Stress can be defined as the emotional, physiological and psychological effects caused by a build up of either internally or externally generated mental pressure. Situations or other people do not in themselves create stress. The feeling or sense of being stressed results from our own negative or unhelpful responses to these stimuli.
Everyone responds differently to stress. Some may experience anxiety, panic attacks, aggressive behaviour while others find it affects their digestive system or makes them feel tired or run down. The physical, mental and emotional indicators of stress are many and varied from interrupted sleep patterns to feeling grumpy; from headaches to despondency. The effects of stress can impact negatively on relationships and work, and continued long-term stress can also increase the risk of ulcers, heart problems, stroke and other serious medical conditions.
It is important to remember that it is not the situation itself that causes stress, but how one reacts to a situation. People are stressed by many different things: the thought of meeting new people; arriving late for an appointment; giving a presentation. The situation itself does not cause the stress, otherwise everybody would be stressed by the same situation.
Hypnosis can help significantly by teaching you to relax at a deep level of the mind. When we are more relaxed it becomes easier to access those learnings and resources which enable us to deal with difficulties and challenges more effectively. Many people find that just one or two sessions of hypnotherapy along with home use of a CD, establishes a new sense of calm and an ability to cope in situations that may have previously caused stress.
