The Western approach, sometimes called Swedish massage because massage has always been popular there, is the best known and most often used. Massage can be characterized by the various types of strokes and the use of oil and talcum powder to reduce friction against the skin. The technique, used mainly by physiotherapists, masseurs and beauticians, can be summarised in four main actions :

Massage method 1 - Effleurage : Stroking lengthways up the back, chest and limbs, with a light to moderate pressure exerted by the whole of the hand. The effect is to warm the tissues, reassure the person who is being massaged and tone the circulation. This massage method is especially valuable for redistributing accumulations of fluid in the limbs and abdomen and for encouraging the pores in the skin to open to allow proper elimination.

Massage method 2 - Petrissage : A firmer stroke with moderate to deep pressure, and most of the contact made through the heel of the palm, one hand reinforcing the other.

Kneading : manipulation, directed especially at stiff, contracted areas. This massage method can be done with the thumbs only, or between thumb and fingers, with a gesture like kneading dough. When the skin and subcutaneous tissues- those just under the skin- are picked up, pulled away from the body and rolled between the thumb and fingers, the action is known as skin rolling. This massage method is especially useful for joints such as the wrists, ankles and elbows and helps to remove possible accumulations of waste products.

Massage method 3 - Friction : A series of deep, often circular motions, using thumbs, knuckles or fingertips. Pressure is concentrated on a small area through repeated strokes and is as deep as necessary without causing pain. Relaxation of tense muscles marks the time to move on to another area : prolonging massage at the same point would re-stimulate the muscle.

Massage at home : With the comfort at home, massage basically requires towels, a pillow, oil, talcum powder and a fairly hard surface to lie on : the floor is suitable with firm cushions or a mattress), provided that the person massaging can work comfortable in a kneeling position. The session should last about 20 minutes. Start on the back, since most tense muscles are there, and it is the easiest part of the body on which to work.

Article excerpted from : Doctor’s Answers 41

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It would be wrong to assume that anger and stress management training is going to help you achieve success in forever suppressing your anger or living an absolutely stress-free life. The plain truth is that some amount of anger and stress is good for all of us and when certain problems arise the right amount of anger and stress can actually help resolve the problems. The need to get anger and stress management training only arises whenever a healthy amount of anger and stress turns into unwanted aggression or even rage and which then adversely affects your ability to work as well as to live a normal life.

Be More Assertive

With the help of anger and stress management training it is possible to learn skills that will make you assertive without being overly aggressive or giving vent to angry outbursts that are a sign of lack of sufficient confidence in being able to properly communicate your concerns as well as irritations. Without anger and stress management training you would not be able to learn to open your heart’s and mind’s valves so as to let out pent-up anger and tensed up thoughts. This lack of release of anger and stress can lead to doing things the wrong way – often with disastrous consequences.

After going through anger and stress management training it is possible to learn to behave with self assurance and to also achieve success in dealing with the reasons as well as causes that lead you to become angry and you can after learning how, control your anger and stress at the time that you start becoming angry or stressed out. Other benefits of undergoing anger and stress management training include creating models of proper behavior as well as achieving the right mental balance so that you are able to understand what makes others tick. This in turn leads to achieving success in resolving conflicts well before things get out of hand and turn too ugly.

It is possible to get anger and stress management training in your home and you can also get it by attending seminars. The public anger and stress management training courses can always be arranged without needing to give much notice and they usually involve being instructed in small groups. Seminars on the other hand will offer training that is generally suited for meeting specific purposes such as to aid in business dealings or to help you learn to work in a team.

It is of course a good idea to first enquire what the basics of stress management training are so that you know beforehand what kind of training you are going to get. The right tools will help you achieve desired results and so will suit you though these must go beyond simply providing you with simple though helpful tips.

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Listen to your body

Don’t react to stress, but respond to the tell tale signs! We have a barometer built in our body, it constantly monitors our physical, emotional and spiritual functions. It send warning signs for any crisis detected so we may take action to handle the crisis. More often than not, we often disregard the warning signs or ignore the known consequences while abusing it at high risk.

Balance your 3-S management

In our daily life and work, we need to balance our 3S management to transform stressful energy into motivational power.

SELF MANAGEMENT - time and energies distributed for personal, family and work.

SATISFACTION MANAGEMENT - values, goals, expectations, aspirations and inspirations

SUCCESS MANAGEMENT - definition, level of success and price to pay for success.

Exercise your choices

When one is having choices, one is having freedom and freedom is one of the key to reduces stress. Also, if one is having alternatives at workplace, they help to manage work stress better. We must exercise our choices to create balance in life and work. Many people would rather not make any choices for themselves, mainly because they are afraid to take responsibility for their choices made. It is easier for them to follow what they are told to do, to avoid responsibility. When we feel that we don’t have choices in life or alternatives at workplace, we are destined to have stress. Remember, choices and alternatives give us the mastery ofour life and work.

Change to master change

It is a must for us to change so we can master the change, The intrinsic change must precipitate the extrinsic change. It is of a higher quality change from inside for facing the change from the outside. When the extrinsic change is imposed and force for the intrinsic change, it is often met with resistance. Conversely, changing from the inside will make it easier to take on the change for the outside. Always keep in mind that change is growth and new opportunity!

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Stress is the main reason to make us tense and could cause illness and pain. While massage helps to break the circle of stress by relaxing tense muscles and stimulating the body systems to work efficiently. Massage therapy has amplified and refined that natural reaction to bring relief to sufferers from pain and stress. If properly apply, massage not only relaxes stressful body and soothes pain but can affect the whole body and indirectly mental and emotional states.

Massage, which has the action to relax and to stimulate, can be adapted to produce the desired over all effects. Poor blood circulation and aggravated stress could cause over-contraction of muscles which reduce the flow of blood to hands and feet. In such a case, massage would be designed to relax the tissues, producing an overall relaxation with a sedative effect, and as stress was removed the circulation would respond to increase tone and speed up a sluggish metabolism.

The healing effects of massage is to make the superficial tissues of the body relax or return to normal, so that they stop stressing the spinal cord with abnormal nerve signals. This relieves pain and tension and prevents them from establishing a ” vicious circle” of reflexes, in which, for example, persistent stress and hunching of the shoulders can create headache and nausea, which in turn give rise to more stress.

There are some conditions which could be made worse by the use of massage, and others in which it could be actively dangerous. Acute inflammatory conditions due to bacterial infection, recent sprains or wounds, and states due to contagious diseases should not be massaged. Circulatory problems such as severe varicose veins should be referred to a doctor, and anyone with a heart condition should seek medical advice before receiving massage. It should be avoided in the case of internal diseases such as ulcers and hernias, in any illness needing complete bed rest, and finally, in skin conditions, because it can cause them to spread.

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Most of the stress management recommends breathing techniques as one of the effective stress management techniques, however, overbreathing could produce some very worrying symptoms. Breathing is something that happens automatically in our body that we all take it for granted. But as soon as we become aware of air passing into and out of our lungs, we tend to breathe more frequently and more deeply. If this overbreathing is done for a few minutes or more, we will experience peculiar feelings. This condition is also known as hyperventilation.

Overbreathing often occurs in stressful situations. Patients might go to their doctors with a variety of symptoms, and it can prove very difficult for the doctor to diagnose overbreathing as the cause. It is a rare condition in the very young and elderly and is most commonly see in young women between 15 - 30 years.

Normally, an adult breathes in and out about 15 - 20 times a minute when he or she is resting. Breathing rate will increase naturally under stressful conditions and with some lung disorders. However, some people hyperventilate with stress and experience strange symptoms which can be very worrying.

The symptoms caused by hyperventilation are the result of breathing out too much carbon dioxide gas. Increased breathing reduces the carbon dioxide in the tissues, causing narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain and reducing the blood flow.

Faintness, visual disturbances, nausea, cramps, unsteadiness, headache, shortness of breath, palpitations, hot flushes, cold sweats and tingling sensations are the symptoms experienced in overbreathing.

Treatment

The quickest way to cure overbreathing is to breathe in and out of a paper bag, taking in the air and carbon dioxide that has just been breathed out. This increases the carbon dioxide level in the blood and the symptoms of overbreathing may disappear. Mild tranquillizers may also help to control anxiety.

If the symptoms of overbreathing persist, long-term psychiatric treatment is necessary. Avoiding stressful situations could also help in easing the overbreathing symptoms.

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