Is Stress Having A Negative Impact On Your Life?
Stress has always been a part of our daily lives, beginning with the fight or flight response we inherited from our early ancestors. Many of our stresses are natural everyday responses to situations where our bodies react in a somewhat stimulated way. This type of stress could be viewed as ‘"positive or "necessary" because without it we would probably lead quite inactive, dull and directionless lives.
As James Tighe (from BBC Health) points out:
“Stress in itself isn’t necessarily harmful. Everyone needs goals and challenges. But too much can be damaging.”
— James Tighe
Negative Stress
In our current society, people are increasingly experiencing too much stress, or what could be called ‘negative’ stress. This is the type that can make you feel overwhelmed and jittery and is a well-known trigger for depression and anxiety, it can also affect your physical health.
There are a limitless number of triggers, however the following are generally accepted as being in the top dozen:
Any sort of loss, from bereavement, divorce and separation to a child leaving home;
Long-term illness and Disability;
Marriage; Moving house; A new job; Holidays and Work.
The Symptoms of Negative Stress are well known to us, and Include:
- Increased irritability
- Heightened sensitivity to criticism
- Signs of tension, such as nail-biting
- Difficulty getting to sleep
- Early morning waking
- Drinking and smoking more
- Indigestion
- Loss of concentration
Stress management
We all have a level of stress, including negative stress, which is manageable for us. This level will vary from person to person and is dependent upon a number of factors, for example, self-confidence and self-esteem, stability of lifestyle and relationships, unresolved issues from our past. So, as long as we keep our stress levels below our individual limit, we are likely to be able to function effectively.
However, if we are operating at our individual limit all the time, any additional stress (even something very small) may tip the balance and move us from a position of experiencing a manageable level, to a situation where we are feeling completely overloaded or out of control.
What is important when thinking about our stress levels is the degree to which our response to a certain trigger has been either appropriate or disproportionate. Equally important to consider is the degree to which stress is beginning to seep into all aspects of our lives.
If you are suffering with stress that is related to a specific event, for example, if you are due to make a long journey or perhaps you are in the middle of a particularly busy time, one or two sessions of hypnotherapy enable you to reduce your stress levels and to feel more relaxed and in control.
It will provide you with a greater sense of self; it will boost self-confidence and self-esteem; it will help you build on your self-belief and you will have a strong visual image of yourself being calm and self-assured. Hypnosis is well documented as being wonderfully relaxing and effective at reducing stress levels.
Here at East Cheshire Hypnotherapy I have substantial experience and specialise in helping people to reduce their worries and stress in relation to specific events, you would need just one session a week or two before the event in question.
Ongoing and Pervasive Issues with Stress and Anxiety
Perhaps your issues are more long term or pervasive and you have found that your stress levels are having a limiting effect upon your life? Perhaps you are not sleeping well at night? Perhaps you are constantly having arguments with those around you? Or perhaps you are beginning to take significant time away from work due to your high stress levels? In these circumstances it is likely that you would benefit most from a short course of hypnotherapy, combined with some mind management training to help you manage your thinking properly to resolve the underlying issues that are aggravating your stress levels.
This type of therapy would provide you with all the benefits of hypnotherapy, whilst also helping you become more skillful at manage your thinking, which will be affecting your ability to cope with your daily stressors, leaving you free to enjoy a more fulfilled and relaxed approach to life in the future.
At East Cheshire Hypnosis I have found that stress can be very effectively treated using Hypnotherapy, cognitive techniques and mindfulness.