The International Stress Management Association says International Stress Awareness Day is 6th November and International Stress Awareness Week 4th – 8th November is a major annual event focusing on stress management and campaigning against the stigma associated with stress and mental health issues. Attracting media attention worldwide, this 50th Year anniversary is sure to attract even more attention in 2024!
The office of national statistics has conducted reports which show that the proportion of people reporting poor well-being across their four measures of wellbeing remains higher than pre-pandemic levels (YE March 2019). The four measures cover: life satisfaction, whether things done in life are worthwhile, levels of happiness and levels of anxiety.
This means that we as a nation haven’t yet bounced back from the stresses caused by the pandemic. Or we have become better at identifying stresses within ourselves and so more people are talking about stress and reducing the stigma around mental health and wellbeing.
As a business focussed on supporting good health in the workplace, this is a significant health awareness event for us and many Glo clients book in support for their teams during National Stress Awareness Week or National Stress Awareness Day on 6th November.
According to the Global Wellness Institute the wellness market in the UK is flourishing; it boasts the sixth largest spa market and the ninth largest wellness tourism market in the world.
This blog profiles 3 of our key services and why they are so beneficial for reducing stress and improving wellbeing.
Massage
A report from the British Beauty Council suggests that adding massage therapy to the UK's health service could reduce mental health problems by 10% and cut the number of sick days taken across the UK by 1.76 million.
Statistica states that according to a 2023 survey in the United Kingdom revealed that men spent more a year on average on massages than women. Overall, the average consumer in the UK spent £560 on massages in a year. We aren’t sure if this is because more men are buying and gifting massages to their loved ones, or if the massages are for themselves.
Massage can soothe muscle aches and pains and improve wellbeing. It may also boost the immune system.
Some of the benefits of massage are:
- Induces a deep feeling of relaxation, relieving stress, tension and anxiety to promote a feeling of wellbeing
- Relieves muscular aches and pains – particularly in the neck and shoulder areas which are very prone to tension when sitting in an office environment
- Improves flexibility and joint mobility as well as improve circulation.
- As it is very relaxing, massage can also reduce insomnia problems that can be caused by stress
Book your team an office massage here, or treat yourself or a loved one to our platinum massage packages.
Mindfulness
The UK’s Mental Health Foundation cites Mindfulness training as being very beneficial to cultivating a more positive state of mind.
Mindfulness is a practice which allows us to bring our attention to the present moment. Often starting with a focus on the breath, we are able to bring our attention back to the present moment rather than worrying about the future or ruminating on experiences from the past. The practice helps us to come back to the present moment and can help to overcome the feeling of worry or overwhelm.
Dr Julieta Galante from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge undertook research. The report’s first author, said: “For the average person and setting, practising mindfulness appears to be better than doing nothing for improving our mental health, particularly when it comes to depression, anxiety and psychological distress – but we shouldn’t assume that it works for everyone, everywhere”
Using a mindfulness app, can support us in our practice. You can also enquire about our mindfulness workshop, which provides an introduction to the practice, how it has become a modern discipline and how it fits into your daily life.
Yoga
Publication Psychology Today reports an estimated 80% to 90% of visits to the doctor are stress-related but only less than 3% of doctors talk to their patients about how to reduce stress. Yoga, meditation, and other mind-body practices train your body and mind to be able to cope with stress better and improve overall health and well-being.
The Mental Health Foundation also states that physical activity is not only good for your body, but it's also great for your mind.
Feel good chemicals are released in our brains when we are active. Exercise doesn’t have to be draining or expensive like joining a gym, a simple yoga practice which includes some meditative breathing, can help to take us out of our brains and back into our bodies and the resulting feel good emotions can help you stay grounded and feel more positive all day. There are many different types of yoga you can try and lots of tutorials on YouTube. If you want something relaxing and restorative, try Hatha Yoga, for something more dynamic, try Yoga Flow. I love Yoga With Adrienne who you can find on YouTube and has many different types of classes to work on many different aspects of our bodies, lifestyle, and levels of stress.
The National Institute of Health says - In a national survey, over 85% of people who did yoga reported that it helped them relieve stress.
The list of health benefits of exercise has been prepared by the mental health foundation and more details can be found here.
- less tension, stress and mental fatigue
- a natural energy boost
- a sense of achievement
- more focus and motivation
- feeling less angry or frustrated
- a healthy appetite
- having fun
Take your exercise practice outdoors to breathe in some fresh air and re-oxygenate the body and mind.
Please contact Glo for a free relaxation Yoga Nidra audio file to help you relax at the end of the day, or book a yoga class through Glo and a qualified yoga teacher will come to you.