The thing about having good mental and emotional health is that we often don’t appreciate that we have it until it slips (or dramatically dropkicks) away.
And the recent pandemic certainly tested us to limit in every way possible, especially given that so much was out of our control. Research from around the globe shows that depression and anxiety have dramatically increased as we all learn how best to deal with this new way of living. So if you are feeling anxious or low, you are most certainly not alone and to feel like this at least some of the time feels like a totally appropriate response to our world being turned upside down.
Maybe the first sign that all is not well in our mind is that sinking feeling on waking, just the thought of mustering up enough energy to get up and face the world can feel like, well just too much…
When thoughts are churning round and round our mind, it drains our energy quicker a car battery when we leave the indicator lights on (something I’m only too familiar with!)
And it’s only too easy to end up in a vicious circle of low mood, followed by depleted energy, lack of motivation, disrupted sleep and then round and round we can go.
The good news is that treatments like reflexology are a low-effort yet effective way to help break this negative cycle and take a first step back towards feeling better. It seems that working on the feet and toes can bring us out of our heads, back into our body and allow feelings of calm and relaxation to flood through our being – reminding us of how much better we can feel. Then of course it is only human nature to want to feel like this more of the time, so we are then more motivated to take other positive steps to help ourselves feel better.
Reflexology also works really well alongside medical treatments for anxiety and depression, working to support you while you take medications or have counselling or CBT. It is a treatment that requires very little from you – just enough energy to get into a reclining chair and take off your shoes and socks!
I have treated many clients with anxiety and/or depression over the years – it’s something that many of us have going on in the background. And I’ve been able to witness the power of a gentle touch therapy to lift our spirits and lighten our mood, not to mention helping bring the laughter and sparkle back into our lives.
So if you’d like to find out more about how reflexology may be able to help your mental and emotional health, then just reach out and send me a message and I’m more than happy to talk it over with you.
