 If you've got a good memory, then I'm very jealous because my memory is terrible. In fact, my memory is so bad, that I almost never forget anything: I write everything down in order to remember it and if, like me, you live by your "To Do" list, you'll know how essential it is.
I really envy people who remember everything, it must be lovely to have such a gift (or maybe it's a skill that I just haven't acquired, I'm not sure). I got into the habit of writing things down years ago and it works very well for me. It has additional benefits of letting me prioritise, keeping me on track, providing motivation and, as a discovered a few years ago, keeping my stress levels in check. So how can a "To Do" list reduce stress? Many people might feel more stressed by having a list to remind them of all the tasks they still have to work their way through. Well it's simple really, if the job/task/inspiration/reminder is written down on a piece of paper, it means your brain has space for thinking (rather than remembering). If you're keeping all the things you've got to do in your head, it's the equivalent of having lots of cookie files clogging up your hard drive. It slows down your thinking - there's always a part of your mind that's not on the task at hand, but rather checking your memory banks for all the stuff you've got to do. It stifles creativity - I remember hearing Deepak Chopra say that creativity happens in the space between thoughts (Einstein developed the theory of relativity while lying back, watching clouds pass in the sky). A quiet, still brain is likely to be more creative than a busy brain that never stops. It is distracting - it becomes very easy to lose sight of your priorities because you're juggling so many different elements and priorities in your head. You may find that you spend an inordinate amount of time and energy of things that really get you nowhere fast. And most important of all ... It's stress inducing - and the more things you've given yourself to remember, the more stressed you're likely to be. Because your brain gives every task the same level of importance. So buying butter next time you go to the supermarket, gets the same level of importance in your head as preparing for your appraisal review. Try it out: 1) Take a moment to work out how you feel in terms of stress/anxiety about all the things you know you have stored in your head. Rate that feeling from 1 (low) - 10 (high). 2) Now do a brain-dump: get a pen and paper and write down everything that you've been thinking about or know you need to remember or do. Don't stop until you know you've got everything out of your head. 3) Take a moment to notice how it feels not to have to think about those things that you've just taken time to write down. 4) Now take your list and refine it. There are lots of sophisticated time management and productivity techniques for managing your list, but I'd suggest that you at least ask yourself what will happen if you don't do that task now, or in the future? If there's no significant consequence score it off the list of have a really good reason why it's there. A good memory is a wonderful thing, but it can be a curse as well, if it leads you to keep things in your head if the accumulated memory feat results in increasing your stress levels. Remember a creative mind is an empty mind! Lothian Reflexology, for mind, body and beauty
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 This year, World Reflexology Awareness Week takes place from 18 - 24 September and the theme is Corporate Reflexology.
I've been working on-site within organisations since 1990 and I can say with some confidence that both company and employees reap the rewards from such initiatives. Reflexology in a Corporate Environment Stress is not just one of the biggest killers (it's estimated that 75% of all illness is stress related), it also represents a huge cost to business. Approximately 18 million working days are lost annually as a result of stress, at a cost to business of £4billion. Having a stress management policy and employee stress management programmes are useful initiatives for organisations to undertake, but nothing beats 1-1, touch based therapy to connect with an individual who feels stressed. I quite understand that therapies can be a "touchy" subject in workplace, but Reflexology is perfect: the only clothing to be taken off are socks and shoes, so it feels safe for both client and organisation. And working on the feet seems remote and less invasive than any other type of massage. Reflexology is also really relaxing, so it's a wonderful destressor! And having a therapist who has some stress management training (that would be me!) makes the benefits even more substantial when they can impart some practical tips about how to manage pressure and avoid stress outwith the treatment session. Reflexology as a Stressbuster Stress can be defined as more pressure than the body can withstand or dissipate. Managing stress is to be avoided in my view - after all, who wants to "manage" something that they don't want! Avoiding stress is all about managing pressure and not letting excessive pressure take a hold for too long, otherwise it's likely to tip into stress. In my view, one of the reasons that stress has become so prevalent is that we are spending more time in our heads and less time in our body. Our awareness of the stress signals that our body offers has become diminished and we don't notice we're stressed until it has become a significant problem. Regular relaxation (as provided by Reflexology, meditation, yoga and many other complementary approaches) allows us to tune into our bodies. That feeling of being totally relaxed: where our body feels really heavy or light; where all the tension has been allowed to slide out of our muscles; where our mind is at rest and more in tune with the physical sensations in the body, is a powerful place to be. That feeling of being totally relaxed gives us a benchmark - our place of zero tension against which to measure the level of pressure we are experiencing. And the more often we allow ourselves to experience that place of zero tension the better we become at recognising pressure. And the better we are at recognising pressure and tension, the more we can micro manage pressure and avoid stress. We get into a virtuous cycle of relax, recognise pressure, neutralise pressure, feel more relaxed. Managing pressure and avoiding stress can itself be stressful - it's about taking personal responsibility; about taking time out for ourselves in an increasingly busy life; about setting boundaries and saying "no" or "not yet" - not always an easy thing to do; and applying many other skills and actions that we may not feel capable of, or sufficiently empowered to carry through. Reflexology takes away personal responsibility and allows the individual to just "be", to sit back and let someone giving ourselves time to "be" in a calm and nurtured space. Evidence Based Benefits of Reflexology in the Workplace In Denmark there is a longstanding culture of applying Reflexology in a corporate environment with significant benefits: Odense Post Office has employed a full-time reflexologist since 1990 and reports savings of around £100,000 per year as a consequence of a 13.3% reduction in sickness and absenteeism. Ishoj Municipal Health Department recorded 2,499 fewer sick hours over a 6 month period in which employees received reflexology, generating a saving of £21,490. SAS Cargo estimated a financial saving of £2,000 per month when employees were receiving reflexology. Fonss and Hove, Solicitors in Kolding, found that employees receiving treatment showed greater motivation and enhanced working ability. And after a four year period, the need for treatments declined because of minimal sickness and absenteeism. In the UK companies such as multi-nationals, city councils, oil companies, football teams, supermarket chains, department stores, computer firms, a dance company, a fire station, schools and hospitals and many small businesses all host on-site reflexology. How To Incorporate Reflexology into a Corporate Environment There are a number of ways and degrees of input that organisations can make if they want to introduce Reflexology into the workplace: 1. Have leaflets available for staff - no cost, no time input, but no way of knowing if staff have responded 2. Host a talk by a Reflexologist - set a date and time, provide a room, publicise the talk. The company would be able to gauge interest by the numbers attending and any further take up would be up to staff members personally. In my experience, interest is likely to be low because there's not much incentive for staff to attend. 3. Host a morning/afternoon/day of taster sessions to allow members of staff to experience the treatment. Normally the company would cover the cost of the Reflexologist and this taster session can be linked to a health/stress/wellbeing initiative. 4. On-site Reflexologist turns up one am/pm/day a week/fortnight/month. This would involve a room from which the practitioner can work and treatments can either be subsidised (time/money) or not. This is usually preceeded by free taster sessions for staff to let them try the treatment before they commit to paying for their own treatments (often at a reduced price from an off-site clinic). Organisations can monitor the take up of the service (although all information between employees and therapist would be completely confidential). 4. Company can subsidise treatments, either by offering them in work time and/or covering the cost of treatments. 5. There are other variations that can be put in place according to the needs of the organisation and flexibility of the practitioner. Any organisation that would be interested in participating in World Reflexology Awareness Week can find out more by emailing me (Doris Wylie of Lothian Reflexology) at doriswylie@btinternet.com. |
Photos used under Creative Commons from Rance Costa, happy_serendipity, Royalty-free image collection, ToOb, Mr. Thimble, Jessica Bee, Justin Marty, RubyGoes, Koshyk, Rafael Acorsi, Steve A Johnson, Images_of_Money, Imagaday, Manel, Key Foster, Roby Ferrari, Allie_Caulfield, Brett Jordan
