Hypnotherapy for Stress Management

Coping with Stress

The phrase, “I’m feeling stressed”, is commonly used in everyday language nowadays. But what does this really mean? Stress is the way you feel when you are under too much emotional pressure. Most of us will feel stressed at some point, and this is usually a response to a difficult situation.

Unusual as this may sound, stress isn’t always bad for us. Getting stressed is normal and can take us out of our comfort zone to deal with various difficult situations; it can even motivate us to do positive things. However, when dealing with chronic stress on a constant basis, and when there are too many challenging periods in your life, can place excessive demands on our mind and body.

Stress can come from all angles, and this can leave you feeling both mentally and physically exhausted. By ignoring or avoiding the real cause of your stress, this may lead to burn out.

Below are some common scenarios associated with stress:

• Work-related stress – for example, your boss may have set you an unrealistic workload and you may struggle to say no. This results in having to work longer hours or taking work home. As the pressure increases, you may tell yourself that you must do a good job and you should have finished it because there are targets to meet and your boss “believes in you”.
• Negative life events, such as loss or a breakdown in your relationship.
• Money worries – your stress is compounded by a financial squeeze.

The symptoms of stress can be placed into four distinct categories:

• Cognitive – this is an overload that causes the stress hormone to negatively impact on your mental agility. You may experience memory loss, feel confused, or have difficulty concentrating. You may also be continuously worrying about things that are out of your control.
• Behavioural – some people lose their appetite, whilst others crave high carbohydrate foods. Your sleeping patterns may become difficult, as your mind is not relaxed, and you may suffer from acute insomnia or disturbed sleep. You may start to withdraw from your daily routine or indulge in substance abuse.
• Physical symptoms – you may experience an increased heart rate, slight chest pain, high blood pressure, muscle tension, headaches, migraines or alopecia. Some people suffer from frequent colds and flu, experiencing aches and body pains, and some lose their sex drive.
• Emotional – typically, if you are struggling with stress, you may become short-tempered, irrational, moody, and display sudden bursts of anger. You may feel isolated, lonely, and generally unhappy.

There are ways you can learn how to manage your stress levels and lead a happier life.

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy has been scientifically proven as an effective treatment for managing stress. However, please be aware that it may not always be possible to change some external pressures. This method of treatment is designed specifically for your personal symptoms.

• Learn how to understand your thinking and the behavioural responses to your personal stressors.
• Improve the quality of your sleep and increase your time asleep with better sleep hygiene.
• Discover relaxation training to help calm your body and quieten your mind.
• Improve your mood with Mindfulness and breathing techniques.
• Learn problem solving and time-management skills.
• Discover the benefits of assertiveness training.

If you are struggling to cope with stress, then please get in touch to find out how Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy can help you manage your symptoms.