Dealing with Stress

Living in a pandemic

We are living in extraordinary times of rapid change and stress. Some of the changes seem to be for the better – the environment and wildlife have appreciated the break in human interference in their ecosystems. 

However, for many people this has been a dreadful time of loss, turmoil, uncertainty, and stress.  There are many things about life that we can’t control at the moment – where we go, who we socialise with and where, whether or not we can work or study, whether or not we get the disease.  This means that many people feel like their lives are out of control, and this is compounding the normal stress they feel in everyday life.

What happens when we are stressed?

When you are relaxed and life is ticking on, your body’s stress-response system is usually self-limiting. When a perceived threat has passed, your hormone levels return to normal. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels, and other systems resume their regular activities.  But when pressures are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on.

Everyone needs a certain amount of stress to grow and develop.  Stress can be a strong motivator and impel us to begin, or complete tasks that may have otherwise been delayed.  On the other hand, too much stress leaves us feeling uptight and edgy and when this happens, our performance may suffer, or the outcome of our actions may be not up to our usual standard.  Even more importantly our health can be adversely affected, and relationships eventually begin to suffer.

One of the difficulties with stress is that people experience it in various ways, and it will manifest in their own way, according to their circumstances, previous responses to stress and other factors.  For some people, headaches and migraines may develop; for others asthma may develop or get worse.    Others find their immune system is lowered and they are more vulnerable to colds and flu.  If the stress continues some people suffer from chest pains, ulcer, heart attacks and strokes.

Other people find that stress manifests itself in emotional and behavioural changes.  These include anxiety, depression, panic attacks, aggressiveness, mood swings and insomnia.  For other people they seem to be demotivated, lose their sense of humour and snap at others.

What can we do about stress?

It isn’t always possible to prevent stress but dealing with it as soon as you can, may help your chances of recovery before a serious stress-related illness develops.

There are a number of ways you can help to minimise your stress:

• Get enough good quality sleep – If you’re thinking of tasks, worries or silly thoughts, it might help to write them down. This will help you set them aside. Hypnotherapy can help with insomnia through assisting your subconscious mind to let go of the stress of the day and allow you to sleep comfortably and deeply.  You can find that you use your dreams to resolve any lingering issues of the day so that your mental slate has been wiped clean each and every night.  For more information – https://calm-hypnotherapy.co.uk/index.php/product/habit-management/

• Relaxation and Stress Management – hypnotherapy offers guided meditations to help you wash away your stress and free up your conscious mind for more productive activities – For more information – https://calm-hypnotherapy.co.uk/index.php/product/relaxation-stress-management/

• Learn self-hypnosis – through hypnotherapy you can learn to reach the deeply relaxed state of hypnosis yourself.  You will be able to achieve this wonderful state of relaxation at other times and places.  When you take a few minutes and close your eyes, you can re-experience this calm feeling whenever you wish.  And, when you practice this technique daily, this calmness and harmony becomes an essential part of your life.  For more information – https://calm-hypnotherapy.co.uk/index.php/product/relaxation-stress-management/

• Take up a new hobby or re-discover an old one, such as reading, upcycling, gardening, welcoming a pet into your life

• Have a relaxing bath with aromatherapy candles and your favourite music

• Do more exercise, especially walking.  Nature nourishes our heart and soul in a way that technology and the busy-ness of our lives cannot.  Listen to the whispers of the trees and enjoy the changing colours of the seasons