Hi there. On the 5th April 2025 the cost of each individual treatment I offer will be going up by £5

Contact Me Today: 01752 492603
Email: helen@theolivebranchplymouth.co.uk

5.0
Based on 295 reviews
powered by Google
 

Category Archives: Blog

How Kindness Can Benefit Your Health

   Blog  Nov 27, 2022  Comments Off on How Kindness Can Benefit Your Health

The Olive Branch Plymouth
November 2022

Showing Kindness. It’s Good For Your Health!

A few simple tips and ideas

Hi there! Your latest blog post is here!

I have been thinking about kindness this week. Showing kindness to yourself (and others) really is good for your health. You could allow yourself some “me time”. But, I hear you say “I’d feel guilty” or “I don’t have the time”. As someone recently said to me “you need to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others”. We are wonderful, we are all amazing and we deserve this!

image of a cloud behind a rainbow

Top Tips on how you can be kind to yourself
Talk kindly to yourself
Speak to yourself as you would to the people you love and care about.

Practise gratitude
Think of a few things in the morning that you are thankful for. It can be anything. Write them down and read them again in the evening.

Simple mindful practise
Just pause what you’re doing. Think and focus on the present moment. Mindfulness is about paying attention to the here and now. You could mindfully go for a walk or brush your teeth or do the dishes.

Spend time in or around nature
This could be your garden (I try and do this every day). Or perhaps a walk in a nearby park. Whatever gets you outside. Embrace the elements!

Self-care
Keeping healthy and looking after yourself. Find time for yourself in the day. Just 5 minutes helps. Keep to a routine if you can. Get up at the same time each day. Having your hair done or go for a massage.
A purple heart
Come and visit me soon!

Helen Kremer-Williams at The Olive Branch Plymouth for an Aromatherapy massage. I can expertly blend Aromatherapy oils for your treatment or home use. These would be uniquely created just for you.

Best wishes for a Happier & Kinder Self

Helen

#beingkind

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/mindfulness/mindfulness-exercises-tips/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/nature-and-mental-health/
Facebook icon
Instagram icon
Website icon
LinkedIn icon

Autumn is here! A season of change. How are you coping?

   Blog  Oct 30, 2022  Comments Off on Autumn is here! A season of change. How are you coping?

Autumn is a season of change


Autumn is a season of change. Passion flower growing outside The Olive Branch Plymouth

Intro

Hello there. How are you? Welcome to Autumn, a season of change. I’ve become really aware that summer is no more. I myself miss the warmth of the sun and days seemed to last longer. As such, I could spend lots of time in my garden. As a result, It’s my favourite time of year!

Now it’s all looking a little different. A new school year has recently started. Warmer clothes come out. There is a definite feeling of moving forward. We are in a different time of year. It can feel very separate from Summer. There is change all around us.
Autumn is a season of change and as such can be a struggle for some. All of us experience change in this season.  Some of us hate it.  Inevitably it brings darker, shorter days.  Long winter nights can drag. People can feel more lonely and isolated. We are more prone to illness. Coughs, colds are more prevalent.

There are some of us who really feel this imbalance. Perhaps seasonal affective disorder (SAD) due to lack of daylight. Issues with our bones due to less sunshine. It’s difficult to get enough Vitamin D.  As it  gets colder we perhaps feel quite miserable. The cost of living crisis is a worry and added burden for many. So it can be an extremely  challenging time for some.

How to Embrace the Autumn

But don’t despair as there are many ways to combat those feelings. Autumn is a season of change and it is definitely possible to love the changes. So let’s try and embrace this season.  This in itself can keep a healthy and positive mind. So how can we be more mindful of this? What can we take from nature? well, we can help ourselves stay positive, during this often-turbulent time.

Essential Oils for Autumn

Essential oils are natural, therapeutic extracts from plants. Coming directly from nature itself, we can use them during Autumn to help us embrace change! Some essential oils associated with Autumn  season of change are:

  • Ginger
  • Clove
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Lemon
  • Sweet Orange
  • Sandalwood
  • Frankincense
  • Myrrh

Our sense of smell is linked, in the brain, to our emotions. Likewise, certain scents remind us of certain memories.
There are essential oils that can help us just by inhaling the aroma.
Try diffusing up to 15 drops (total) of Frankincense, Myrrh and Sweet Orange essential oils. Add with water, in either an electrical aromatherapy diffuser or candle burner.
Equally, to wind down, try a relaxing bath. Mix 2 drops of each Sandalwood, Rose and Lavender essential oil.  Add this to your bath.
To that end, allow yourself some ‘me-time’. After all, you really deserve it. Quieten your mind from all the Autumnal stresses and strains.

Warming up & Easing Joints

To warm up, if you’re really feeling the cold, try a massage blend: Mix 2 drops Ginger essential oil, 2 drops Clove and 1 Cinnamon in 10 ml of carrier oil. This is a stimulating aromatherapy massage blend. It will really warm up your muscles. Helping with stiff, aching joints and arthritic pains. All of which can be exacerbated by the colder weather.

Fighting bugs

It is always useful in Autumn to have essential oils on hand. These can help combat bugs. For instance, inhale Eucalyptus for any blocked nose symptoms. It can be help relieve the symptoms of coughs or colds. Combine Sweet Orange and Lemon are cheery. They are uplifting and stimulate the immune system too!

What’s more, a professional Aromatherapy Massage is a great option too. So, come and visit me: Helen Kremer-Williams at The Olive Branch Plymouth for a massage treatment. With this in mind, I can expertly create a blend of Aromatherapy oils just for you. Experience a treatment that would be uniquely designed just for you. Relax, unwind and breathe in those wonderful aromas.

I also create home treatment blends and recipes. For example, how about you try this idea. Burn a beautiful candle and drop a few drops of your favourite essential oils into the melted wax of an unscented candle.

I hope you found this article useful. Small changes can really benefit your health and wellbeing.

Happy Autumn Everyone!

Helen

Sign up to my newsletter and receive all the latest news and special offers.

 

Further Reading

NHS/mental-health/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad

Action for Happiness

 

 

5 Tips for a Better Nights Sleep

   Blog  Jan 07, 2022  Comments Off on 5 Tips for a Better Nights Sleep

5 Tips for a better night’s sleep

We all know the importance of sleep, especially for our mental wellbeing. But with the stresses of daily life often keeping us awake, finding time to relax and unwind is more important than ever. So here I will discuss 5 tips for a better night’s sleep.

Poor sleep has immediate negative effects on your hormones, exercise performance, and brain function.

Here are my top 5 tips for getting a consistently better nights sleep:

  1. Regular Aromatherapy Massage: Aromatherapy is a specific type of therapy that incorporates the use of scented essential oils into a massage and can help with your relaxation. (Learn more about ‘The Olive Branch Plymouth’ Aromatherapy Massage treatments here.)
  2. Increase bright light exposure throughout your day: natural sunlight or bright light during the day helps keep your circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as nighttime sleep quality and duration.
  3. Don’t consume caffeine late in the day: when consumed late in the day, caffeine stimulates your nervous system and may stop your body from naturally relaxing at night.
  4. Relax and clear your mind in the evening: strategies include listening to relaxing music, reading a book, taking a hot bath, meditating, deep breathing and massage.
  5. Get into a routine: Try to be rigid about going to bed at a certain time, and create your own relaxation routine.
Sleep plays a key role in your health. At ‘The Olive Branch Plymouth’, we offer specialist, tailor-made therapies exclusively for women. You may find that having an aromatherapy massage or reflexology perhaps can help you relax.

Learn more about ‘The Olive Branch Plymouth’ Massage treatments here.

Contact us to book your treatment here.

Further reading:

how-to-fall-asleep-faster-and-sleep-better

 

Benefits of Having a Regular Massage

   Blog  Jan 04, 2022  Comments Off on Benefits of Having a Regular Massage
Benefits of Having a Regular Massage

Benefits of Massage

The health experts at the  Top 5 benefits of massage  have their top five health benefits of adding regular massage therapy to your health and wellness strategy.

Massage therapy from a qualified practitioner can:

  • Lower stress

    The long-term effects of stress can take emotional and physical tolls. Massage therapy may relieve stress and conditions associated with it, such as tension headaches.

  • Boost Immune System

    Medical research indicates that massage therapy can help boost immune system strength.

  • Boost mental health and wellness

    Research suggests that symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression (all associated with mental health) may be directly affected with massage therapy.

  • Manage pain

    Pain can negatively affect a person’s quality of life and impede recovery from illness or injury. Recent findings highlight the role of massage in pain management.

  • Improve physical fitness

    Elite and recreational athletes alike can benefit from massage therapy-massage can reduce muscle tension, improve exercise performance and prevent injuries.

Massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being. Not only do regular massages give you a bit of self-care time, they are also a healing practice that can benefit you in many ways, both mentally and physically.

At ‘The Olive Branch Plymouth’, we offer specialist, tailor-made complementary therapies exclusively for Women, making us a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen. The benefits of receiving regular massages are cumulative and much more effective when received regularly. The more often you receive a massage, the better your body will feel over time. Budgeting time and money for massage is an investment in your health and I’m here to help you feel your best and promote improved wellbeing.

Learn more about ‘The Olive Branch Plymouth’ Massage treatments here.
Contact me to book your treatment here.

Further Reading:

top-5-health-benefits-of-regular-massage-therapy/

 

How Massage Can Help Ease Anxiety and Stress

   Blog  Jan 15, 2019  Comments Off on How Massage Can Help Ease Anxiety and Stress

How Massage can help ease anxiety and Stress.

So, how massage can help ease anxiety and stress, you may ask? Well, Massage can help the body relax. This is because it can help one let go of anxious and fearful thoughts. Massage can relieve muscle tension, improve circulation and increase flexibility. For example, a relaxing massage can help to manage our  stressful response to situations. This response is typically overactive among people with anxiety disorders.

As a result this response causes fearful thoughts and reactions.  But these often far outweigh any actual threat in the environment.
In other words, your fight-or-flight response. However, it typically leads to uncomfortable physical symptoms. For example, shortness of breath, accelerated heart rate, excessive sweating, and chest pain. These symptoms can lead to what is known as an anxiety attack.
To clarify, anxiety attack is when people may feel fearful, apprehensive, may feel their heart racing or feel short of breath, but it’s very short lived and when the stressor goes away, so does the anxiety attack. Panic attack, on the other hand, doesn’t come in reaction to a stressor. It’s unprovoked and unpredictable.
Massage can have an opposing effect.  Most importantly, it can relax the whole body. For instance, it can help in reducing tension and lowering heart rate. As a result it can help a person feel calmer and less anxious.

Types of Massage

There are different types of Massage.  Aromatherapy for example, uses essential oils to improve health and wellbeing. Essential oils are plant extracts. Some oils can be used to treat mental and emotional health problems. You can use aromatherapy oils through massage, in the bath or by breathing them in. Research has shown that aromatherapy can be useful to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety.

To summarise

In conclusion, help to ease anxiety and panic with a relaxing massage.  The benefits are numerous. I’ll be talking more on this subject in future posts.