Stress and Anxiety

Stress

If the health and safely experts could, they would surely put a warning label on Life itself with its rich but uncertain variety of experience, and its inevitable stresses and anxieties. 

A certain level of stress is usually manageable (and this level will vary from person to person) and indeed can be useful in terms of motivation and performance. 

But stress, for many, not only interferes with daily life but can also make it a misery. Depression and sleeplessness are common symptoms of stress and it can be a contributory factor in many illnesses such as heart disease, digestive disorders and high blood pressure.

Anxiety

To me anxiety is linked to but slightly different from stress.  It is often associated with specific challenging situations like having to give a speech or taking on a new responsibility at work.  Or it can just be a more generalised feeling of being ill at ease. 

Anxiety is uncomfortable but not as extreme as the feelings associated with phobias or panic attacks.  However it can still limit peoples' enjoyment of life and leave them lacking in confidence or self-esteem and left untreated could deteriorate into something more serious.

If you think you suffer from anxiety it's worth asking yourself how you would be different if you were free from these feelings.  This will tell you how much those feelings are having a limiting effect on what you can achieve in life. 

Lost Days...

Not all that long ago an article in the Guardian estimated that in the UK 45 million working days are lost annually due to anxiety and stress, costing the economy about £100bn a year.  And on top of this what about the incalculable cost of someone's enjoyment of life?

React or Respond?

People often experience stress when they feel out of control, or when they don't know how to cope with life's challenges which inevitably come their way.  Headaches, tightening of the stomach and difficulty in sleeping are examples of how we might react physically to stressful situations.  But try changing the word ‘react' to ‘respond' and  immediately there's a greater sense of being in charge.  Saying "my boss shouted at me and I responded by getting a headache" just doesn't seem to work.

The point I'm making here is that whilst we can't always control what life throws at us, we can learn to control how we are going to be about it.  We can actually choose to allow ourselves those automatic reactions or we can learn to respond to situations in new and positive ways.

Stress-busting Solutions

If stress is something which is casting a shadow over your enjoyment of life, or affecting your health and wellbeing, it may be worth considering some dynamic one to one work to help you get back in charge.  Alternatively you may like to think about either our Self Hypnosis course or our shorter and more specialised Stress Management programme.

This is particularly for those who are currently feeling stressed or anxious, or who are interested in supporting themselves effectively whenever potentially stressful situations arise. 

Firstly it helps to increase understanding of stress.  Then through the teaching of self hypnosis techniques and brief (but gentle) physical exercises it will help participants to remain calm and in control when stress-points occur in their lives.  The work is reinforced by positive suggestion and visualisation. There is plenty of time for questions and discussion, and hypnosis recordings will be available.

The course is led by myself, Liz Kotarska and  Hugh Clover who has over ten years experience in Advanced Hypnotherapy and Hypnohealing, following on from a career in special education.

It takes place over four sessions of about 1½ hours each given at weekly intervals.  One day workshops can also be offered.

If you would like to find out more about Stress Management please contact me from my contact page or phone: 01206 299 724.

NB For those suffering from more severe stress or anxiety symptoms, private individual hypnotherapy sessions are recommended.