Stress/Anxiety

Occasionally we all feel stressed, a little stress is necessary to keep us on our toes. Stress usually comes and goes as we deal with the stressor.

Anxiety is our reaction to stress. Anxious feelings can be intense and last much longer. The cause is not always clear.  Both stress and anxiety share similar symptoms.

When we feel anxious it triggers our primitive ‘stress response,’ which is our internal alarm system, alerting us to danger. This stress response kept us safe back in pre-historic times, our body released stress hormones including adrenalin and cortisol, enabling us to fight or flight (or freeze). When danger passed, the stress hormones dispersed and our body relaxed.

This same ‘stress response’ kicks in today when we feel threatened or anxious. The threat may be real or imagined. We become alert, ready to fight or run. But there is no wild animal to fight, so there is no release of stress hormones. We remain over vigilant, can’t relax and experience physical signs of anxiety: dizziness, chest pains, palpitations, panic attacks, dry mouth, knotted stomach, sweating and breathlessness. Over-agitated, unable to relax, sleep or concentrate, little wonder we suffer burn out. We may stop going out to avoid people or situations that trigger anxiety for us.

Anxiety causes us to worry about our future, and have negative, unhelpful thoughts or behaviour. We may catastrophise, expecting the worst. Feeling anxious all the time, our worries can be exaggerated out of proportion. We may feel out of control and can’t cope, Modern lifestyles can cause anxiety about our relationships, separation, divorce, bereavement, employment, finances, housing or social issues. Anxiety impacts profoundly on all parts of our lives.

Hypnotherapy, Tapping and mBIT coaching can relax you, remove your feelings of anxiety and facilitate the changes you need in your life.

Please contact me for further information about stress and anxiety.