Stress is something which we all must have in order to have motivation and drive to get on with our everyday tasks,and to give us the energy which we need to see us through the day. A manageable level of stress is good for you, and the amount of good stress which you have depends on the individual. How you manage your levels of stress can vary from person to person, some people keep their stress levels manageable through exercise and recreational activities which help the mind to empty itself from the day, and helps the body to recover properly so that healing can take place. A manageable level of stress keeps your mind healthy too, as it is able to de-clutter and make room for new information which then makes it easier for the information you want to be stored in the memory banks in your subconscious. A clutter free mind means clearer thinking, good decision making, optimum performance and a good feeling all round.
Once we become overwhelmed with whatever is going on within certain aspects in our lives, such as pressure from work, or problems at home for example, this can cause an overload of stress. Sometimes we do not realise just how much we have taken on, as we can very often say that we will be able to deal with it when we get around to it. I wonder how often have you said that very same thing?
Once you feel as though things are getting beyond your coping capacity, your body produces more adrenalin to keep you mentally alert and physically charged so that you are able to continue with whatever it is you need to keep doing. If your situation continues to be demanding, then the adrenalin levels become prolonged which then places you in a position where you feel as if you have reached your limit, and you feel as though you have no time left for yourself, or to do the things which you enjoyed.
Once we realise that we have too much, or too little going on in our lives, we can become lost in a haze of confusion which gives you a sense of losing control of what it is you are trying to achieve. There may be times when you get frustrated at yourself or others for not doing what it is you have set out to do in the first place, or that you have become distracted with something else which has been more of a priority. This can leave you feeling as though you have not really achieved much, or have not made the best of your day as you have had other tasks to do. How often do you find yourself in that position?
Maybe you are in the opposite situation where you have nothing structured in your day, and need something to fill in the time. Having nothing to do can make you feel as though you have no energy to do anything even if you think about doing something, however this can lead to a vicious cycle of negative thinking which can put your mental health in the hot seat for an emotional downward spiral. This can often lead to depression and other related issues which can take it's toll on your body and mind over time. This alters your whole perception of life, and how you see others around you. This could lead you to feel as though life has dealt you a bad hand, however, the saying goes, life is what you make it. If you really want to do something about the way you are, the it would be better to be proactive in helping yourself than to wait for a miracle that might never come.
The symptoms of stress are many and varied, such as:
Irritability
Headaches
Illness (particularly at weekends or during holidays)
Insomnia and sleep disturbances
Tiredness/lethargy
Muscle tension
Feeling isolated
Changed eating habits
Crying for no reason
Breathing problems
Grinding teeth
Feeling of impending doom
Diarrhoea or constipation
Feeling nervous or anxious
Feeling jumpy, racing apprehensive thoughts
Feeling scared
Feeling irritable or angry
Poor concentration
A lump in your throat
Increased drinking or smoking
Losing interest in your hobbies or job
Dizziness
Butterflies in your stomach
And many more....
Sometimes, you can be experiencing stress but your mind and body are so good at hiding it from you that you are unaware of it. In such cases the symptoms might be more subtle and therefore difficult to recognise, such as:
Working endlessly without tiring
having little feeling or emotion (except the occasional outburst of anger)
increased use of alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes or other drugs (which may suppress feelings of stress)
behaviour that is 'out of character'
An inability to relax
Binging on junk foods, carbs and sweet things
Not being able to concentrate on one task for too long
A feeling of being unsettled and dissatisfied with your life.
Boredom
If you are under a lot of stress for a prolonged period of time, but do not feel stressed, eventually it may catch up with you and cause more serious symptoms, such as:
stomach ulcers
heart problems
minor illness (allergies, skin disorders, migraine)
serious illness (eg: arthritis, cancer, diabetes)
mental problems (eg: depression)
One of the ways to combat stress is to have some sort of structure for your day, week or month. At least you will have a starting point where you can start to live your life as you intended to do in the first place.
When you come for a session with me, we would go through what you currently have in your life,have a look at your current situation, and how we can change things to make things better for you to deal with for the present time. We will discuss what you don't want in your life right now, what you feel you need to keep and what you would like to introduce into your life.. We will discuss several ways in how you can reduce your levels of stress, and how you can maintain a healthy level once levels have dropped to a comfortable level for you. If you start off taking small steps to reduce your levels of stress, then you can start to make the big changes in your life which will work out better for you in the long term.
The techniques which can be used to help you are a collection of effective methods which can help you to make those first steps. The techniques which I integrate in a stress management session are:
If you would rather not have these techniques included in your stress management session, then that would be fine. I would normally teach you self hypnosis so that you can relearn how to relax and clear your mind of the clutter which may be causing you sleep problems.
A session of stress management would be £35
A session of hypnotherapy for stress would be £60
The amount of sessions which you require will depend entirely on your circumstances and the outcome of the free initial consultation.
