Washing away the stress

Far too often, clients coming for massage therapy complain of all the aches and pain stored within their bodies. Laying themselves upon my soft padded massage table, they begin to unwind and breathe deeper as I work out the stored energy pent up in their muscle tissue. With every breath of relief, and every trigger point released, deeper relaxation sets in, as the body returns more to its natural state of peacefulness.

In my experience, I’ve discovered that, for many people, stress seems to originate at work; the problem being… they are always at work, 24/7! So wrapped up in their work life; trying to do a good job, earning a living, trying to get along with all the different personalities, or working for that promotion, they forget about any life outside of work! The bigger problem in all of this is the mistake of bringing work home. Some people aren’t even aware they are doing this, until the moment they are, and believe me… I have seen some shocked faces when they get it!

Think of it this way, the average person works 40 hours a week. Try this. Whatever amount you get paid per hour at work, instead of that, think about dividing your hourly wage into the 168 hours that make up one full week and see how much you are really getting paid for bringing your work everywhere you are! It’s hardly worth it! Not to mention the stressful impact your work-related thoughts and feelings have on your mind and body.

Of course! Everyone wants to be a good employee by doing a good job, just do it at work, not at home, where it can create even more stress!

Here are some of the suggestions I have given my stressed out clients over the years that have made a huge difference in their home lives, and their overall relaxation and well-being. They are easy, but you have to do them for them to work!

1) Make a distinction between work and the rest of your life. When you leave work for the day, leave work for the day! Whether you clock out or just drive over the property line to trigger your day is done, be conscious of it and make a deal with yourself, that you are done with your work day too!

2) Keeping a perspective that matters. Remember, we work so we can live. We don’t live so we can work! Keeping that in perspective is going to be important, as sometimes we get wrapped up in work’s drama. What we often forget… is… that much of what we think or worry about doesn’t even matter in the grand scheme of things, compared with the people who love us and the people we love in this life.

3) Don’t believe everything you hear! Did you know that almost all of the stress we experience comes from our own thoughts and feelings about the world we live in? A lot of stress stems from the internal dialogue that is continually playing in our heads. When you hear it, you will know itI You might even think this voice is yours, but if it is… then why is it so mean? The voice I’m talking about is a critical voice inside your head that says you are doing something wrong, you are not good enough, or that you may get fired if you are not perfect. It is the voice that replays the conversations of the day that cause you to get stuck in some sort of negative obsessive pattern about someone not liking you or you not liking them. This voice says many things, but it is important to know that mostly, this is the voice of fear. So, even though you can’t help but hear it, once you do, just know that you don’t have to believe it. That’s the key!

4) The Washing the Stress Away ritual and imagery. Now, for the washing away part. When you go home, try this powerful imagery and make it a ritual. Everyday, when taking a shower or bath, imagine that you are washing the stress of each day away. And, as the water runs down the drain, imagine that you are free from the energy that has been clinging to you and has been creating your stress. You will feel much better.

If you make these simple suggestions part of your daily ritual, you will see a huge difference in your life, for you will feel more relaxed, more pain-free and less like your work owns you and your life!