There is an old adage to the effect that “if you look after, your feet, they will look after you”.
And let’s be honest, our feet (literally) carry us through the day, so must merit some stressbusting™ attention!
Firstly in this regard, we make sure we are wearing the correct sized shoes.
Anyone who hasn’t will attest to the pain of blisters, bunions and hard skin – “simples”, as the meerkats would say.
Secondly, we invest in good quality, supportive shoes given the level of walking we do out and about as well as in the house with Her Majesty the Baby.
There is a time to budget, and choice of shoes is not, in our opinion, one – this is an investment in self and wellbeing, so should not be overlooked.
And finally, we keep our feet warm.
Nothing in our experience, is worse than sitting with cold feet and we are convinced from our own experience (though have no evidence to prove it!) that this can lead to ailments.
In addition to the above, we have started to explore the benefits of Home Reflexology.
Reflexology has been defined as :-
“a system of massage used to relieve tension and treat illness, based on the theory that there are reflex points on the feet, hands and head linked to every part of the body”.
Now we are no experts (qualified or otherwise), but the relief of tension aspect of this definition just makes instinctive sense to us.
We do not, however, believe that Reflexology is an officially prescribed treatment for specific illnesses (at least not in Western cultures).
So we have decided to focus solely on the relief of tension benefit reported, via our feet in the first instance!
The process for us involves simply giving one another gentle foot rubs versus any form of deep tissue Reflexology that qualified experts may be able to provide.
There are even “foot maps” available online which indicate which parts of the body particular areas of the feet relate to!
These are fascinating to read – the concept appearing to be that if a foot rub discloses ‘crunchiness’ or sensitivity in one particular area, then you can cross refer on the map as to which other part of the body might be causing it.
So, for example, if you have a sore throat, this may manifest itself as sensitivity on the corresponding area of the foot or feet related to the throat when that area is massaged.
We sometimes look this up for interest, but we would never use it as a basis for, e.g., contacting a GP without further specific symptoms emerging and justifying this.
What we do enjoy very much from a stressbusting™ perspective is the feel of our foot rubs – they are extremely relaxing, therapeutic and encourage an enjoyable intimacy.
If we lie on opposite ends of the sofa, we can gently massage one another’s feet at the same time, though we always let one another know if the massage is too sensitive, whereupon the other can reduce the pressure being applied.
We find this exercise particularly helpful in winding down in the evening for sleep (see our previous post entitled “ "Zzzzzz" - The Most Important Stressbusting™ Letter in the Alphabet!” for an explanation of the importance of this).
And (this is a little known fact), apparently a romantic or refreshing walk along a sandy beach barefooted can replicate the same types of benefits for the feet as Reflexology as a result of the massaging action of the sand.
If you are feeling really liberated, then dip your feet in the sea at the same time to leverage its restorative healing qualities and "Engage your Inner Child to Stressbust™" or "Nail the Moment" (see our previous post so titled respectively for further detail)!
As always, before embarking on any home treatments involving perceived risks, please consult our Legal Notices page.
But we hope you too will be able to engage in what is a very pleasurable home stressbusting™ activity that has the additional benefit of being zero cost!
LOL, MikeyM&LouLoU™ ☺💝