Exhaustion – a modern day plague?
by Jenny Ellis
When it comes to exhaustion most of us know well enough how we got there: running ourselves ragged day in and day out, pushing through when we’re running on empty, burning the candle with not enough sleep or poor quality of sleep, stress and/or anxiety, shift work… and the list goes on.
Our remedies are also well-enough known as we reach for caffeine, sugar and other stimulants to propel ourselves to get through the day before collapsing on the couch for a dose of television or scrolling through social media before bed at night. Do these scenarios sound familiar? The first basis for dealing with this insidious condition is to acknowledge the fact you are exhausted. From here an honest examination of what has led to it for you specifically is a very helpful step. Beginning to recognise the way we ‘run the body’ throughout the day is part of this first step. Secondly, it is to understand that we have an inbuilt cycle of rejuvenation that is designed specifically to keep us vital and energised on a daily basis. This cycle pivots around our sleep and has various stages to it that once understood, give us the capacity to make choices that will support us to restore the quality of our sleep. The quality, depth and timing of sleep each night is crucial to this rejuvenation cycle being effective and can make the difference between sleep that is rejuvenating and revitalising, and sleep that leaves us still feeling tired or exhausted. As we develop coping strategies for getting through each day, it is common to rely on increased nervous system activity in order to stimulate energy and ‘keep going’ despite one’s underlying exhausted state. |
The use of Universal Medicine bodywork therapies are an effective way to address exhaustion and at Unimed Brisbane form an inevitable part of a treatment session. Treatment in the beginning involves support to ‘wind down’, with clients reporting that they feel all the tension is gone from the body, leaving them able to rest deeply. This is often the catalyst for more restful sleep as the body is no longer so ‘wired’ from the constant nervous energy running it throughout the day. This body support is a key part of turning exhaustion around, as the body is reminded what normal, healthy function feels like and again clients report that adjustments in living are more easily made from this place. “One of the hardest things about becoming exhausted is that it becomes a momentum that’s very hard to break. The things you need to get through the day undermine your natural vitality and ability to rejuvenate even further. From my experience, bodywork is one of the most effective ways to halt this momentum quickly and efficiently.” – Jenny Ellis Programs are offered to support those who find themselves with a long-term condition but each is assessed and discussed on an individual basis. Contact Jenny Ellis or Steffen Messerschmidt for further information or to make an appointment. "No other creature will destroy or show the same contempt to the body it lives in or the environment it needs to live in and from. Yet we human beings will overeat, inhale smoke into our lungs, drink as well as eat what is not right for us, whilst we also run the body into exhaustion and overwhelm. We have a system or way of life that is oppressing on/to our vital health if not directly attacking it. And yes, we have solutions to all of that, but only after the fact and because we have the ills and the problems in the first place and not as a form of prevention. So why not address the root causes once and for all?"
Serge Benhayon An Open Letter to Humanity, p 51 |
