The Devon Clinic is just two minutes from both Paignton Bus and Train Stations and we have seven unique therapy rooms to rent. The clinic is on Hyde road and we provide a friendly and welcoming environment for both practitioners and clients.
All our therapy rooms to rent are fresh and relaxing offering a sense of peace and tranquillity for all types of therapeutic disciplines, including counselling, psychotherapy, massage and more. All our therapy rooms can be hired by the hour, half and full day to suit you and your clients needs.
Our brand new reception is the first port of call for all clients and practitioners. Here everyone will be greeted by our friendly reception staff and volunteers. You can relax, browse one of our local magazines, watch our in-house video and enjoy a glass of filtered water while waiting.
Features and benefits for therapy rooms to rent:
Staffed reception during office hours M-F 9 am to 5 pm
Boosted Wifi access
Flexible room rentals
Evening and weekend access
The option of being featured on our website and social media
It may surprise you that on average, we receive, 364 work emails a week? Email is now up there as one of the most problematic areas of our working lives. The pressure has increased tenfold in recent times as many of us have now taken the office home. We have gotten creative in our attempts to replicate our workspaces, and those dining room table spots have never been so in demand.
There is no doubt that email is a great communication tool; the sheer volume can sometimes feel out of control. Its design as a distributor of information but it is also a great distractor. Some productivity gurus speculate it can hamper productivity by some 500%. They suggest working methodically, seeing one email or task through to completion before beginning another instead of jumping all over your inbox.
We have come up with seven effective habits to regain control of your email stress:
1. Don’t be a slave to the inbox
You control your emails. Choose if and when you open them.
2. Put them into perspective
How often are the emails you rush to reply actually require an immediate response? The reality is that if you decided not to answer for a few days, things would still carry on.
3. Choose when you read your emails
Set aside a time or a couple of times a day to read and action emails. By doing this, not only are you reducing your stress levels, but you are also being far more efficient than leaving them open and constantly checking that inbox.
4. Save and file straight away
A good habit to get into if you don’t already; once read and actioned file that email straight away.
5. Process and delete
Delete irrelevant emails. Sort the others into relevance and work on the most important first.
6. Does your inbox resemble your attic?
When you think of your inbox, does it remind you of your attic? Does it contain emails as old as your Christmas decorations or perhaps that old box that you aren’t even sure what’s in it? If the answer is yes, its time for a good clear out.
7. There isn’t a need to panic
If a person needs you urgently, they will call. Just because we live in a digital era, doesn’t mean you are a slave to the keyboard. When your device pings, don’t panic and jump to it.
Technology is a wonderful tool, and we should use it to our advantage. It is when it begins to control our actions and dictate our lives that we need to take a step back.
Schedule time for your emails and tidy afterwards much like you would cooking dinner.
Typically, related to cognitive problems and a higher risk of developing Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
It is not uncommon to feel forgetful and disorganised when stressed but over a long period of time stress may change your brain which can affect memory.
Studies in both animals and animals show clearly that stress can affect brain function. Scientists have seen changes in how the brain processes information during a period of real-life and manufactured stress. (In the latter, researchers challenge participants to perform difficult tasks such as counting backwards in 13s whilst being graded on performance).
Either type of stress interferes with cognition, memory, and attention. – Dr Kerry Ressler, chief scientific officer, McLean Hospital and professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.
Stress not only affects memory as well as other brain functions like moods and anxiety but also promotes inflammation which adversely affects heart health, says Jill Goldstein, professor of psychiatry, at Harvard Medical School. Thus, stress has associations with chronic diseases of the brain and heart. The effects are different for men and women.
Stress And The Brain
To understand why stress affects our brain, it is important to understand how the brain works. The brain is not a single unit, but a group of different parts that each performs different tasks, says Dr Ressler.
Researchers believe that when a part of your brain is engaged other parts may not have much energy to perform their own vital tasks. For example; If you are in a dangerous situation, the Amygdala – the part that governs survival instincts, may take over leaving the parts of your brain that store memories and perform high order tasks with less ability to perform their role. The logic behind this is that the brain has switched into survival mode thus is shutting down non-essential resources (including memory). Therefore, after a traumatic event or prolonged high stress, you may become more forgetful.
The effects of stress on the brain and body may differ depending on when it occurs during a person’s life, says Goldstein. Gonadal hormones are secreted in large amounts during fetal development, puberty, and pregnancy and depleted during menopause and may play a role in how stress affects individuals.
For example; Reductions in the Gonadal hormone Estradiol during menopausal transition may change how the brain reacts to stress, Goldstein.
Protecting Yourself From Damaging Stress
To better cope with stress, consider factors that can minimise stress. Here are some tips that can help you better manage stress levels and hopefully prevent some of the damaging effects it can have on the brain:
Establish Some Control
If stress is not predictable, focus on the things that are. Having a routine is not only good for development but also for health. Predictability combats stress, says Dr Ressler.
Sleep Well
Stress can result in poor sleep which, in turn, can make stress even worse. Sleep deprivation makes sections of the brain that handle high order functions less efficient. Healthy sleep habits can help the brain function better. This includes good sleep hygiene and going to bed/waking up at the same time, avoiding caffeine, removing screens, and creating a relaxing bedroom atmosphere free from distraction.
Be Organised
Have strategies in place to manage your workload. For example, create a daily, to-do list of tasks you need to accomplish. This way, you won’t feel so overwhelmed. Creating lists also give you clear direction from start to finish. Laying tasks out like this helps reduce feelings of bombardment, says Dr Ressler.
If You Need It, Get Help
Reaching out can help you build resilience and better-coping strategies, which ultimately protect the health of your brain. Early intervention may reduce disability caused by stress-related complications in later life.
Change Your Attitude
A life without stress is not only impossible but would also be incredibly uninteresting in fact, a certain degree of stress is vital for growth says, Ressler. Rather than aiming for zero stress, strive for healthy responses to stress.
Long-Term Brain Changes
According to Ressler, there is evidence that chronic or persistent stress can rewire your brain. Scientists have learned that animals under prolonged stress have less activity in areas of the brain that control high order tasks; for example, the Prefrontal Cortex and more activity in areas of the brain that focus on survival the Amygdala. To simplify; if you were to exercise one part of your body it would become stronger than the non-exercised parts which inevitably would become weaker. This is what appears to happen in the brain when under continuous stress.
These changes, in some circumstances, can be revered according to Ressler. Whilst stressful childhood experiences seem to take more of a toll on the developing brain, research has found that many who demonstrate resilience in the face of previous trauma have developed new brain mechanisms to compensate. It is thought that these new pathways aid in recovery from stress-related brain changes that were formed in early life.
Is stress Created Equal?
While the effects on the brain are well documented, it is less clear on what type of stress is more damaging and therefore could lead to health problems in later life.
Do brain problems occur when under a small amount of stress or is it only long-term stress that affects the brain?
It is a tough question because stress is a broad term used to describe many things. The stress you experience before an exam is different from the stress of being involved in a car accident. Certainly, more stress is likely worse, and long-term even more so, says Ressler.
There are further factors that make stress more harmful:
Unpredictable Stress
Research on animals shows that they could anticipate a stressor if receiving a shock after a light was turned on were less stressed than those receiving shocks at random. The same can be applied to humans. If a person anticipates stress it is less damaging than random stress.
No Time Limit On Stress
If you are stressed about work or an exam, the stress you experience has an endpoint. If the stress has no endpoint, for example, chronically stressed about finances‚ it may be more challenging to cope with.
Lack Of Support
Feeling supported during periods of stress enables a person to whether it more successfully than those who do not.
Is it time we talked about stress?
If you or someone you know would like to know more about stress management please contact us on
Our brand new reception is the first port of call for all clients and practitioners. Here everyone will be greeted by our friendly reception staff and volunteers. You can relax, browse one of our local magazines, watch our in-house video and enjoy a glass of filtered water while waiting.
To understand why stress affects our brain, it is important to understand how the brain works. The brain is not a single unit, but a group of different parts that each performs different tasks, says Dr Ressler.
