Keep Stress At Bay With Wellness In The Workplace

14 June 2004

Keep Stress At Bay With Wellness In The Workplace

Press Release by Body Tonic Therapeutic Studio

Employers can no longer afford to ignore the stress of their employees.

A survey by Samaritans in Britain last year found 23 percent of full time workers get stressed every single day, while 45 percent of those who have felt stressed have been depressed as a consequence.

And this is not great for productivity, to put it mildly.

British employers lost 13.4 million working days last year, attributed to employee stress, anxiety or depression, with an estimated 265,000 new cases of stress reported.

UK magazine Hazards says the number of people suffering from stress and stress-related conditions caused or made worse by work has more than doubled in Britain since 1990.

And in New Zealand, employees should also ignore workplace stress at their peril.

The Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill came into force last year, along with hefty new penalties, and recognised stress and fatigue as workplace hazards for the first time.

But a survey by TMP-Hudson of 1700 firms found one third of business are doing little or nothing about stress in the workplace, while one in 10 is unaware of the new requirements.

However, help is at hand, so to speak.

Nicola Bradburn, the managing director of Body Tonic Therapeutic Studio, has provided employers with an effective weapon in the fight against stress: a “Wellness in the Workplace” on-site massage service.

The friendly Body Tonic crew, all qualified massage therapists, also provide helpful advice for staff on posture and stretching, so they can be proactive and responsible for maintaining healthy workplace practices.

Massage is an effective and enjoyable way to relieve and prevent both psychological stress and physical stress, which can lead to OOS and other problems.

The Touch Research Institute in the United States highlights studies reported in the International Journal of Neuroscience which confirmed the effectiveness of massage in relieving job stress.

After only five weeks of regular 15 minute on-site chair massages, study participants showed a significant reduction in blood pressure, enhanced alertness, decreased levels of fatigue, anxiety and depression, improved sleep and increased vigour following the sessions.

Providing massage at work is a way for employers to reward their staff, (all the on-site recipients say they look forward to Body Tonic visits!), ensure continued high productivity levels and help develop a workplace culture that indicates care for the wellbeing of staff.

Body Tonic has regular contracts with busy call centres and offices in the CBD as well as provides one-off massage services for corporate events.

Nicola Bradburn has run the successful Body Tonic Therapeutic Studio, based at the Contours women’s gym in Tory Street, for the past four years.

She has built up a loyal and satisfied client base, including our World Cup winning Silver Ferns, with her bubbly personality and excellent massage skills.

She has also developed an experienced and dedicated team of therapists who pride themselves on helping improve the health and morale of any workplace.

For details on the “Wellness In The Workplace” on-site massage service, feel free to contact Nicola Bradburn -email nicola_body tonic@yahoo.com.

ENDS

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