As a Reflexologist, I always ask clients about their sleep patterns, because a good night's sleep is so important to general well-being.  And better sleep is often one of the additional benefits of a Reflexology treatment as the majority of my clients report having had a great night's sleep after a treatment.

The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep: 
* a good night's sleep can help learning and memory; 
* chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite;
* insufficient sleep can lead to poor performance and accidents; 
* sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness; 
* serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat; 
* sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. 

Here are  ways to get a better night's sleep:

1. Have a sleep routine
Going to bed and waking at the same time (even at weekends) helps to improve your ability to sleep and the quality of that sleep.  Avoid evening naps by keeping active until bedtime.

2. Get out into natural light
Long days in the office under artificial light can make your brain sleepy, while hours in front of a TV or computer screen can suppress the body's production of melatonin, making it harder to sleep.  Get out during the day - walk to or from work or go for a walk at lunchtime - even in winter when light levels are poor, this will help your sleep patterns.  The exercise you get from your walk will also help you sleep better at night.

3. Make sure your bedroom is sleep friendly
Keep your bedroom cool and well ventilated.  Keep your bedroom dark - use blackout blinds or a mask to keep light out.  Have your bedroom as quiet as possible, and if you can't avoid noises from neighbours or barking dogs, use soothing sounds or earplugs to mask external noise. And, of course, make sure your bed is comfy.  If you wake with a sore back or aching neck it may be a sign that you need a new mattress or a different pillow.

4. Prepare for bed
Have a bedtime routine: as well as brushing your teeth and getting ready for bed, incorporate relaxing activities into your bedtime routine: try doing a 15 minute relaxation, or some gentle yoga exercises.  To allow you to be totally relaxed, empty your head: write down all the things that you want to do tomorrow, or anything that is worrying you, or anything that you need to think about, or anything that you need to remember to do. Get it all down on paper, so there's nothing for your mind to chew on as you try to get to sleep.

5. Eat yourself sleepy
For a better night's sleep avoid big meals and fatty food late at night, alcohol, caffeine, and smoking all of which will disrupt sleep patterns.  If you find yourself waking at night for a snack, try having a light snack before bed - a handful of almonds or a couple of oatcakes with half a banana, honey, a slice of turkey or cheese may help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the night.  You might also want to have a cup of chamomile tea or a glass of warm milk.

6. Get rid of anxiety
If worry keeps you awake at night, this is may be a stress problem, not a sleep problem and you need to address the source of your worry.  You may benefit from meditation, or you may need to learn how to manage your thoughts, or perhaps enrol on a stress management course.  If it's a problem and you're not sure what to do for the best, go to your GP for advice.

7. Try a Reflexology treatment
Sometimes it's nice not to have to do everything yourself, so consider getting support from a Reflexology treatment.  Many clients talk about getting a great night's sleep after a treatment - it's almost as it a Reflexology session has the effect of pressing a reset button in the body. That's not to say that you won't need to take action yourself, but you know what they say about a problem shared is a problem halved!

If you're experiencing poor sleep and would like to try Reflexology to discover if it will help, click this link to email me and ask about my special discount for new clients.

Wishing you sweet dreams.

The International Stress Management Association launched their 2008 National Stress Awareness Day with their top ten stress busters:

1. SMILE – it’s quick, easy and free!  When you smile your body releases feel-good hormones.
   
2. EXERCISE – you get a treble whammy through exercise: better health, improved blood flow to the brain, helping you think more clearly and reduced stress levels.
   
3. GET ENOUGH REST & SLEEP – hobbies and holidays counterbalance work and everyday stress and sleep helps restore energy, concentration and general health.
   
4. POSITIVE THINKING – remember external events don’t determine how you feel, rather it’s your response to external events that determines how you feel.  Try adopting a positive response and thinking positive thoughts.  It may take a bit of practice, but it’s worth it.
   
5. REACH OUT TO OTHERS – Make sure you have a support network of friends, family and co-workers you can call on to help take the strain.  And remember to be a good support to them too.
   
6. ACHIEVE A GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE – All work and no play makes Jack and Jill a dull boy and girl.  How you spend your time away from work can improve your performance and effect in work.
   
7. RELAXATION – Make relaxation a regular part of your daily routine because relaxation is an easy and effective anti-stress weapon.  Check out the many books, CDs & DVD that can help.
   
8. EAT A HEALTHY DIET – Cutting down on coffee, sugar, alcohol and nicotine will help you avoid mood swings and a balanced diet will have your body functioning at its optimum level and more able to deal with stressful situations as they arise.
   
9. HUGGING – Hugging feels good and has been proven to reduce the stress hormone, cortisone, so make sure you give and get your fair share of hugs.
   
10. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP IF YOU NEED IT – If you’re coping with more than one big event in your life – moving house, divorce, the death of someone close, big issues at work, ill-health – you may be so busy coping with the situations that you don’t notice their effect on you.  Don’t be shy about seeking professional help – your GP, a counsellor, a stress management professional, etc may help you cope better maintain your physical and mental health.

Pick one items from the list and put it into practice and see how well it works for you.

Or you could come for a relaxing Reflexology or Indian Head Massage and let someone else take the strain for a change. Just call Doris on 07724 197627 to book your appointment.  And remember there's a special JULY OFFER: £10 off your first treatment - but only if you book in July (appointments can be scheduled for August).

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. - Albert Einstein

Do you have problems that you just can't seem to solve?  Are there issues in your life that seem constant, regardless of how hard you try to overcome them?  Do you feel you stuck in a rut, getting nowhere fast?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different outcome.  I mean really, wouldn’t you need to be mad to think that somehow, magically, one time, if you keep doing the same thing, you’re going to get a different outcome?

So if you want to get a different outcome, you need to do something different.  If you want to feel differently you need to think or act differently.  But what do you need to do?  Well perhaps you already know... have you've been saying to yourself – “If I just did A, B or C it would help me to X, Y or Z”, so for example –

• If I was less anxious, it would help me to sleep better
  
• If I looked after myself better, I'd be healthier
  
• If I did something new, I'd feel in less of a rut
  

But how to you stop getting anxious, look after yourself better and do something new?  It’s not always easy.  

I'm a great believer in the path of least resistance.  Why put huge amounts of effort into overcoming resistance when you can just go round it with no effort at all.  It's not about being lazy (well not much!), it's about being sensible and efficient - why make things hard for yourself if you don't need to.

And that's one of the reasons I love Reflexology!  Reflexology is a physical approach that can impact on mental and emotional states.  Our mind, body and emotions are not separate entities, they're all part of us and if one part is out of balance, all of us is out of balance.  So, Reflexology is not just for those wishing physical benefits (although it's great at providing that), it's for anyone who feels an imbalance in mind, body or emotion.

For example, if you are going through a challenging time emotionally, and all the talking about it has taken you nowhere, perhaps a relaxing Reflexology treatment will allow you to feel more in tune with yourself and less anxious, angry, fearful, or whatever other emotions are implicit in your situation.  And if you feel less anxious, angry, fearful, etc you will respond in a different way and your problem will appear in a different light to you.

So, if thinking about something causes you to feel a certain way, then changing the way you feel can cause you to change the way you think.  No effort, no resistance, no problem (or at least less of a problem).  And with Reflexology, you just sit back and let someone else take the strain.

So, if you're making things hard for yourself, give yourself a break and if you haven't tried it before,  give Reflexology a chance.  To book an appointment, contact me (Doris) on 07724 197627.

Retirement is that halcyon time when work has ended and we often feel that life is really begining.  It's a stage in life when our time is our own, we can slow down and relax a bit more and we're free to do whatever we want, whenever we want.

Many now see retirement as a time of change and the beginning of a new stage in life - a time to spend on new projects, travel and hobbies or perhaps continuing with work on a part-time basis or even starting a new business.  All of this needs energy and vitality and Reflexology can be the perfect support.

Reflexology can be applied vigorously or lightly depending on the needs of the client, so it's easily adapted to older clients with stiff or inflammed joints but equally can be a stimulating, vigorous treatment for more robust clients.

As a holistic treatment Reflexology works on a  physical, emotional and energetic level.  It's common, as people age, for them to feel that they can't do as much as they could when they were younger and that feeling can undermine confidence, especially if it's accompanied with health challenges.  One of the most common pieces of feedback I get from clients is that Reflexology helps them "cope better" - that feeling that they're going to be able to deal with whatever life throws at them.  I'd call that confidence!

Reflexology is an easy treatment to have - it only requires the removal of socks and shoes, so there's not a lot of fuss and bother and no stripping off - perfect for the more modest of us.

And it's relaxing.  

The benefits of relaxation - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - are usually under-estimated.  Being relaxed:

• puts our body in a state of equilibrium and that can help reduce inflammation - particularly useful for joint pain
• helps to put our thoughts in perspective, so those anxieties begin to seem less important

And a Reflexology treatment is about connecting and caring: caring about ourselves and allowing ourself to be cared for.  Who doesn't need that!

If you'd like to treat your mother to a Reflexology treatment on Mother's Day just call Doris on 07724 197627.