3 minute read
Stress Management
with Julie Hamshere
Millions of people in the UK say that they experience some level of stress every day. But what is stress? We all say we are stressed some of the time, but it has become an overused word and can mean many things to many people.
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If we were to define stress at its most basic level, it is our bodies’ response to a change, a way of responding to our behaviour and our environment. Our body makes a call on the situation and decides if it is stressful or not! Things that we see or hear, and ‘past experiences, help decide this.
There are many causes of stress, from money worries to health, relationships, school, work, appearance, and much more. We need to get better at recognising the triggers of stress. Once we do that, we can learn how to manage it so that it does not become detrimental to our health. Our wellbeing is key, and whilst exercise and a good balanced diet are crucial, our ability to look inwards and help our own mental health is vital.
A lot of the time our day-to-day habits and the decisions we make will have an impact on our stress levels. But hear this! Not all stress is bad for us. Yet most of the time when we talk about stress, we are referring to the negative ‘bad’ stress rather than positive stress. Stress that is positive on our body can benefit us, motivate us and can be habit-forming. Some things that can trigger positive stress are exercise, playing sports, socialising, undertaking hobbies and much more (and the more you do of these, the more you will want to do...).
Bad or negative stress has the opposite effect. This is the kind of stress that we need to get much better at recognising and dealing with. Whilst in the short term we may not notice the effects of stress at a cellular level, over time negative stress can be detrimental to our bodies and our minds. So, we must utilise stress reduction techniques, rather than just learning to cope with stress and anxiety, because the underlying levels of stress we place on our bodies can cause damage in the long term.
So, when you hear yourself saying to someone ‘I am stressed’ or ‘X or Y is stressing me out’ that’s negative stress. Or you feel angry, overwhelmed, or unable to cope. It might be time to seek out ways to help yourself. If this sounds like you then here are some examples of things you can do to help reduce the negative stress.
Think about your breathing; so often we forget to check in with our breathing. To calm yourself try the 4/7/8 breathing technique: Start by breathing in through the nose for a count of four, hold for a count of seven whilst you visualise a calm and relaxing place, then breathe out through your mouth for a count of eight. The slower the better. I find this technique effective because it moves your focus to the counting and helps to bring your body and mind back to its prestressed and calm state. It can be used at any time and is also a great technique to help you get off to sleep if your mind is overthinking!
Hypnotherapy also offers a great way to retrain your brain to respond to stress in a more helpful way. Many people find the long-term benefit of hypnosis a powerful addition in their day-to-day stress management. After just a single session, many clients state that they feel completely calm and relaxed.
Other techniques to help minimise stress include hands-on therapies such as Reflexology. This works to re-balance key systems and organs to help our bodies destress and work efficiently. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, cutting back on alcohol consumption, and journaling are also great ways to minimise stress. If you feel you need help managing your stress or anxiety, or have any questions about Hypnotherapy or Reflexology, please contact me directly for a confidential chat.
