Two main areas of focus to keep physically and mentally healthy are the immune system and building resilience.
The Immune System relies on many factors for optimum functioning and NHS guidance includes:
Eat a Balanced Diet: Aim for at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables daily, incorporating a wide variety of whole foods, fibre-rich starchy carbohydrates, and protein sources.
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids—roughly 6 to 8 glasses of water a day—to help your body produce lymph, which carries immune cells.
Consider Vitamin D: The NHS recommends considering a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter months when sunlight is limited.
Stay Active: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, which helps immune cells move efficiently through your body.
Prioritize Sleep and Manage Stress: Maintain a consistent sleep routine and practice stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness, meditation, or getting outdoors daily, as prolonged stress can lower immune function.
Much of the above is easily recognisable and providing there are no underlying issues can be easily achieved.
Building Resilience is a different matter and requires professional support as it is not something you either have or do not have; it involves flexible behaviours, thoughts and actions that can be learned and strengthened over time that may require multidisciplinary professional input using a mix of methodologies based on holistic principles.
Defined by the National Institute for Medical Research NIHR as a dynamic biological process of adapting successfully to stress, trauma or adversity allowing a person to “bounce back” or maintain healthy functioning and having the capacity to recover quickly from difficult life events and resist the negative impact of stress.
Experiencing physical or emotional trauma or stress triggers the “fight or flight” response, a combination of Sympathetic Nervous System activation (a branch of the autonomic nervous system) and increased Adrenalin and Cortisol production creating a state of high alert, quickening actions, increasing heart/pulse rate and blood pressure, affecting breathing and digestion (may develop a panic attack).
Although valuable and necessary when facing immediate danger, increasingly research findings are showing that consistent long-term release of high levels of adrenalin/cortisol negatively impacts on physical and mental health and may lead to emotional “burn out”.
My professional experience of using the combination of Clinical Reflexology and Counselling to calm anxious patients has shown to be both therapeutic and beneficial by helping the body and mind to relax.
Applying pressure in sequence to specific zones and areas on the feet (hands or ears) that link to organs and systems of the body, sharing a relationship with the meridians of acupuncture, clinical reflexology works to re-balance nervous systems and as symptoms subside breathing and digestion becomes naturally regulated.
Valuable to this process is stimulation of the vagal nerve (X cranial nerve & main conduit of the para-sympathetic nervous system) and engagement with the Sensory Nervous System (sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing).
As a qualified professional counsellor, I use listening skills and reflection during a session encouraging patients to identify their stressor(s). Once identified, various coping strategies are talked through, demonstrated, tried out and explored in depth.
I offer a wide variety of tried and tested techniques that can be easily learnt, practiced and developed by the patients themselves.
Patient experience feedback has shown that a high number had felt in a state of stress/anxiety for a prolonged period of time. Some identified a pattern of similar stress triggers e.g. family dynamics, some recurring stress triggers e.g. work related, others had experienced a panic attack following a traumatic incident and had not felt able to let go or move on and felt overwhelmed with ongoing health related issues.
The range of symptoms varied from patient to patient. Broadly they included fatigue and sleep disturbance, breathlessness, pounding heart, headache, tight muscles of neck and upper back with restricted head movements, jaw pain, teeth grinding, swallowing difficulties, weak voice, indigestion, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, irregular bowel habits, bladder urgency, hot sweats, shaking, sweating, giddiness and brain fog.
Hypersensitivity to bright lights, strong smells, loud noises, itching skin as well irrational fears and phobias (avoiding crowds of people, not wanting to leave the house or to be alone) were also noted.
Patients commented that they felt out of control and chaotic, unable to make decisions.
Meditation, Mindfulness and EFT-Tapping practice has shown to be supportive alongside Nutritional Therapy, making changes to diet and lifestyle and Homoeopathic/Bach Flower Remedies.
Success of any intervention relies on patient willingness to positively engage, emotionally invest and commit to the process of change with realistic expectations.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of anxiety/stress/trauma and would like some advice, support and positive practical interventions, please get in touch, always happy to help.