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With the pace of modern day living, more and more people are suffering from stress. So what is it exactly?
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Stress is a feeling of intense, often unpleasant pressure and is largely the reaction of the mind to a situation.
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There are two types of stress: Eustress which is within our coping ability and is connected to something considered beneficial or that we enjoy, and Distress which is the one featured here which challenges our coping ability and long term is considered detrimental, destructive to our health and leaves us feeling overwhelmed, on edge, exhausted and out of control.
Our reaction to stress largely depends on our perception of the situation and our resources which include internal coping skills, personal beliefs, self-confidence and self-esteem, creative thinking, logic, finances, supportive relationships and general health and well-being. The other people involved in the situation can also play an enormous part in stress levels, for instance if we are working for a difficult boss who becomes abusive at the slightest thing, or a partner who is unable to cope with problems and difficult situations and adds to the stress. We may also have an added fear of stress if ‘burn out’ has been experienced in the past.
There is often an aspect of fear or frustration involved in stress and time is often an important factor. For instance trying to get too much done in too short a time, the feeling of not having the time necessary to complete something to the standard you feel comfortable with or simply the fear of being late. There is the fear of failure for instance in exams and projects, or not being able to pay bills on time. Significant stressors can be in the workplace for instance involving bullying or redundancy, they can be social involving family for instance divorce or the care of elderly parents and the difficult decisions and role reversals that are involved, they may be legal involving legal fights and court cases, or financial involving heavy financial loss, health problem with their outcomes and decisions that have to be made and bereavement.
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The fear of the situation and what might happen is often far higher than the actual reality.
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A general feeling of unease and being on edge, a change in behaviour, for instance becoming angry or snappy with others, a feeling of being in over-drive and unable to slow down, heart palpitations, sweating, increased shallow breathing, lack of concentration, decreased cognitive ability in making decisions and being able to think clearly, reduced memory, sleep problems, panic attacks, digestive problems, skin problems and an inability to relax.
The effect of stress on the body is profound. The body does not know the difference between the fear of being followed by a sabre-toothed tiger and the stress we are experiencing, and therefore it quickly responds to the perceived threat by preparing us for fight or flight and in some cases freeze. This includes the heart rate racing to pump blood to the outer organs which are needed for fight or flight, rapid breathing, all the senses being put on high alert ready for the imminent attack and the shutting down of our immune system and digestive system to send the energy elsewhere in the body where it is needed ready to face the threat.
The problem comes when there is constant stress for the sympathetic nervous system was never meant to stay on high alert for extended periods of time. If we watch animals in the wild the moment the threat has gone they quickly relax and start grazing again and their system quickly re-balances. When we stay in a state of high stress for long periods the parasympathetic nervous system never gets the opportunity to re-balance the body. This can eventually lead to burn out and health problems.
Stress is one of the major causes of disease, ‘dis-ease’ means ‘not at ease’, in other words the body is out of balance and is in a state of unease rather than being in its natural state of balance and harmony. The stress can then cause a lack of sleep which is when the body normally re-balances itself which further accentuates the problem. Prolonged stress can cause inflammation and a multitude of health problems including those of the digestive system, cardiovascular system, immune system etc.
So what can we do about it?
Hobbies, sport and interests can be very helpful by releasing the build up of energy and relaxing and rebalancing the mind and body. Self-care is important too for instance massage and other similar treatments. Spending time with friends and a supportive network of people and giving yourself a mental break is important, for our mind can only think of one thing at a time despite what we tell ourselves, for instance by immersing ourselves into reading or listening to something we enjoy. One of the most effective ways of re-balancing is getting back to the peace and tranquillity of nature, for we are part of nature, for instance walking on the beach, or by water, through meadows etc and getting back to our roots.
Hypnotherapy is extremely effective for managing stress, anxiety and panic attacks and offers one of the deepest states of relaxation known to man.
Hypnotherapy gets right down to the root cause so that effective ideas ‘suggestions’ can be introduced in hypnosis, in accordance with your wishes. Whilst in hypnosis you will also be taken to your selected ‘special place’, a place where you feel deeply at peace and calm and where you can return to whenever you wish using an ‘anchor’. You will also learn how to increase or lower sensations in your mind and body and how to control panic attacks should that apply. You will learn the power of visualisation together with the use of inner dialogue to clearly communicate with your mind. You will also receive a highly personalised reprogramming audio for you to listen to and keep which further establishes the new ideas introduced in the session.
Hypnotherapy can also help with these other issues that are relevant to stress: self-confidence and self-esteem, sleep disturbances, feelings of depression, overwhelm and helplessness, learning to put down boundaries and say ‘no’, respecting and making time for yourself, managing relationships, dealing with bullying and betrayal and other challenges and bereavement.
Sessions available online and in person.
Free introductory 30 min phone/ video call offered with no obligation to book a session.
Located in Chamonix, France.
Mind Harmony does not offer medical or psychological advice, nor diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. The information shared by Mind Harmony is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. The content of Mind Harmony is that of a holistic, complementary and alternative therapist and opinions, advice, recommendations and sessions do not constitute the medical advice of a doctor/physician. I am here to support you and help you achieve your goals with warmth, empathy, understanding and total confidentiality.