Join Helen & Team for Half-Day Workshop

Wednesday 28th August, 10.00 am-12.30 pm, Rottingdean, East Sussex

A half-day workshop for those who would like to learn how to give friends and family a lovely hand massage. Minimum donation request is £20.

For More Information https://www.atouchofgentleness.org/join-us

The post The Art of Listening appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

The post Elevating the Mind: Meditation as the Ultimate Fitness for the Soul appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

Mindfulness is the art of paying attention. Focusing the mind on something specific and allowing external thoughts to pass. It is an effective tool that you can use in all areas of your life to thrive and live to your fullest potential.

What can mindfulness do for you?

Mindfulness can help us in many aspects of our day to day lives, by:

• Improving memory
• Improving brain function
• Improving decision making abilities
• Improving the ability to focus on one task at a time.
• Reducing levels of anxiety
• Reducing levels of pain
• Reducing the risk of self-destructive behaviour

Benefits of practicing Mindfulness can also include the enhancement of:

• Creativity
• Emotional resilience.
• Clarity of thoughtIt can help to reduce:
• Stress
• Powerlessness
• Fatigue
• Somatic Illness

If we can encourage our minds to “be in the moment”, which is a term we give to the state of mind when there is a neutral and accepting awareness to the present moment, we have the opportunity to feel more alive and in control. You can sense the tug of the past and the future, but you have chosen to focus on the opportunity and potential of the present moment.

Our top tips to be more mindful;

1. Meditate
2. Focus on one thing at a time.
3. Slow down
4. Eat mindfully
5. Exercise
6. Spend time in nature
7. Practice gratitude

For more information and support to improve your mental, physical and emotional well-being head over to; https://www.mentor360.com/

The post What is Mindfulness? appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

Learning is an amazing ability that humans have. It doesn’t start when you begin school, or indeed end when you leave full-time education, it is a life-long journey. And it is often the case that the more we know the more we realise we don’t know! There is no limit to the skills or knowledge you can gain by learning.

“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.” Zig Zigler

Learning is not just about the facts and figures that you learn in school, it’s also about improving your mind, enhancing your current skills, learning new ones and broadening your horizons to change the way you view yourself and the world around you.

In life, there is always something new to learn or discover. If you are attentive and curious to what is going on in your internal and external environment, you are likely to be learning all the time. 

Learning, keeps your mind active, sharpens your focus and makes you more ‘intelligent’, all of which are good for your brain health. Until a decade or so ago, many scientists thought that while children’s brains are malleable or plastic, neuroplasticity (our brain’s ability to change and grow) stops after age 25, when the brain is fully wired and mature. Fortunately we now know that the human brain is capable of change throughout life and that although we do lose neurons as we age, the adult brain can create new neuronal connections and even new neurons born from neuronal stem cells.

It is a case of use it or lose it!

As Carl Honore wrote in ‘Bolder’: “The chief obstacle to learning in later life is not the ageing brain: it is the ageist stereotypes that erode confidence and put us off trying new things in the first place”.

In fact, the older we get, the quicker we are at picking up new tricks in fields that are familiar to us. A survey by Buck Consultants reported that older workers learnt new tasks more quickly than the younger ones.

Researchers have identified the following three habits as facilitating neuroplasticity as we age:

1. Physical exercise (which increases blood flow to the brain, delivering much-needed oxygen)
2. Paying attention, and…
3. Learning new things

When we pay attention to what we are doing and how we are reacting to things it is possible to learn new and ever more helpful ways of responding to events. This supports our ability to self-regulate so we don’t get overwhelmed, and is especially important during this stressful ‘lockdown, no lockdown period’. One good thing of ‘lockdown’ was that for many of us our lives slowed down so we did have a chance to smell the roses, or taste the coffee. Waking up to our experience allows us to be present. It also allows the brain to be more active and flexible. 

One of the best ways to pay attention is to engage in mindfulness practices, whether through a formal practice of meditation or in more informal ways. So it turns out that learning to be fully present enables us to not only to deal with anxiety and stress better, though also keeps our brain healthy and flexible – a true win win!!

“Education is what people do to you and learning is what you do for yourself” Joi Ito 

Learning to play a new instrument, speak a new language or to dance are also fabulous ‘brain’ workouts. Crosswords, sudokus, puzzles and other mental activities are also great mind workouts, and as long as they continue to be challenging they help stimulate new nerve cell generation and connections. 

Reading is also a great mental exercise, as well as being an enjoyable pastime and a way to learn about new things. Many successful people spend a lot of time reading to improve their knowledge, as they understand that only by continuous learning and evolution can they stay successful. 

It is said that you will keep on making the same mistakes in life until you learn the lesson you need to, whether this is in your personal or professional life. So if you find yourself stuck in a Groundhog Day or holding pattern where the same things keep happening, maybe you could stop, take stock and try and work out what needs to change, learn and move on. 

And although learning can sometimes be tough, if you can push through the hurdles, you may find it makes you happier in the long run.

If you would like help around any aspect of your emotional and or physical wellbeing, please contact me on 07545 227272, email helen@livewellandprosper.uk or visit www.livewellandprosper.uk

Helen Prosper

The post The Wonder of Lifelong Learning appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

Have you been rushing around doing every online workshop, exercise class and zoom quiz since lockdown began?

Perhaps you feel the need to hide your emotions and “be strong” for your friends and family, during times like these?

Maybe you’re someone who constantly feels the need to be perfect – home-schooling your children, cooking them delicious and nutritious meals every night, while simultaneously acing your full-time job?

In Transactional Analysis, we call these aspects of your personality “Drivers”.

Drivers are ways we learned to adapt to our environment when we were young. They are developed at an age when we can understand what is approved and disapproved of by the adults around us.

As children we attempt to adapt to grown-up’s expectations, in order to feel ok about ourselves. We pick up the verbal and non-verbal messages and act accordingly.

Taibi Kahler, who developed this theory, noticed there were five sets of behaviours that people consistently displayed. These were divided into five categories, which he called Drivers.

Drivers are double-edged swords and they all have positive and negative attributes.

One struggle with Drivers is that people tend to make themselves feel “not ok” if they slip out of them. For example, if you were the “be perfect” working mum and found that one area of your life was slipping during the Covid-19 lockdown, you might be overwhelmed with negative, self-critical thoughts and feelings.

The key to making Drivers work for you is self-awareness. Once you can identify “Drivers”, you can get a better understanding of your own and other people’s behaviours.

Better self-awareness has been found to increase self-esteem, improve relationships, help manage stress and improve quality of life.

The last few months have been a struggle for many, with financial worries, loneliness and isolation putting a strain on our physical and mental wellbeing.

During this time, you may have looked at others and wondered why and how they are reacting to the situation in such an opposing way to you.

The way we cope during a crisis, can say a lot about our learned behaviours or Drivers.

If someone looks like they’ve created the “perfect” lockdown life, it may be that they have a strong “Be Perfect” Driver, while someone who has thrown themselves into work and created hundreds of new projects might be more “Try Hard”.

Most people have two main Drivers. Can you identify yours from the list below and consider them in relation to your reaction to Covid-19?

1. PLEASE OTHERS

Characteristics

Widened eyes, raised eyebrows, nodding, toothy smile, horizontal forehead lines, looks up with head down, goes up at the end of a sentence, uses qualifying words (sorta, kinda, ok).

Benefits

Good team member, enjoys being with others and aims to please without being asked. Understanding and empathic.

Uses intuition. Notices body language and other signals. Encourages harmony in groups/teams. Invites quieter members into discussion. Considerate of others feelings.

Difficulties

Avoids any risk of upsetting someone and therefore does not to challenge ideas (even if wrong). Cautious with criticism and can then be ignored. Appears to lack commitment.

Presents own views as questions, appears to lack assertiveness, critical faculties and courage of convictions.

Takes criticism personally even if constructive. Allows others to interrupt.

Trying to “read minds” can lead to not asking for necessary information and feeling misunderstood when others don’t like results.

2. BE PERFECT

Characteristics

Upright erect posture, precise, look up to right frequently. Mouth goes slightly out, counts on fingers. Even, steady tone. Language often over-detailed and uses parentheses. Steepling hands.

Benefits

Accurate, reliable worker, checks facts thoroughly and prepares well. Good attention to detail, well organised, looks ahead, plans well with contingency plans. Smooth, efficient well coordinated projects with progress monitored. Cares about how things look.

Difficulties

Cannot be relied upon to produce work to deadlines, as may check too carefully and often for mistakes – keeps asking for minor changes and does drafts rather than final versions. Finds it difficult to incorporate others’ input. Misjudges level of detail, always applies high standards to self and others, failing to recognise when good enough is good enough. Demotivates through criticism. Problems delegating. May feel worthless and dissatisfied.

3. TRY HARD

Characteristics

Hand on side of cheek or behind ear; peering – lines on forehead and around eyes as a result of screwed up face. Tone strangled, tense, muffled, choked back. Incomplete sentences. Words such as try, hard, difficult, can’t think. Body moves forward.

Benefits

Tackles things enthusiastically, energy peaks with something new to do. Others value motivation and ability to get things off the ground. Popular. Problem solver. Volunteers for new tasks. Follows up all possibilities. Finds out the implications of everything. Pays attention to all aspects of a task, including what others overlook.

Difficulties

Yes but…….more committed to trying than succeeding. Initial interest wears off before task is finished. Others may resent not doing the interesting bits when they are left with the mundane bits. Makes task impossibly large. Creates havoc with time schedule. Written work full of irrelevant details. Communication may be pained, strained and frowning – listeners become confused. Gripes and sabotages.

4. BE STRONG

Characteristics

Erect, stoical posture, face expressionless, few wrinkles, monotone, long pauses, short sentences; fine. Absence of feeling words; uses one, it, and distancing pronouns.

Benefits

Stays calm under pressure. Feels energised when having to cope. Good in a crisis. Thinks logically when others panic. Stays emotionally detached, problem solves, deals with stressed people. Can make unpleasant decisions without torturing soul. Seen as reliable and steady. Handles others, firmly and fairly. Gives honest feedback, and constructive criticism. Even tempered.

Difficulties

Hates admitting weakness: failure to cope is weakness. Gets overlooked rather than ask for help. Hides work away – tidy appearance. Highly self-critical. Others feel uncomfortable about lack of emotional responses – hard to get to know robots or masked people whose smile does not extend to eyes. Fears being unlovable, so doesn’t ask for anything, lest it’s refused. May become absent minded and withdrawn.

5. HURRY UP

Characteristics

Agitated gestures; looks at watch; fidgety. Screwed up face, eyes moving around. Rapid staccato tone. Words such as quick, got to.

Benefits

Works quickly and gets a lot done in a short time. Responds well to short deadlines – energy peaks under pressure. Enjoys having too many things to do:  if you want something done give it to a busy person. Prepares quickly, saves time on tasks to spend with people. Juggles.

Difficulties

Delays starting until deadline is near. Makes mistakes in haste; corrections can take time and thus misses deadlines. Quality of work may be poor. May come across as impatient. Rushes with crammed diary, doesn’t get to know people, feels like an outsider.

THE LINK CENTRE OFFERS COURSES IN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY, WITH A FOCUS ON TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS

Interested to learn more about this and other TA Theory? The Link Centre offers everything from a two-day Introduction to Transactional Analysis (TA101) to an accredited Diploma in Counselling.

We are also running a series of by-donation online workshops on different topics throughout July. For more info go to thelinkcentre.co.uk or email info@thelinkcentre.co.uk.

Got questions about our counselling and psychotherapy courses? We’re hosting an online open evening on 29th July, 6.30pm-8pm.

Words: Laura Nikita Mitchell

The post Personality Types in a Crisis appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

Truth – Telling

The inconvenient truth is that we can learn from own mistakes only when we know we have made them. Only when we stop misinterpreting our stubbornness for being strong and unbreakable and accept the consequences of staying the same, we have an opportunity to truly embrace the change we want to be part of.

Feeling the Fear and Do it Anyway

It is absolutely normal to encounter fears related to the adjustments required in our lives especially when we chose to pursue a new direction. However, overanalyzing our perceived inadequacy, dwelling on the possibility of a potential fiasco as well as projecting the clash between what others expect from us and what we have learned to expect of ourselves does not move us any closer to our desired outcome. The radical action – heartfelt choice over mind driven decision – does.

And it is tough because it demands of us more than a mere agreement or wishful thinking. It requires accepting at that moment all the risks that the choice involves. It means letting go of the ‘need to know and how’ and trusting that all will be discovered along the way as long as we start the journey.

Chose Yourself

Choosing comes with a powerful dose of anxiety because we are breaking through the internal structure of our beliefs about what is possible, and/or what we need to become in order to be worthy of. Those beliefs are the most significant obstacles in executing what we want. Yet, the more we resist the change, the more frustrating and stifling our circumstances become. The more we wish to change the more we stay the same. The more we try, the less we do.

Ask Yourself The Right Question

The next time you catch yourself in the unproductive pattern of your thoughts, ruminating on what could have happened, ask yourself instead “what have I truly wanted?” Then ask yourself again “what were my challenges in achieving what I have wanted?” Keep asking yourself until you feel “empty” and you can’t define any more challenges. Then ask yourself those two final questions “how big of a deal it is for me to have it/accomplish it?” and “what am I willing to do to get it?”

Those answers will change our life. Fantasizing about wanting something does not make that desire a reality. Not recognizing the potential challenges ahead of time, depletes our energy while keeping us stuck in the same place. And finally, if we can’t assign the importance to what we want, most likely we are trying to pursue just a temporary whim, a mere fantasy or nice to have an idea. Perhaps what we want is not our true desire and we are just caught in enjoying wanting it. Maybe we don’t actually want it at all.

Nothing ever happens or changes without effort, intention, and commitment. Success and failure don’t exist without each other. Failure and struggle clarify the meaning of what we truly want because each letdown takes us deeper to the core of our own humanness. It puts us through harshness and sharp edges of the circumstances. It teaches us to withhold and to withstand the uneasiness that comes with them but only when we are prepared to reinvent ourselves on the path to meet our true wants.

Author: Kasia Jamroz www.kasiajamroz.com

The post How To Live Forward To Understand Life Backwards appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

We then noticed a fox casually gambolling up to the horses and walking through the herd. The horses didn’t pay any attention to the fox, and the fox wasn’t concerned by them; they all continued with their business. This was a beautiful example of how being present and quiet enough in oneself allowed each other to sense exactly what the others’ intent was in that moment.

Watching this example I suggested that we do the same, as the fox turned and was starting to make its’ way in our direction whilst sniffing at the hedgerows. Within minutes the fox was a couple of feet away from us, as we stood still like statues just taking in the environment. The fox walked up to the rabbit holes near us and started peeing in them, then paused whilst he/she looked at us before continuing. It was a humbling experience to be in such close proximity to a wild fox and such a beautiful demonstration of how ‘quietening ourselves down’ enough had enabled such an opportunity to occur.

When I cast my mind back to the days when I worked in riding schools and mucked out fifteen horses every day, then rode five or six of them one after the other, I can see that the contrast is so different. I seemed to accept that this was what you did in the horse world and there is nothing wrong with that if it suits you, though I felt something was missing. The constant ‘doing’ and running from one job to the next kept me disconnected from myself. It was like I couldn’t be still but I didn’t know why.

By allowing myself to just connect to me and the horses and be with that, I gradually changed my perspective of what I was doing with the horses. I realised how much they had to offer and how much of them and their characters I had missed when I was the one dictating everything we did.

The scene in the photograph here has become my norm – hanging out with horses! Why? Because there is nothing better than being amongst horses and being enveloped by their calm presence when they are in a place of no stress from demands being made of them!

In this place they show you what it truly means to be in the present moment. It is a meditation in itself that leaves you feeling centred, clear and connected not only with them, but with yourself also! Not only this but when you allow yourself to just be with them in this space you also start to notice nature in a different way, and the quieter you become the more nature reveals itself.

We have created an environment which allows for the horses to live outside 24/7 and not need stabling, shoes, rugs etc. They have over one hundred acres to roam in and live as a herd of fourteen who live out all year round and are no longer ridden. People join us for workshops and retreats where they get to spend time soaking up the atmosphere and coming back to self as they inwardly quieten down, and the horses choose if they want to connect or not.

If you would like to join us on one of our 1-day workshops, or to find out more about what we offer please visit our website.

Emma Ross

Intuitive Horse

The post Being with horses appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

How I learned to really listen to the horses, instead of following my own ideas, and how this changed the way I now see and work with them

The recent stormy and windy weather reminded me of a time years ago when I was laying in bed in the early hours of the morning, being kept awake by a raging storm outside. I was aware that I was feeling anxious because the horses were out in the field and I was concerned about them being caught up in the storm.

I was still stabling the horses some of the time at this point though had decided to let them stay out as the weather had seemed good.

While laying there my anxiety increased, so eventually I decided to do something about it. I put my raincoat on over my pyjamas and went out to find the horses with the intent to bring them into the stables from the field. It was pouring with rain and the wind was really strong. When I got to the gate of the field they were standing close by and positioned huddled together with their bottoms facing in the direction of the wind and rain. I opened the gate so they could walk through and stood there calling them, however they didn’t move. I’m not even sure they could hear me as the wind was so strong, so I walked over to them. They all had their heads down and seemed to be in a trance like state. I was saying “come on” though none of them moved or even acknowledged me. I hadn’t brought a head collar with me to lead them in as I assumed they would be pacing at the gate ready for me to appear and let them in.

I caught myself in this moment as I realised they seemed okay; they were calm, they had gone inwards in themselves to cope and were using their bodies to brace against the weather. As I noticed how they were coping I naturally started to reposition myself so I was stood with my back to the weather also. I felt a calmness come over me after a short while and then found myself just standing with them in the storm.

I was out there with them for over half an hour and in that time I realised, whilst standing with them, how they were coping. When I became present in that moment and stopped all the worrying I became a part of the environment and the herd, and simply rode the weather just as they were. Once I got outside and faced it, the weather wasn’t as bad as I had imagined it was from inside my bedroom.

This insight allowed me to recognise that as long as the horses have access to shelter, they are well equipped to handle the weather and actually bringing them into their stables may have upset them more. At least out in the open they could run away from threat or reposition themselves in accord with how the weather may change. In a stable, should the weather decide to dismantle parts of it, the horse is trapped!

Over time my views changed as I asked myself why I was stabling the horses. My realisation that horses can cope with all types of weather led to me seeking the best environment I could for them, an environment that would stimulate them and allow them to work with nature as much as possible within domestication.

These days I love to watch where the herd choose to go depending on the weather. We are fortunate to have quite a large area for them to roam in and they have access to good natural shelter.

It can be howling a gale outside and I know I will always find them in an area where there is the most shelter from how the weather is behaving that day. Often they find little pockets of calm amongst a wild storm. To watch how they figure this out and know what they need confirms to me they are more than capable of looking after themselves when given the opportunity to do so and have the right environment to support them.

We can learn so much from horses with regard to ourselves and how we cope with different situations in life. Nature has the answers, and it just depends how much we are trying to manipulate it as to whether we can find our natural answers.

Would you like to experience spending time with the herd no matter the weather, to explore how they cope and how understanding them can help us? We run 1-day workshops here. No experience with horses is necessary however you must feel confident around them (we can offer 1-1 sessions or 3 day retreats for people with a fear of horses.)

Forthcoming Dates
May 18th
June 8th
July 5th
August 3rd
September 7th

If you have your own horse, then you may be interested in our online ‘Rewilding with my Horse’ course which takes you on a journey to explore why you do what you do with your horse, and what you can do to help create a deeper relationship between you both.

This will be released very soon! If you’d like to be notified when this will be available please join our mailing list, the link for which is on the home page of our website.
 
For further information on any of the above please visit www.intuitivehorse.co.uk
New coghurst Farm, Ivyhouse lane, Hastings, TN35 4NP

t: 07825 036 301
e: info @intuitivehorse.co.uk

Emma Ross

The post Spend time with horses in their natural environment appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

A woman’s life journey has never been an easy one: biological changes are just part of it and unavoidable. Other challenges are relatively new.

Modern life brings added struggles. These might include feeling that we should be the best at everything we do, appearing to ‘have it all’ – career, children, property, an enviable lifestyle and so on. With all of these often self-created and conflicting pressures it’s no surprise that our confidence and self-esteem can take a hit. Many are left with a sense of fearfulness and inadequacy.

Most women will experience at least one of these feelings at some stage, the most commonly reported being:

• Feeling that we never do right for our babies/children.
• A pressure to go back to full time work after maternity leave. Realising that things have changed in our absence. We need to catch up in a short space of time.
• Self-doubt due to unexpected ill-health or through caring for someone with long-term health issues.
• Older children leaving home; we might feel that a large part of our identity is missing with nothing meaningful to replace it.
• Losing someone dear to us or going through a separation/divorce. Feelings of guilt, anger and grief can deplete our emotional energy reserves leaving us prey to self-doubt.
• The menopause can create many changes in our bodies. Altered mood, memory and libido can all shake our confidence, leaving us feeling significant loss on many levels.

We can take steps to improve how we feel about ourselves and thereby start the journey towards self-awareness and realising of our valuable goals. We have the tools and often need only access them. Below is a possible way to begin this process.

Easy tips to help increase your confidence and self-esteem

• Use positive affirmations. These are encouraging sentences or phrases which you repeat to yourself. They can be focussed on health, relationships or personal goals for example, and can have a transformational effect on your subconscious.
• Be kind to yourself. We give a great deal to others and tend to forget ourselves! Allow some real ‘me time’ by going for a walk, having a massage, taking up yoga or meditation.
• Focus on what you want to change and how this can be achieved.
• Reflecting on events with negative associations, fears about what might happen in the future or events in the past are unhelpful. Mindfulness practice can help you stay in the present.
• Avoid comparing yourself to others. Your unique value has nothing to do with how you look against others.
• Keep a daily journal. Record events and how you feel. This can help you gain insight into patterns and tendencies you might be unaware of.

When reading this you might recognise some of your own struggles. Many of these affect us all from time to time even though we are all able and successful. Despite all we’ve achieved we can still feel anxious and uncertain of our ability to adapt to change.

From the individuals I’ve worked with and the transformations they’ve brought about I’m certain that everyone can make changes. Changes that will build confidence, strength and self-awareness.

About me, and how I work

Hello, I’m Esmeralda, an established international Holistic Health and Confidence Coach and Reiki Practitioner. With a combined five years’ experience in these fields, my style of coaching has produced profound results in my clients.

Loss, disappointment, changes in health and wellbeing are part of life’s course. As a health professional, an important skill lies in my ability to use my own difficult experiences to relate to and support you. Extensive training has turned these into valuable tools that can be used to help others. There can be no understanding or progress without this.

Through helping you clarify your goals, finding out what might be holding you back, pinpointing where improvements might be made, we work together in a safe and trusting environment allowing you to emerge triumphant, free from fear and self-doubt.

Vitally, you remain in control of your outcomes. I assist, guide, steer and encourage and together we see how best you can realise them. We look at possible obstacles – time constraints, deeper reasons creating impediments, for example. This is a supportive and non-judgmental environment, encouraging and sometimes challenging.

You can experience remarkable change, new ways of achieving what you want and a sense of self-assurance that might take you aback. These new skills and changes to your outlook can allow you to grow to be your best ever self.

Among all the goals modern life dictates to us and what our peers might be doing, this is something wholly worthwhile and incredibly satisfying. Allow me to start the journey with you.

For more information please visit www.esmeraldatherapies.com or email
info @esmeraldatherapies.com

The post Confidence coaching for women appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

What causes us stress? Often stress can be triggered when we don’t feel in control and maybe we’re resisting changes we are experiencing, even if inevitable. Our bodies, no matter what the stress – be it major or minor – trigger the primitive fight and flight response; a rush of hormones, adrenaline and cortisol which are designed to allow us to physically escape from predators or track down our prey. The rush of hormones is rebalanced by the physical exertion of pursuit or escape. Modern day stresses create the same response, however the difference being these modern day stresses can be things such as a loss of a job, relationship difficulties, or just the overwhelm of trying to do too much in one day, rushing for an appointment, unable to pay the bills, and so on. The problem with today’s stresses is that they can be prolonged and persistent. Low grade continuous stress has the greatest impact on both our physical and mental health.

We can cope with stress for a few weeks and then our bodies’ protective mechanisms struggle to adapt, and the chronic stress situation becomes established. The body at this point is in inflammatory mode, creating digestive, joint, or skin problems to name a few. The immune system is compromised and colds, and high blood pressure can develop. Our systems become so sensitised that even an upsetting text can create a strong internal response.

Your body is working hard to protect you from your ‘predators’, though you may feel unable to assist. One of the most calming things you can do is breathe, gently in through the nose and out through the mouth a few times. It gives your body a chance to rebalance during the times you feel stress building up.

If you are finding it difficult to cope with stress in your life, Ann Rambaut – Chartered Physiotherapist and Body/Mind Coach – can offer her expertise. Ann offers several types of treatment programmes, including deeply relaxing body techniques, tools to assist you on a daily basis, as well as coaching. For more information please visit her website or call Ann on 01323 411900 for a no obligation chat.

The post Modern day stresses appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.