Stress

One definition of stress is that it’s the way our body responds to something which is a potential danger to us whether it’s immediate or ongoing. We all have different ways we’ll be aware of it. Maybe you feel ‘knots’, weight or tension somewhere. For a lot of us in office jobs, we’ll be aware of that familiar unpleasant feeling in our shoulders.

Some Stress is Good

Not all stress is bad though. Another meaning of stress is emphasis and you can regard it as a sign for you to be prepared to deal with something. There’s a term for this, ‘eustress’ which means beneficial stress. It’s the kind you have when you’re about to go on a rollercoaster or when you’re looking forward to a challenge.

Perspective and Stress

What can make the difference with how we deal with a stressful situation is how we perceive it. It’s not so much the situation itself that’s problematic, it’s what your mind is making of it. This is not to deny that there are many horrible situations we face in life and a lot is inescapable, like being stuck on an overcrowded train. However, the way our unconscious mind is programmed and using that to find more of the resources we have can definitely help. It may also be true that what you believe about stress can influence your ability to help your body deal with challenges. The algorithms of our mind tend to dictate that we get what we expect. The theory being, if you believe stress will damage your health, it’s more likely to affect you. This is not to ignore that stress can cause harmful physiological changes. Extreme stress can cause anxiety and panic attacks and chronic long term stress can lead to insomnia, a suppressed immune system and autoimmune disorders.

Don’t Ignore Signs of Stress

If you’re feeling ground down by what life is throwing at you, don’t ignore the signs your body gives you that it’s not coping as well as it can. Waking up between 3-4 am regularly can be as sign you have too many stress hormones circulating system from the day’s trials or maybe you have a different issue with insomnia and just can’t get to sleep because your mind is racing and won’t switch off. Other people can snap uncharacteristically. A lot of stress is chronic with long term exposure to challenges and lead to other physical ailments, anxiety or depression. Some people develop unhealthy habits as a kind of relief from the stress with smoking, drinking and drugs. When stress is the precursor, it’s best to tackle the stress first rather than the sticking plaster that has been used to deal with the pain.

Cognitive Hypnotherapy and Stress

I can help you learn how to use your mindset in better ways. Very often clients appreciate the opportunity to share their troubles with me in a safe space a lot of people say that it’s a huge relief just to unload and for many it’s the first time they’ve been able to speak about what’s been bothering them. Sometimes it’s possible to have a more positive perspective on what you’re dealing with and often you just need help uncovering something underpinning an unhelpful belief about what you’re facing in your life or about you. With some situations, like bereavement or relationship breakup, it’s not something to be overcome as such, you may just need support in managing as best you can and time will be the greatest healer. Confidence in your abilities is going to play a huge part with all kinds of stress and there’s much that can be done with Cognitive Hypnotherapy to reframe events in the past that help give you a better perspective on yourself and how you can deal with things. Often I can teach you techniques you can use in the moment to relieve stress when it comes up.

Free Breathing Technique to Reduce Stress

A great way to tackle stress is to learn a simple breathing technique - I have made a free audio tutorial so you can learn how to breathe away anxiety and stress.

Get in touch now if you would like to talk about what’s stressing you out. I will be very happy to help you with with Cognitive Hypnotherapy. I can see you in London EC1 or Stevenage SG1 which is easy to get to for surrounding areas in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

Disclaimer - please note results can vary from person to person