Anxiety in the work place
In today’s work environment with its constant demand’s to do more with less, frequent reorganisations and regular rounds of redundancies it is easy to feel very unsettled, uninspired, anxious and fearful.
Anxiety in the work place can leave some people with racing thoughts and struggling to switch off. I recommend anything that you can focus on to distract your mind, whether it’s a puzzle, movie or exercise. For some people the racing thoughts, start off mild and get more extreme the more you focus on the worst possible outcome. What is important to remember when if you find yourself in this situation, is ask yourself the following questions:
- Is there reason to believe this will happen?
- What evidence is there to support this assumption?
- Is there any chance I am blowing this out of proportion?
If we take the example of fearing being made redundant. It is important to distinguish between the wild rumours that go around office and the times when organisations are genuinely being restructured. If you decide that it is simply a rumour then fine, remind yourself of that on a regular basis. It is always worth remembering that organisations always value effective people especially when everyone is stretched and there is a huge business costs associated with replacing valuable staff.
At some point in your career you are going to be in the situation where you are part of a re-organisation and may face the genuine threat of redundancy. One way to tackle the anxiety this type of situation creates, is to focus on a plan B, what you can do if the worse happens. It is natural when facing a threat of redundancy to want to play it safe and stick with what you know. While I was never made redundant, I did go through several re-organisations where colleagues where made redundant. I found having a plan B comforting. When writing my plan B, I always remembered that it was natural to feel uncomfortable with something that is new and unfamiliar, so don’t let the fear stop you. To put my fear of failing into perspective, I always imagined myself in an old peoples home at the end of my life and wondered if I would regret not taking the risk of trying to something new. So if you decide to write a plan B don’t just stick to the tried and tested.
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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.
What is a muscle cramp?
What is a muscle cramp? Normal movement of our bodies involves muscles alternating between contract and relaxation. A muscle that contracts involuntarily and is unable to relax is a spasm; and a forceful and prolonged spasm becomes a cramp. A muscle cramp can last anywhere from a few seconds to up to 15 minutes or occasionally longer. Any muscle can develop a cramp, but the most common site for muscle cramps are the legs, particularly the front of the thighs (quadriceps), back of the thighs (hamstrings) and calf muscles (gastrocnemius & soleus). Unfortunately almost everyone, one estimate is 95% of the population will experience a muscle cramp at some time in their life. Muscle cramps are one of those things that also increases as we get older. Those of you that have already had a muscle cramp will undoubtedly remember the unrelenting pain! Tip: Most muscle cramps can be stopped if the muscle can be stretched. Muscle spasms & cramps are one of the most common complaints that massage therapists deal with.
