Feeling stressed out? You're not alone 
Author: Helena Lundvik 

Stress is one of the major health problems in Western society today. What can you do to prevent a potential heart attack or nervous breakdown? It’s been deteriorating and I feel a bit burnt out...’

It is a lovely summers evening in June and a middle aged man is talking on his mobile, oblivious to the beauty of Hampstead Heath. He says that he is going back to work on Monday. He souds tired, deflated. Will this man be next in line to have a heart attack or a stroke?

Stress is one of the major health problems in Western society today. I could give you numbers, figures, facts. Or I could describe a warm evening in June on Hampstead Heath, when I said ‘Time Out!’ and decided to listen to my tense and tired body. I am lying on my back on a bench, watching the oak leaves above my head moving slowly in the wind. All is still, peaceful. I am enchanted by how the setting sun makes the leaves glow with a green intensity, by the deep smell of pine, of damp earth. Swallows are fluttering by, a squirrel is running up and down the tree trunk. The City skyline far in the distance, where it's stressful just to be alive. But here, now, I am in a state of bliss and of joy and I feel completely relaxed, watching the glowing oak leaves dancing in the wind. After my blissful moment on the bench I run into the Burning Man again. He’s still on his mobile. Not even here, surrounded by beauty and bliss, can he relax.

Fact: Most heart attacks occurs on Monday mornings when people are on their way to work. It is important to realise that not all stress is bad. In fact, a certain amount of stress is functional to maintain optimal health. This is Positive stress and is necessary for growth and change to take place. It is when the stress becomes Negative, i.e. continuous and excessive, that it is bad for us. The illnesses caused by Negative stress include high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, ulcers, depression, mental breakdowns and cancer.

• Work is the 3rd most common cause of stress after bereavement and divorce
• 75% of illness is a direct result of stress (BMA)
• Stress-related absence costs UK employers an estimated £3.7 billion a year
• The Association of Insurance and Risk Managers has stated "Stress is likely to become the most dangerous emerging risk to business in the early part of the 21st Century”
• Only 51% of companies surveyed had measures in place to manage stress in the workplace
• 63% did not feel that they were sufficiently familiar with best practice guidelines on managing stress in the workplace
• 78% of managers were suffering from work-related stress
• About half a million people in the UK experience work related stress at a level they believe is making them ill
• Up to 5 million people in the UK feel “very” or “extremely” stressed by their work

So, what to do now? Get a new job? Sell all of your possessions and go travelling for a year? Convert to Buddhism? Many factors are important on the way to optimal health. Like diet, exercise, holistic treatments, relaxation, stretching and positive thinking. If your goal is to be less stressed and get rid of your back pain - come for a Deep Tissue Massage or Aromatherapy treatment. Perhaps you wish to be more peaceful and relaxed. Try Reiki healing or Meditation.

Why wait for a heart attack or nervous breakdown? Your Journey starts here.

You are the Creator of your Universe. What will you create today?

"If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it." George Burns (1896-1996)

About the author:
I'm Helena - a Holistic Therapist, Reiki Master/Teacher, Workshop leader and Writer.

Email address:
Web site: http://www.willowtherapy.com

copyright © Helena Lundvik

Disclaimer:
The above article may or may not reflect the opinions of the people working at CHIS-UK. It is published here to help you develop a greater understanding of the different attitudes and beliefs held by various people in the field of holistic health. The information given in any of the articles published on the site should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. CHIS-UK is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of the CHIS-UK website. CHIS-UK is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the articles, listings or sites. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.