This blog was originally written with​ Mental Health Awareness Week in mind, which I thought was a good time to examine the effects massage can have on your mental health.
However, as our lives have changed drastically this year with a global Pandemic, an Alert Level 4 lock down (in NZ), and basically most the country shutting down apart from essential services, we have seen stress and changes like never before. And we were not quite ready for it.
As our Alert levels drop, people are transitioning back to their workplaces again, which is why I thought this article might be a good thing to bring to light again, about how massage can help with mental health.
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Did you find a way to cope as your life changed? And what is this 'new normal' people are talking about? 
We are not our of the woods yet. There are still so many things to sort out, to try and re-arrange our pieces back into some sort of normality.

Stress can have a huge impact on both aspects of our wellbeing, and the workplace is, for most people, the most stressful part of our lives (usually). Right now, the anxiety of transitioning back into workplaces are at an all time high as we leave our 'safe' places and change back into a different environment.

The link between physical and mental health is well-known. After all, it is impossible to have one without the other. Finding healthy coping strategies for dealing with stress can help us deal with both physical and mental issues. While most of us know that massage is fantastic for a broad range of physical problems, science also proves that regular massage has impressive effects on our mental health.

Scheduling a regular workplace massage into your workday is one way to help transform your mind and body help increase coping mechanisms. Here’s why...

For many people, massages are all about candle-lit rooms, relaxing, meditative music, and the chance to completely zone out.
While this is certainly the most commonplace kind of massage in many western cultures - and a fantastic way to relax - many other massage forms are available. Each of these approaches has slightly different approaches and benefits.
Chair massage is becoming increasingly popular, particularly for workplaces. There are key differences that make it a convenient, no-fuss therapy that can be done almost anywhere, at any time.
Let’s explore what they are...


​Targets the Back, Arms, Neck and Shoulders
Table massages are ideal for targeting any area of the body, as the therapist has easy access to any muscle group from head to toe.
Chair massages, on the other hand, are focused on releasing tension in the upper body. This is ideal for workplace massage, as these tend to be the most stress-prone areas. Chair massage focuses largely on the back, arms, neck and shoulders.

​When we talk about workplace hazards, most people immediately think about working at heights, using chemicals, heavy machinery, or dangerous tools.
But not all hazards are quite so obvious.
Ergonomic hazards such as bad posture, poorly designed workstations and repetitive movements may not seem as dramatic as a fall from height, but the long-term effects can be just as devastating.
So what are some of these potential hazards?
Read on to identify some of the potential health hazards in your work environment and learn how to avoid injury with some simple changes.

Have you ever found yourself at work reading the same paragraph over and over again but not remembering a single word of it?
Or perhaps you forget simple things, blank out on people's names, or spend an hour on a task that would usually take ten minutes?
Don’t panic, you’re not alone. The dreaded brain fog strikes everyone from time to time.
It can be frustrating and downright stressful trying to battle through mental fuzziness when you need to be productive and efficient.
If you often find your brain lagging behind at work, read on to learn what might be causing it, and what you can do to clear out the cobwebs and get your mojo back.

What Causes Brain Fog?
That mental sluggishness that creeps in and robs you of your focus and efficiency is likely to be a case of good old mental fatigue. Just like the rest of your body, your brain can get overworked and needs time and space to recharge. Here are some of the likely culprits that may be slowing you down:

Because breathing is an unconscious, automatic function, you probably don’t give it much thought.
After all, you are still alive, so you must be breathing correctly, right?
In reality, the way we breath has a significant impact on our general health and wellbeing.
​Nobody teaches us the right way to breathe when we are young, so we often develop bad habits.
However, it is possible to retrain ourselves to breathe better.
Read on to learn why it’s important to breathe correctly, and how something as simple as a chair massage can help you...

Some people find it hard to picture getting a massage at work.
This is often because their idea of the traditional concept of a massage doesn’t match with a
​workplace activity.
If you can’t quite picture the break room or supply closet being transformed into an essential-oil scented haven with meditation music pumping out of the walls, we don’t blame you.
Fortunately, that isn’t what massage at work is all about. While it is still a relaxing, de-stressing experience, it is more about offering targeted therapy for specific workplace issues.
No hot stones, no getting naked under a sheet and no elevator music playing in the background.
So how exactly does it work if you opt to get a massage at work? We will explain it all here, so you know what to expect.
 
Don’t Expect A Spa Experience
Although we are not knocking a relaxing spa-type massage complete with robes, candles, and petal-filled baths, this isn’t quite what a massage at work is all about. The purpose is to relax your muscles, not put you to sleep completely!
Your business will designate a massage area where the therapist/s can set up their massage chair, away from the comings and goings of the work space. You won’t be required to remove any items of clothing. Work massages are over the clothes only, focusing on the neck, shoulders, arms, fingers and back.
Rather than lying down, you will be seated in a specially designed chair, which you will sit in back-to-front. For comfort, you will be leaning forward slightly, and will place your head through a comfortably cushioned hole.

​Often, unless we have a debilitating injury, many of us consider going for a massage a bit of a frivolous luxury. Perhaps it is only reserved only for girls’ nights and special occasions.
​Massage is not always an immediate thought. Especially not massage at work!
However, growing evidence proves that regular massage offers many incredible health benefits. Health benefits that can really help you out at work. They range from reducing stress and depression to boosting the immune system and providing pain relief.
But what about Corporate Massage? How does that work?
Corporate massage isn’t just for those with injuries, aches and pains, or specific job descriptions.
Here’s how any employee (or employer!) can benefit from regular workplace massages.

​With the arrival of winter comes the arrival of cravings for nice, warm comfort food.

It can be hard to tempt yourself with a green salad or a sandwich for lunch when the weather is cold and you want to warm up, or you feel a bit miserable in general and everyone around you seem to be sick.

So, you reach for a nice, hot lunch instead. Plenty of carbs and fats to make you feel satisfied, warm and content. For a short period of time, anyway. Instant gratification and all that.
​
So, can this warm comfort food affect your performance at work?
Let’s look into whether your diet can impact your productivity at work, and which are the right lunchtime foods to reach for to keep you alert all afternoon.
 
Can Your Diet Impact Your Productivity?
Healthy eating is often linked to general health and even weight loss, but it is not often considered in terms of productivity. 

Are you feeling pain as you sit at your desk right now?
Unless you just kicked your toe against the desk leg, chances are, you could be experiencing OOS.

Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS) is one of the most common occupational health problems in the world. Also known as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), the term covers a range of musculo-skeletal problems.
OOS can be debilitating, and treatment is often ongoing. Many people suffering from one will need to be off work for extended periods. This of course impacts both workplaces and employees.
However, there are ways to help prevent and manage these conditions.
To help you work smartly and safely, let’s look at what causes OOS, how to diagnose and treat it, and most importantly, how to prevent it.

​What is OOS?
OOS can range greatly, but overall, they involve damage to muscles, ligaments or tendons throughout the body. Caused by repetitive movements or sustained awkward body positions, you will most often find the upper body is affected. That includes the forearms and elbows, wrists and hands, neck and shoulders - particularly in an office environment.
Examples of OOS include tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tennis elbow, although there are many more.

​Is stress affecting you and the people you work with? You are not alone. The World Health Organization called job stress a World Wide Epidemic. 
Stress in the work place is one of the most common areas of stress in our lives. Even if we love our jobs, stress is an inevitable part of day-to-day performance and impacts both employers and employees alike. Everyone is susceptible because stress is an individual’s perception of the load they carry, no matter your role in your workplace. Stress is good like that, in that it doesn’t discriminate.

And the stress isn’t just physiological, it is physical as well. Hours spent in front of a computer screen starts playing havoc with your posture. Muscles starts to fatigue and causing pain, which is the nervous system reacting to the way you sit. Trigger points (taught band of muscle that can refer pain to various parts of the body) starts to form, headaches become more frequent and intense and pain starts to spread to different areas of the body. Let's face it, pain is exhausting and spreads into all areas of your life. Just because you leave work doesn't mean you leave the pain behind.

In New Zealand, OSH (Occupational Health and Safety) defines workplace stress as: The result of the interaction between a person and their work environment. According to research, one-third of workers report high levels of stress, and one quarter regards their job as the number one factor of stress in their lives.
Finances is a constant worry, office politics is another as is the actual workload along with constant deadlines.  According to a survey by Bill Wilkerson (CEO of the Global Business and Economics Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health) the Number One stressor in the workplace is: Lack of Control – having no control over the participation or the outcome of the work.

Stress in the workplace is costly too. High staff turnovers, more sick days, less productivity and lowered staff moral are all costly contributing factors for a company. For the staff there are medical bills, prescriptions, sick days used up and struggling to cope in general life, etc.