Did you know that April is stress awareness month? Stress is considered as two types, good stress and bad stress. Let me explain:
Good stress known as eustress is often what makes us feel good. Without it our lives could easily be dull and bland. It’s this good stress that makes you feel excited. It creates the feeling we get when we go for a job interview, a first date or on a roller coaster ride. The surge of adrenaline when we get excited is good stress as our body reacts to a perceived threat, even though our minds know there isn’t one. This type of stress helps motivate and inspire us.
Then there is bad stress:
This bad stress falls into two broad categories Acute and Chronic. Acute stress is the fight or flight response to perceived danger and its okay when we can return our bodies to homeostasis or non-stressful state. It’s a problem when our system is upset in some way and doesn’t return to the pre-stress state quickly.
Chronic stress occurs when we are repeatedly faced with stressful situations that feel inescapable. Chronic stress is what causes physical and emotional symptoms that we frequently cannot shake off.
Bad stress triggers the same response but drags you down it can cause low mood, poor concentration, and confusion. Then you get stressed about the low mood, poor concentration and confusion and it’s a downward spiral.
Stress manifests in many ways as well, headaches and neck aches are typical examples, it can cause stomach problems, excess sweating, fatigue and chronic muscle pain, brain fog. However your stress shows itself the feelings and tension created so that you cannot relax are very real.
We all react to stress differently and you may react differently to stress at different life stages. It’s normal, you are not alone.
One big step to managing it is to not think of it as something big or “bad stress”. By thinking “there goes my stressy symptoms again” you can help yourself lighten the importance or thinking of it as something massive and bad. Remember, stress is a good thing in many circumstances.
There are things you can do to relieve your stress. Start with something that you know relaxes and soothes you:
Do: Listening to soothing music
Do: A calm bath with essential oils
Do: A walk in the park
Do: Reading positive statements
Don't: However tempting it may be reaching for the wine or gin bottle and the ice cream tub is not a good way to try and relieve stress.
Hypnotherapy is another well known tool to help you ease your stress and take back control of your life. Hypnotherapy also works to combat stress and anxiety before a stressful event or procedure such as a dental appointment or medical procedure.
Stress as a problem is a 21st century problem that is not going away. Many people suffer from the negative impacts stress has on their lives and how it affects their physical as well as mental wellbeing.
This Stress Awareness Month is a great time to learn more about stress and to support those around you who may be suffering. Fortunately, increasingly mainstream clinicians are learning about the positive improvements that hypnotherapy has for people as they see for themselves how hypnotherapy helps their patient’s combat stress, overcome stressful situations and in some cases cope without the crutches of tobacco, alcohol or even illegal substances.
Hypnotherapists do not judge, our service is completely confidential and our only aim is to provide the help to overcome stress and put it in its rightful place. Let’s do that!
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