Massage is often known for it's relaxing properties. Most know massage has the power to calm us down, to make us feel good and to relieve tension in our muscles - but why exactly is this?
What happens in our bodies? And why does it make us feel the way it does? Today our massage experts answer these questions and more as we look through the physiological effects of massage on the body, and exactly why and how these effects occur.
Stress at work is growing to be an almost accepted part of modern life - potentially something even to commended, as individuals strive to show their dedication and hard work, obsess over the need for perfection or are driven by competition with others to an unhealthy level. Society expects us to show that we find our work taxing to prove that we are working hard, but this needn't be the case.
We do not need to be stressed to be productive, and in fact, being under the stressed guise for an extended period can take a serious toll on our body.
When you’re under stress, your body reacts by releasing hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine (read more about these here) – this assists the body with the “fight-or-flight” response. Your heart rate and breathing rate go up and blood vessels narrow.
Whilst this can sound like an intense physiological response, occasional stress is a normal coping mechanism and can be good for us in the short term. However, chronic excess stress can begin to impact our bodies in a number of negative ways.
In April organisations will give advice on how to reduce the causes and risks associated with workplace stress. Tackling stress at work can be very difficult and it is estimated to cost the UK industry £5.2 billion.
The Health and Safety Executive have published a step-by-step workbook on tackling work-related stress - download your copy at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wbk01.pdf
If you find yourself starting every day stressed out, it's going to start taking its toll on you. The American Psychological Association (APA) warns that chronic stress can 'trigger other reactions of the body and even promote stress-related disorders' due to prolonged tension in the muscles. These include headaches, respiratory problems, cardiovascular issues, excessive stress-hormone secretion, increased appetite and decreased sex drive.
Luckily there are a few things you can do to make the morning madness go away!
Showing your love and appreciation for your mother doesn’t have to cost the earth, so for this Mother's Day, we've put together our top ten list of special gifts to help you show you care.
Obviously, when it comes to pampering we think the number one gift has to be a fabulous massage, but of course there are some other great and unique ideas below that all mums will love. So for some inspiration and ideas to make this year's Mother's Day the best yet, have a look at these!
Employee Appreciation Day began in America and falls on the first Friday in March each year, that's Friday 2nd March in 2018. As with many other US traditions, like Halloween and Black Friday, Employee Appreciation Day is now making its way over to the UK. It gives business owners and companies the opportunity to show their appreciation for their staff.
At Sense we provide on-site treatments and workplace classes all round the year, but we love seeing companies in the UK and Ireland taking up this growing event with lots of enthusiasm.
