please be careful not to swollow it as it will make you vomit. I then make a tea, by adding hot water to a chunk (2 cms) of fresh ginger, a slice of lemon and tea spoon of honey. References Strohle, A., Hahn, A. 2009. Vitamin C and immune function. Med Monastsschr Pharm. Feb; 32(2):49-54. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19263912 Douglas RM, Hemilä H, Chalker E, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD000980. Review. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;1:CD000980 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17636648 Heydarian F, Behmanesh F, Daluee M, Kianifar H, Hematian M. The role of zinc sulfate in acute bronchiolitis in patients aged 2 to 23 months. Iran J Pediatr. 2011;21(2):231-4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3446156/ Singh M, Das RR. Zinc for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jun 18;(6):CD001364. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(4):CD001364 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23775705
Is deep pressure in a massage ever bad?
One of the first things you learn as a massage therapist is that everyone wants deep pressure in massage. This is because no one wants a light fluffy massage because they feel there will be no benefit and they have wasted both their time and money. The second thing you learn as a massage is that everyone has their own idea what deep pressure is and what would be light pressure for one person is deep pressure for another person. Even if you take one client, the pressure they consider deep on their tight shoulders will be different from their idea of deep pressure on their legs. So there is no fixed concept of what deep pressure is, it varies from client to client, and with the same client it varies treatment to treatment and depending up on the part of their body your are treating. Given all this how do we work out pressure in clinic. First, we base it on our experience, your body type, the tension in the muscle we are working on. But most of all we talk to you about how the pressure feels to you and respect your preferences for pressure. I am sure most of you have heard me talk about good pain. Its based on a phenomenon that I have seen in clinic over the years. This is where someone comes into clinic in pain, we apply pressure and the pain turns into a good pain – because the pressure is a source of relief. For some people this “good pain” just feels right. This good pain is strong but welcome and came sometimes be described as a “sweet ache”. For some clients the good pain, is such a welcome relief that pain doesn’t even seem the right word. A word of warning, I like all my other therapists are only human and sometimes we get it wrong. This can be if we have missed a trigger point that is very sensitive, and we go into deep or the opposite can happen where a muscle locks up and we apply pressure and you as the client can’t feel anything. These situations can also arise due to change with your body i.e. an intense gym session or longer work hours than usual so lots of extra time sitting at your desk. I try to ask all my clients regularly without sounding like its some automated message, do you want the pressure deeper or lighter and if so let me know. I know the other therapists in clinic do this as well. In clinic we always want you to get the most out of your treatment. So please remember we always welcome feedback on pressure throughout your treatment.
