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TMT diagnosis for England cricket fans in ashes spin 23 August 2005 Be Shane Warne’d! Supporters of English cricket are again feeling the pressure and stress as the fourth Ashes Test against Australia gets underway. The close fought battle for the famous little urn is going down to the wire and for a nation gripped by the knife-edge series, so are the nerves. As the country’s stress levels soar, health and medical experts at Bupa have diagnosed a worrying syndrome affecting these anxious Ashes fans and have devised six stress-busting tips to avoid getting in a spin. Tony Urwin, clinical manager at Bupa Psychological Services said: “We have been closely monitoring cricket fans throughout the Ashes and have noted a growing phenomena TMT - Test Match Tension.” “We are very aware that the close nature of these matches has left many people at their wits end. Therefore we thought it was sensible that we try and tackle TMT now, before it gets out of hand and we’re bowled over by an outbreak of nail biting, hair pulling and teeth grinding.” While Shane Warne’s run up to bowl may fill us with dread there are methods of controlling this anxiety. Bupa has devised an Over of Tips to keep TMT on the back foot, and hit stress for six: Arm Massage: One way to release tension and feel restored is to smooth out your arm by stroking it firmly and then start kneading it, squeezing and releasing the flesh. Apply circular pressures with your thumb on your forearm and then repeat the whole process on the other arm. Ear Massage: Use your index finger and thumbs to hold the top rims of your ears and pull upwards. Massage making small circles. Move down all around the rim of the ears, pulling ears out gently and massaging. When you reach the lobes, pull them down slightly and massage for around a minute. Hair Pulling: To trigger the relaxation response in your entire body - tug your hair. Use gentle but firm pressure to pull hair upwards and away from your scalp over your whole head. Prayer Pose: This can improve your posture, relieve tension and help you breathe more easily. Stand or sit with your back straight and place your hands together in front of your chest. Holding this position, exhale slowly and lower your hands as far as possible. Then reverse the process, inhale slowly and raise your hands up to your chest. Medulla Massage: With your index and middle fingers press on the depression at the base of your skull. Rotate in small circles three times in one direction and three in the other, then bring your head back against the pressure of your fingers. Next, gently press your head to your chest. Repeat the sequence three times. Smile: Enjoy the cricket… and remember a bit of stress is probably good for you. Tony Urwin said: “Most of us suffer from stress at some point in our lives and we need to learn how to manage it, as stress-related health problems are becoming increasingly common.” What is stress?The body has an in-built physical response to stressful situations. Faced with pressure, challenge or danger, we need to react quickly and our bodies release hormones such as adrenaline to help us do this. These hormones are part of the ‘fight or flight’ response and affect the metabolic rate, heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in a heightened or stressed-state that prepares the body for optimum performance in dealing with a stressful situation. However this natural reaction to challenge or danger, instead of helping, can damage health and reduce the ability to cope with everyday pressures such as praying for Freddie Flintoff to hit a century. For more information on how to keep calm and stress-free visit www.bupafeelbetter.com
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