Stress

​Stress is considered to be a 21st century issue, with around 70% of illness being caused by it.
Reflexology for stress relief provides many health benefits.
To know how to reduce stress, we need understand what stress is and what it does.
The body’s response to stress involves the release of adrenaline and cortisol, which help to protect the body by helping you stay focused, energetic and alert in an emergency situation. This is also known as the fight-or-flight response and is needed when there is a physical threat.
However, today, most stress is of a psychological origin but the body does not distinguish it from physical threat so reacts in the same way.
Whilst a small episode of adrenaline and cortisol release can be helpful, when it continues for a prolonged period, it has an adverse effect on our health.
Stress comes in many forms such as work overload, relationship difficulties, bereavement, financial worries, or education pressures. Prolonged periods of stress can lead to: feeling on edge, short-tempered, feeling overwhelmed and anxious, low mood, insomnia, frequent colds, or other illnesses.
Reflexology helps by completely relaxing the body thereby releasing muscle tension, improves nerve function, blood and lymph circulation improves to remove toxins, adrenaline and cortisol levels lower, and general well-being is restored.
I have experienced the harmful effects of stress and reflexology helped me through. It even gave me the focus and inner strength to make the decision to leave the situation causing me ill-health.