Can Bowen Therapy Help with Stress and Anxiety?
Stress is a normal part of life.
We all experience it and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A certain amount of stress can help us respond to challenges, meet deadlines and deal with situations that require our attention.
The difficulty can come when the pressure continues for too long, or when we don’t have enough opportunity to recover.
Work, relationships, financial concerns, health issues and major life changes can all contribute to stress. And stress doesn’t just affect how we think and feel. It can also show up physically, with symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, poor sleep, racing thoughts, irritability and difficulty concentrating.
Sometimes the body notices the stress before we do.
You may find that your shoulders are constantly tense, your jaw is clenched, or that you feel tired but still can’t properly relax.
Stress and anxiety aren’t quite the same
Stress and anxiety can feel very similar, but they aren’t exactly the same.
Stress is usually connected to a particular pressure or situation. It might be a demanding period at work, financial worries or a difficult relationship. When the situation changes or the pressure is removed, the stress will often ease.
Anxiety can be different. It can continue even when there is no obvious cause, or remain after the original source of stress has passed.
The two can, of course, overlap. Ongoing stress can make it more difficult to cope and may contribute to anxiety.
This is one reason it can be helpful to recognise the early signs that you are under too much pressure.
Your body needs time to recover
Our stress response is designed to help us deal with challenges.
But responding to pressure is only part of the picture. We also need time to recover.
When life becomes particularly demanding, it can be easy to keep pushing through without noticing how much tension we are carrying. Eventually, you may realise that you haven’t really relaxed for days or even weeks.
Making time to slow down can be an important part of managing stress.
Research supports relaxation techniques as one approach to managing anxiety. Exercise, mindfulness and other self-help approaches may also be helpful, depending on the individual.
The important thing is finding approaches that help you look after both your mental and physical wellbeing.
Where might Bowen Therapy fit?
Bowen Therapy is a gentle form of bodywork using light, precise movements through soft tissue, with pauses between sequences.
At BowenWorks, I often see people who are carrying more physical tension than they realise. Tight shoulders, a clenched jaw or a feeling of being unable to properly switch off can all be part of how stress is experienced in the body.
A Bowen session also gives you something that can be surprisingly difficult to find in everyday life — time to stop.
You don’t have to answer emails, solve problems or think about what needs to happen next.
You can simply lie comfortably and allow yourself some quiet time.
For someone who has been feeling tense or overwhelmed, that opportunity to slow down may be an important part of the experience.
I see Bowen Therapy as a complementary therapy that can sit alongside other approaches to looking after your physical and emotional wellbeing.
It isn’t about replacing other forms of support. It can simply be one part of a broader approach to taking care of yourself.
Listening to the signs
One of the most useful things we can do is become familiar with our own signs of stress.
For one person it might be a tight neck or aching shoulders.
For someone else it could be poor sleep, headaches, racing thoughts or becoming more easily irritated.
Recognising these signs can make it easier to pause and consider what support you need.
That support might be going for a walk, getting some extra sleep, spending time with people you enjoy, practising relaxation or mindfulness, or simply taking some time away from the things that are demanding your attention.
For some people, it might also include a Bowen session.
When should you seek further help?
There isn’t usually one answer to stress.
But if anxiety is persistent, overwhelming or beginning to affect your everyday life, it is worth seeking professional support.
If you’re unsure about what you are experiencing, the Black Dog Institute has an online Anxiety Self-test. It can be a useful starting point for reflecting on some of the symptoms you are experiencing, but an online assessment is not a diagnosis.
If you’re concerned about your symptoms or the results, speak with your GP or another qualified health professional.
Bowen Therapy is complementary care, not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment.
Looking after yourself doesn’t always have to start with something complicated.
Sometimes it starts with recognising that you’ve been running on empty.
Taking a break.
Letting your shoulders drop.
And giving your body a little time to slow down.
That may be one of the simplest things Bowen Therapy can offer.
If you’d like to learn more about Bowen Therapy or discuss whether it may be suitable for your situation, contact me to book an appointment.
