Wednesday 28 August 2013

The End (Of the Summer Holidays) is Nigh .... Hooray?



For many with school-aged little darlings, it's seven days to go - and counting - before the start of the new term. Others need only wait until next Monday or Tuesday before breathing a sigh of relief as the house finally becomes silent again.. Thankfully, it did actually feel as if we had a proper summer this year, but sadly these care-free, heady days must come to an end and the reality of school, work and daily routine kick in once more.
Picture this - first day back at school, a flurry of activity, lunchboxes, new shoes and gym bags - and there's a new stress to the day because we've got out of the habit of getting out of the door on time. School run completed, here's betting there'll be many a Mum or Dad who will be sitting, staring into their coffee cup at home or at work, who will be completely overwhelmed by the wave of sheer exhaustion and relief as it hits them. Will this be you?
Whilst many kids apparently have boundless energy, the same cannot usually be said of Mum and Dad. Much of their energy will have been expended in directing and containing their children's energy over the past six weeks, and so by now Mum and Dad (and often Nanny, Grandad and and childminders too) are close to running on empty.
Children can be very demanding - bored children even more so, and it is down to the care giver to see that their needs are met as best they can. But continually giving from an empty 'pot' can be very damaging, leaving the carer feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, resentful and very out of sorts. And so it is vitally important that we take time out to re-charge, to replenish ourselves and to re-fill our 'pot of giving'.
Five Element Acupuncture is a wonderfully relaxing, safe and drug-free approach to re-charging those physical and emotional batteries. All school holiday survivors deserve to treat themselves - and when the dust finally settles, what better opportunity?
www.jobanthorpe.co.uk


Monday 19 August 2013

What's Troubling Us?

Are we living in a troubled society?

A chance encounter the other week with someone who worked in UCS Admissions threw up an interesting fact.

The big eye opener for me came when I asked which courses were trending at the moment. About five years ago, apparently it was any IT/computer software-related courses which were hugely over-subscribed. According to my source on the inside, courses in psychology and social work are currently the most sought after, at least here in Suffolk.

So what message is this sending us, I asked?

My source thought that many students were signing up to these courses to self-diagnose and to try to sort out the problems in their own lives. But she stressed that this is absolutely NOT what these courses are about although students' expectations seem to be very different - this quickly leads to dissatisfaction and consequently a high drop-out rate.



Worrying times then when the youth of today has seemingly amassed so many of life's problems at a such an early stage - but actually, it is a really good sign that they are taking steps to seek solutions to address their emotional issues. Doing nothing is never a good option - movement and action are steps in the right direction, but it appears perhaps that youngsters are looking for help in the wrong place.


Thursday 15 August 2013

Why Choose Acupuncture?



Acupuncture comes to many people's mind as an alternative means of managing acute or chronic pain, or of trying to alleviate physical symptoms of their medical condition, and often when conventional medicine has failed to meet expectations. However, Five Element Acupuncture is an extremely effective therapy in helping to address a patient’s emotional issues as well as their physical ones.

At certain times in our lives, and often for no apparent reason, we may find ourselves feeling disorientated, overwhelmed or unhappy. We may have difficulty in coping and would really benefit from a little extra help. Five Element Acupuncture therapy offers a safe, drug-free, non-judgemental approach which facilitates and supports the patient’s movement through a period of transition.

Specific episodes in our lives can contribute to this feeling of ‘being out of sorts’, ‘not my old self’ or having ‘lost my way in life’. These episodes may be recent or historical but include such things as:

Relationship breakdown
Bereavement
Physical/emotional/sexual abuse
Traumatic child birth (especially prolonged or very quick labour)
Termination, Miscarriage or failed IVF
Menopause
Prolonged stress
Exam pressures
Children leaving home
Family/work disharmony
Lack of motivation/achievement
Post-operative stress/recovery
Palliative support

Jo Banthorpe is a Five Element Acupuncturist practising in Ipswich and would be happy to discuss your health concerns in strictest confidence - www.jobanthorpe.co.uk