WORKING mums seem to have it all.

And that includes more stress than most.

"There are many more women in the workforce than say 30 years ago," said aromatherapist Paola Sylt. "But they still have to do the chores at home which can cause a strain mentally and physically."

Pressure on married working women also adds to the stress on husbands who are then expected to take a more active role at home.

"Husbands don't have the same amount of support at home anymore," said Poala. "They have to help with the washing and ironing, and look after the children."

Other workers also suffer from stress due to their long hours, tight deadlines and unrealistic workloads.

But a certain amount of stress can help. The problems arise when the body and mind become over-stressed.

"Stress is a motivation to work harder," said Paola. "But too much stress can make people ill because they find that they can't cope with the pressures."

To combat the problem Paola believes firmly in a hands-on approach - and has taken her technique into the workplace.

"Workers take a lot of time off sick because they are under stress so it's in an employer's best interest to help their staff," she said.

Since she qualified as an aromatherapist two years ago, she has helped staff while they work using four different types of alternative medicine.

Massage, she says, help to balance the body, mind and emotions.

Migraines, headaches, disruptive sleep and digestive problems - such as irritable bowel syndrome - are all physical side-effects of stress that can be reduced by the treatment.

Emotional strains from becoming over-stressed include confusion, lack of decision and being easily irritable.

"Therapy allows people to relax which is something they might forget to do when they're busy at work," said Paola. "By being relaxed they will revert the symptoms of stress." Paola also uses Indian head massage, reflexology and seated acupressure treatment to reduce stress.

Indian head massage is a relatively new treatment in Britain but Paola says it is popular among workers because it can be done at the person's desk.

Her work in the workplace has opened her eyes.

"Many people live with both the physical and emotional effects of stress for years," she said.

"Some take painkillers while others just put up with it because they don't know any alternatives."

But many refuse to acknowledge they have a problem.

"They don't want to admit they cannot cope with the pressure because that would be like admitting defeat," she said.

To help them overcome feelings of failure, Paola promotes her treatments as health boosters - not cures for stress.

"If employees don't want to admit that they have a problem then they just ask for a health booster," she said.

And there's an added bonus for women.

"Aromatherapy massage can even relieve PMT," said Paola.

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