Injuries are not just physical but also mentally challenging especially if they are going to take over a month to heal or they become chronic in nature. Our thoughts can become more negative, it is frustrating when you cannot do what you could easily do maybe 1 year ago or even just 1 week ago. We have to let go of our ego’s and look towards the small achievements. Here at Pro-Am we aim to try and get clients to see injuries as a time of positivity. A time to reflect on training, work and life. A time for recovery. A time to work on areas you have neglected due to time constraints and perhaps look at changes that need to be made. Many top athletes come back from injury time in better health than before the injury and perform better.
Here is link I found on instagram which I think is a great way to show you how you can change your thought process to be more positive.
We can all suffer from anxiety, stress and or depression from time to time. Stress can be good for you but repeatedly pressing the stress response button can start to negatively effect the body. Finding the cause of your anxiety, stress and or depression is very important. Everybody has different triggers and will require different approaches to manage the effects these conditions have on the body. Our advice is to always be open and willing to try different strategies whether it is meditation, yoga, bootcamp, cold water swimming, running, crafting or under guidance of your doctor cognitive behavioral therapy, counselling or medication. Sometimes we are our worst enemy in that we have an excuse for not trying things like I don’t have time, its just part of my job, I don’t want to let anybody down, its our willpower or lack of. This is not the article to go into this but if you want a really great read about willpower and why we make the choices we do and how to change your approach, Kelly Mcgonigal ‘how to master the new science of self control – maximum willpower’ is a great start.
Below is a table showing just some of the symptoms related to anxiety, stress and depression.
Anxiety
Stress
Depression Physical symptoms
Feeling irritable
Grinding teeth, clenched jaw
Lack of energy
Problems with sleep
Headaches
Unexplained aches and pains
Feeling of dread, panic or impending doom
Indigestion or acid reflux symptoms
Changes in appetite
Racing thoughts
Dizziness or general feeling of ‘being out of it’
Moving or speaking more slowly than usual
Difficulty concentrating
Muscle tension in neck, face or shoulders.
Disturbed sleep
The above table is just a very simple example and you can have anxiety, stress and depression seperately but you can have all 3. Sypmtoms can be very similar for all 3 which is why it is always best to speak to a medical professional to work out your cause and triggers and how to manage it the best way for you.
Massage can be effective to treat some symptoms of mild, short term cases by helping with muscle tension, decreasing pain, helping sleep etc. It can also be very useful for severe chronic cases but must be part of a treatment strategy as it will not work on its own.
Massage helps to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and muscle tension by eliciting feelings of calm and deep relaxation. Massage increases localised blood flow which helps the travel of positive hormones like endorphins, serotonin and dopamine to areas of high stress and give a sense of well being. Massage can also reduce feelings of stiffness by increasing tissue elasticity by rising muscle temperature. Very similar effects to exercise.
When booking a massage to help with your stress and anxiety management notify the therapist of why you want the treatment. This way they can create the right environment for you to be able to relax. Asking the therapist to not talk during your treatment is absolutely fine. We are here to help.
