The world as we know it has changed (for now) and we’re all learning new and different ways to live the best way that we can. Plus, with the best will in the world, good intentions, sending positive vibes, manifesting hard; no one in the world could have expected this year to turn out the way it has done! The way I see it, you could look at this pandemic in a negative light; Mounting pressures, more responsibilities, less fun and more restrictions. Or you can look at it in a positive; you have had more time to reflect, think about the things you miss with more appreciation, having gratitude for the small things, getting to know your family better, notice where you would like to make improvements in your life…

Yes the world has changed, but so can you! With a world focused so much on darkness, issues, problems, and negativity. I am here to shine a light into that darkness and pave a way for a new way of living.  Yes, *Stress levels have risen and more people are experiencing anxiety, which we can no longer ignore. This is the real pandemic in the world right now….but what is anxiety and stress? 

What is anxiety and stress? 

Firstly, it is best to look at these two separately to begin with.

Stress is how you react to the stressors in your life. The stressor/s are the activity/situation /event that can cause you stress. Normally stress ceases after the situation has passed.  Stress is part and parcel of life and is impossible to be eradicated. But what we CAN do is learn how to cope with the stressors better.

Therefore, anxiety is a prolonged experience of stress, that can involve a physiological response in the body. Anxiety is normally present long before or after the stressor has passed and is the body’s response to stress. Anxiety and stress can knock out the mind and body alignment. When you experience anxiety or stress, depending on the severity, the body can go into it’s natural fight, fight or freeze response. This can be triggered before the mind has had the chance to realise what is happening.  Not managing your stress effectively, can shift the body into a never ending state of survival mode. If our ancestors were being chased by a lion, this is when the fight or flight response would kick in! Helping us to escape the fate of death. 

However, we are less likely to be in situations such as this and the body can have similar responses when we feel threatened. This can happen in situations, such as taking an exam, when presenting or public speaking, when we’re feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities, when in social situations and so on… Taking over other areas of your life, until anxiety is present as soon as you awaken. Leading to self-limiting beliefs, negative thought patterns, inner conflict and an unsupportive inner critic. All anxiety enhancing issues.

My own experience of suffering from a short spell of anxiety has given me a personal insight into how crippling it can be. Maybe like mine, it creeps in at night? When you are overly tired and exhausted from the trials and tribulations of the day. You begin to drift off into a beautiful slumber… Welcoming that escape from the day…your body so relaxed and then it begins….  

Did I respond to my bosses’ email? 

Why did she look at me like that when I was talking?  

Did I do a good job of that presentation? Did people understand what I meant?  

Will I be able to meet that deadline? What if I don’t? 

Will I get pulled up in my supervision? When is my supervision? 

I never rang my friend! I bet she’ll hate me! I’ll call her tomorrow. Should I text her now? 

Then come the hot sweats, the palpitations, the tossing and turning for what seems like hours. With the worry of getting enough sleep setting in. 

Or maybe your anxiety is with you all day starting in the morning when you open your eyes. You think about the day ahead and there’s a dull, heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach, with the sense of dread just around the corner. 

So, you may find yourself withdrawing from activities you used to enjoy. Or maybe you’re snappy and irritable with your nearest and dearest. Or is your anxiety more internalised, and become part of your inner critic? Giving way to an onslaught of criticism and self-loathing. Crippling you from doing, being and going for what you really want to. And you’re here now because…. 

You can’t stand this anymore. 

Tired fed up of feeling like this. 

You no longer want to live like this.

You are ready to live the life that you deserve. 

Anxiety symptoms are ruling your life and you’re ready to be free of them.

The desire to enjoy your life more outweighs, the fear of anxiety and stress.

You know that there must be another way to live! 

Any of this sound familiar? Once you have reached this point in your life: you are ready to do what’s necessary to deal with it. 

The benefits of using Hypnotherapy for anxiety and stress 

 

Either way you look at anxiety or stress, they are both the body’s way of signalling to you that it needs help. You know the saying “If you don’t make time for your wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness.”  

This implies, there is a preventative measure, which there is!  

Hypnotherapy can help by getting the body and mind back in alignment with itself. So the mind and body are no longer at war with each other and they get back to working together in harmony.  Shifting that trapped energy that is stuck in the body, so it can be released and relieve the symptoms that anxiety keeps the body stuck in. 

Take back your power: People with anxiety, often talk of how bouts of anxiety and stress, would take over their whole day or even longer. Leaving them feeling drained, overwhelmed and powerless.  Through Hypnotherapy people can learn techniques suited to their individual’s circumstances. So they can swiftly take back the power over stressful situations in minutes.  

Improve confidence: Indirectly, people can leave the therapy feeling much more confident about themselves. Having feeling positive about finally dealing with their anxiety and stress. As well as improved confidence in their ability to deal with upcoming situations.  

Unearth the root cause: Most who are anxious or describe themselves as a worrier, do not want to be that way. They are also often frustrated as to why they are like this. They may have been that way for as long as they can remember. Or past experiences, have paved the way to respond this way in similar scenarios. A good Hypnotherapist, can help you navigate the “why.” Because once you know the reasons that you respond, react in this way, you can then deal with that and move on.  

Improve self care with relaxation: The Hypnotherapy techniques that a therapist uses, allows a more calmer and more relaxed disposition. Inside and outside of the therapy. Even if they only have 1 minute to spare! Approaching a problem more relaxed and calmer, can help people to see things clearer and logically. Trying to solve and the process itself is anxiety inducing.

Well-being are often the least thing that people invest in. It’s not uncommon for people to experience breakthroughs, life changing progresses, leading to a much more positive life. Through learning relaxation techniques to suit, is a skill you then have for life! Relaxation, allows you to release the tension and relax in ways that you didn’t think possible.  

Take an observer seat in your life: Taking the observer perspective of the behaviours, triggers and reactions, without judgement is something that we all have the skills and abilities to do. However, it’s not uncommon to spiral in a never-ending cycle of thoughts about situations and experiences that have not yet happened. Hypnotherapy can give people the skills to observe themselves. With that information the person can then modify their own behaviours and reactions accordingly, which moves me onto my next point… 

Staying in the present: Life is indeed different now and ever changing from one day to the next. I’m sure most of us have got caught up in living in the past or future, which then brings on the worry, which can then trigger anxiety. Staying in the present moment can be challenging, but truly is where you will find satisfaction, peace and contentment. Focusing on the positives in your life right now and appreciating the life that you have created for yourself, gives freedom from worry and stress. This is because we are normally living in the past or future when anxiety or stress are triggered.  No matter what, there are always things to be appreciative of and have gratitude for even if you can’t see them; your therapist, will help you see these. 

Letting go of what you cannot control: Therapists can will help navigate through stressors in life. Discussing each one and understanding if the stressor  is something that you can actually control or not. And if not, what other ways you can approach the problems within your power.  

Activate your higher self: Your higher self is that one who thinks of witty comebacks after an arguments. Who knows the answer to that question your boss asked at the meeting, hours later! That part of you, that when in your joy just knocks out the best artwork, article and comes up with amazing ideas.

Everything you need is in you! 

I strongly believe that by tapping into your higher self, those resources, skills and abilities that you already have, hold the key to continuing personal development as well as dealing with specific hurdles in your life. Learning how to relax, why you respond in certain ways, releasing and learning new ways going forward, frees up the mind, so it can work much better and efficiently.  

Better quality sleep: After Hypnotherapy, people often report back on better sleep quality, which in turn gives them more energy, a better focus and a happier disposition. 

Increase in energy and focus: The energy and focus you were using on stress factors, when released, can now be used elsewhere. You may find that you have more energy and feel better, and are able to focus on the things that you really want to focus on.  

Positive mindset: Having a more positive outlook in life can dramatically reduce the anxiety and stress symptoms, as you gain a new perspective on the problems you face. Not to confuse this with a blindly positive approach! Positive mindset is also allowing the emotions to surface and having the ability to let them go; feeling down whilst knowing that this low feeling, will come to an end.  

Improved well-being: Having a more positive outlook to life, means that your general well-being will improve. Aligning that mind and body connection. Using the Hypnotherapy techniques passed on by your therapist, and including these in your overall self-care, will help you manage the stress and anxiety symptoms going forward.  

How does Hypnotherapy Work? 

Hypnotherapists use hypnosis to induce a trance like state, which is a completely natural and safe occurrence. We slip in and out of trance whilst, reading a book, driving, watching television, working or daydreaming…

Whilst in this natural trance like state, the therapist uses this to gain insight into the behaviours that people want to change by accessing the subconscious mind. Taking a holistic approach and delving deep into how this behaviour manifests and working towards the persons image of  their ideal self, is how anxiety and stress symptoms can be dissolved and managed better.  

In Hypnotherapy the mind is thought of as two parts; the subconscious and the conscious mind. The subconscious mind is where all our values, behaviours and beliefs are held. Sometimes to a point where the individual is not completely aware of what they are. The conscious mind is where the memories, thoughts and feelings that are accessible instantly. In Hypnosis the therapist, will work with the person to change the unwanted behaviour to that which they wish to be. Hypnotherapy bypasses the conscious mind, which is often critical, analytical and resistant to changes and gives access for the therapist to instil positive and solution focused suggestions, so that the client can deal with anxiety and stress in a more wholesome way. 

After gaining insight, this allows your therapist to tailor sessions to suit, to empower a positive change using suggestion and imagery. If identified and as necessary, the therapist will then look to help you understand the behaviour and why you do that. They can then move on to help you release that stress, anxiety, behaviour, that has been holding you back and relearn and replace that emotion, behaviour, so that is no longer an issue in your future.  

Giving you the power to carry on with your life, with stress and anxiety being less of a factor, so you can concentrate on manifesting those goals important to you, the dreams that you really want to achieve to align to your purpose.  

To help you gain back the power in your life by overcoming your stress and anxiety, I have put together a specific programme called The Radical Rest – Anxiety and Stress Relief.

If you have had enough of your power being taken by stress or anxiety and you want to address it you can get involved in the Radical Rest and I will record your journey before, during and after therapy. As a thank you for letting me document your therapy journey you will be entitled to a free session when you book the 4 x 1 hour Hypnotherapy package. 

The Radical Rest Programme

Starts: Monday 19th October 2020 

Finishes:  Monday 30th November 2020.

Please quote Radical Rest when booking your free 30 minute zoom consultation.

Until next time…

Sessions held worldwide over Zoom or face to face in Derbyshire, UK.

See what is said about Hypnotherapy with Serena at Seren Therapies – Testimonials. 

*Office of National Statistics 2020,