I’m lying here with my legs up, happily following the advice of my acupuncturist and physiotherapist. I first came to Ela about nine months ago with a back injury (which cleared up quickly), but I ended up staying for much longer.
She’s the second wonderful woman, alongside my therapist, who has helped me immensely.
My regular monthly sessions, aimed at calming my nervous system, have brought remarkable results.
Four years ago, when I started trying to understand what was wrong—why I kept experiencing periods of low mood—the first thing I realised was that I was living in a constant state of tension. My anxiety levels were through the roof, and my racing thoughts—that constant, unsupportive mental chatter—regularly pulled me down.
It felt unmanageable, and two years later it contributed to a deep crisis.

A few days ago, after a difficult fortnight, I woke up with that familiar vibrating ball of tension in my stomach. Now it’s a rare exception, but it made me realise that, for years, I used to wake up feeling that way every single day.

The change has been colossal. My short fuse has definitely grown longer, my mind has become quieter, and when my thoughts start to race, I can usually catch them before they spiral because I notice them gathering momentum. I feel as though I’ve developed a kind of protective buffer against the world—as if I were wrapped in soft cushions that shield me from life’s bumps and jostles.
Perhaps I’ll finally build a lasting sense of safety and peace.
Therapy has been incredibly important to me, but the acupuncture work on my body has proved just as vital.

How do you cope with tension?