What is stress?
Stress is something we all experience from time to time. A little stress can help you to get through tough moments and push forward. But intense or long-term stress can have an unpleasant impact on your mind and body. It can start to affect your quality of life, so needs to be managed differently.
Whether it’s the pressure of work deadlines, relationship struggles or financial worries, many parts of our life can feel stressful. You might experience headaches, sleepless nights, anxiety or simply feeling overwhelmed. Chronic stress shouldn’t be ignored as it can lead to burnout and serious health issues.
Stress affects everyone, even though it might not always show on the surface. Research shows that women often experience more work-related stress than men. For younger people, the pressure to do well in school, work or social situations can ramp up stress levels. They often have to deal with new situations, and sometimes that means more stress.
We all experience stress differently, so it’s important to recognise the signs and find ways to control your stress levels. Exercise, a tea break, talking to a friend or a hypnotherapist for stress can all help. Taking the right steps to manage your stress helps protect your mental and physical well-being over time.
25% of people struggle to manage their stress levels
1 in 3 are significantly affected by work stress
46% of people eat too much or unhealthily due to stress
44% of 18-24-year-olds have benefitted from professional support for stress relief
Family stress affects 48% of people
What causes stress?
Stress can come from a wide range of experiences and everyday challenges. Major life events like a divorce, losing someone or a serious illness can be stressful. These may be positive and exciting, such as starting a new job, moving home or having a baby, but can still lead to stress.
It’s often the daily pressures of juggling work, finances, social life and family that can build up and wear us down over time. It may feel like there is never enough time in the day to do everything you need or want to do.
You might have taken on responsibilities and feel stressed about trying to do them well. Or they may simply be stressful responsibilities anyway. Those who take on caring roles – for children and elderly or ill relatives – can feel the stress of these. Sometimes these roles can be time-consuming and isolating. If you’re the main or sole earner in your household, you may also feel stressed because you know others rely on you.
Some jobs are more stressful than others. Around a quarter of doctors have taken a leave of absence due to stress. Police officers, nurses and teachers are considered to have the most stressful jobs. More than 80% of teachers say their job has impacted their mental health.
The symptoms and effects of stress
When stress builds up, you can have both physical and mental symptoms that disrupt your day-to-day life. You might feel a mixture of these symptoms, and they won’t necessarily be the same for someone else.
Physical Stress Symptoms
- Short-Term Effects: Headaches, shallow breathing, an upset stomach or a racing heart are common reactions to stress. You can also feel tired, sick or dizzy. If you have existing physical health problems, stress can make these worse.
- Long-Term Risks: Ongoing stress can lead to chronic health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
Emotional Effects
Stress and anxiety often go hand-in-hand. You could also feel sad or tearful, irritable or angry, and frustrated. You might have feelings of helplessness, a sense of dread, and lose interest in life.
Stress can affect concentration, memory and decision-making. Doing simple tasks may feel overwhelming. This may lead to feelings of burnout and exhaustion. You might find it hard to switch off from racing thoughts.
Stressed Behaviour
You might find you have a shorter temper and snap at people. You could feel restless or fidgety and pick at your nails or skin. You might smoke or drink more than usual.
Recognising the Signs
Sleepless nights, frequent headaches or a racing mind are signs it’s time to address your stress. Prolonged stress can worsen existing health conditions or create new issues. The earlier you recognise these signs, the easier it is to manage your stress before it becomes overwhelming.
How can stress be managed?
Stress management starts with recognising the signs and finding strategies that work for you. Different approaches help different people with stress reduction. It’s about discovering the methods that best support your own wellbeing.
Identify triggers
Try to understand whether your stress is caused by specific things that happen regularly or a one-off, e.g. dentist appointments vs moving house. Ongoing things could also cause it, like caring responsibilities or work problems. You might also feel stress and worry about something bad you’ve experienced happening again.
Create a Routine
A consistent daily routine will reduce unpredictability and ensure you can plan ahead to manage stress. Avoid doing too much at once and take breaks to reduce stress building up.
Break Tasks Down
Changing the way you do certain tasks will give you more control. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, break larger tasks into smaller ones. This can help you to take manageable steps to regain control.
Reach Out for Support
Ask for help with tasks that are causing you stress. Talking to someone you trust – a friend or family member – can provide comfort and new perspectives. They might be able to offer advice, physical help or simply an ear to listen to your worries. You can also ask for support at work or university – your mental health is important and they should take your stress struggles seriously.
Professional Support for Stress Management
Speaking to a therapist can help if you are regularly struggling to get stress relief. They can help you to acknowledge and understand your feelings. Hypnotherapy for stress provides tools to help you handle stress with more ease and confidence.
Practise Self-Care, Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Ensure you find time to relax, spend time in nature, and look after your physical health. Hobbies can help to distract you during stressful times. Make your wellbeing a priority through regular exercise, a balanced diet and relaxation. Deep breathing, meditation or yoga can help calm your mind during stressful times.
Celebrate Small Wins
Acknowledge your progress, no matter how small. Reward yourself for little achievements as this boosts your resilience and helps you stay positive.
Step Back When Needed
Give yourself permission to take breaks when burnout looms. Make time to recharge before continuing.
Building resilience is key to managing stress. It involves adapting to challenges and finding ways to recover from difficult experiences. While stress from discrimination or life events can be harder to overcome, resilience can be developed with time, support and the right coping strategies.
How can hypnotherapy help with stress relief?
Hypnotherapy for stress offers a gentle yet powerful way to manage stress by tapping into your subconscious mind. It helps you reset your perspective on stress, allowing you to approach life’s challenges with calm and confidence.
During a session, you’ll be guided into a state of deep relaxation, similar to daydreaming, where your mind becomes more open to positive suggestions. Hypnotherapy for stress management encourages forward-thinking. It helps you develop a new outlook on stress, making overwhelming moments feel more manageable. We can use this to change your response to stress.
You can regain control and feelings of calm. It helps reduce both emotional anxiety and physical symptoms, like a racing heart or shallow breathing. Along the way, you’ll learn skills to help manage stress long after the sessions have ended, allowing you to live a calmer, more balanced life.
Most people start to see a difference after 6 to 10 sessions, though this varies depending on individual needs. These not only reduce stress but also improve sleep, mood, and overall wellbeing. Hypnotherapy for stress management provides a range of tools to handle stress more easily, helping you build a more peaceful and balanced life.
Our Stress Specialists
Benn Baker-Pollard
Sittingbourne
Caroline Prout
Thrapston
Claire Noyelle
Maidstone
Dawn Ibbetson
Chelmsford
Emma Bancroft
Rainham, Kent
Emma Treby
Mid Devon
Gary Johannes
Peterborough
Jill Whitehouse
Newcastle upon Tyne
Keeley Smith
Southend-on-Sea
Kerry Seymour
Weston-super-Mare
Marina Love
Aylesbury Vale
Peter Ely
Islington
Samantha Morson
Canvey Island
Victoria Anderson
County Durham
Why Choose Inspired To Change
Our solution focused hypnotherapists empower you to better understand your brain, helping to guide you towards solutions and achieve the outcomes you want. We have a team of fully trained hypnotherapists, giving you the choice of who to work with and how you want to work with them. Solution focused hypnotherapy is just as effective in-person or online in the comfort of your own home, so you can find the ideal therapist to help you reach your goals.
Every one of our hypnotherapists is recognised by governing bodies like the National Council for Hypnotherapy, the UK’s leading not-for-profit hypnotherapy professional association. They have all trained with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, one of the leading hypnotherapy schools in the UK.
