New Year, New You….
/ 04 January 2016 / No CommentsIts that time of year again. Mince pies, hurriedly wrapped presents, and that dreaded personal slight of socks and aftershave.
Holistic Therapist, Lar Roberts.
Its a time where we look forward and make plans for the future; to do better, to be more, to take control of lives (mostly by striking the socks-and-aftershave gift giver off our presents list) but, despite being a season focused on the act of giving, its a time where we rarely think about giving to ourselves.
We know that stress is a killer. We see the toll it takes on friends and family, we watch the documentaries (though probably not at Christmas, since then we’d miss the cute ones with all the polar bears and fluffy seal pups). We hear about how it raises levels of inflammation within the body, about how it affects our hearts and antagonises pre-existing conditions. We put up with the IBS and the heartburn and the other little ‘niggles’ our day to day stresses cause, and we ignore it.
In a recent study it was revealed that 60 to 80% of all primary care doctor’s visits are related to stress but that only 3% of patients received stress management help (JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(1):76-77) and at a time of year that is traditionally also full of stresses does it not seem strange that our new years resolutions seem so hell bent on cutting down on our personal stress coping strategies?
We often use the promise of a new year and a new start to decide to cut down on the things that we overindulge in, usually due to stress. We stop the smoking, the drinking, the MacDonalds, the late-night binges on strawberry Nesquik. But we don’t replace them with a positive alternative, we don’t decide to self-manage and combat the cause.
I propose a different new year’s resolution this year; one of loving and making time for the self and allowing ourselves a regular space to de-stress. Of looking after the whole self and not just our lungs / liver / stomach. Of listening beyond the cute polar bears and fluffy seal cubs and into what is really going on.
This is the premise behind the concept of holistic massage therapy. Holistic Massage uses the idea that the mind and different parts of the body all affect each other and therefore believes that treating the whole is more beneficial and constructive than merely treating a problem area. It takes into account the entire person within treatment, from emotional and mental influences to everyday lifestyle choices and physical posture. It is the backbone behind a centuries old tradition of regular massage in the East; Where massage is seen as a way of maintaining health rather than merely improving upon it.
So when you make your new years resolution, rather than taking something away perhaps ask yourself; What should I be giving myself this year?
