Stress can be defined as any pressure or combination of pressures that is too much for you to cope with comfortably. It can be a reaction to a big event or to the slow drips of small hassles over a period of time. It happens when not all of your emotional or physical needs are being met.
some of the side effects of stress overload are:-
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disruption of your usual sleep patterns, such as waking up in the night or earlier in the morning, difficulties in getting to sleep, or even sleeping longer than usual.
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physical complaints, such as migraine and headaches, skin disorders, heart disease, raised blood pressure levels, Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS) and other digestive disorders.
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stress as a natural response
The “fight or flight” response to dangerous situations is a well-developed and useful reaction that humans have evolved over the millennia. But the primitive and emotional parts of the brain cannot tell the difference between an actual dangerous situation and one which it perceives as dangerous but in reality is not.
When you worry and imagine a worst case scenario, your brain switches on the same physiological response (a rush of adrenalin) as it would if the situation was occurring right there and then. If this is not dissipated by some action, a chemical residue is left in your body, which over a longer period can trigger the side effects mentioned above. As well as this, an expectation pattern is set up in your brain networks which may generalise to worrying about many similar situations, perhaps leading to a fear or phobia.
hypnotherapy can help you deal with your stress by:-
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helping you learn to relax easily and quickly
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helping you learn how to get a good night’s sleep
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making it possible for you to think more positively in areas where you tend to worry.
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learning to let go of things that you cannot control, without feeling guilty.
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There are two types of sleep- the deep sleep where the cells in your body grow and replace themselves, and the lighter sleep known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, where your brain deals with the unfinished business of the day and puts events into your long term memory. The REM state is where you dream, where before you are born patterns to help you survive are laid down to form instinctive responses, and which is accessed during deep relaxation and hypnotherapy.
Each night, you have alternating periods of deep and REM sleep, but at times these patterns may be disrupted by:-
sleep difficulties may show themselves by:-
- taking a long time to get to sleep.
- waking up several times in the night.
- waking up and not being able to get back to sleep.
- waking early in the morning.
things you can do to help yourself get enough deep sleep
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create a positive pattern match between the bedroom and sleeping by removing televisions and computers from the bedroom, not leaving them on standby.
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creating an atmosphere of calm ( green , pale shades of blue, cream and white are calming colours for walls and ceilings, plain is more soothing than patterns for walls, bed linen and curtains, hanging a picture that helps you feel peaceful and relaxed).
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ensuring you have a supply of fresh air by leaving a window open however slightly.
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making sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable and support your body. (many people who change their living room furniture regularly have the same mattress for many years !)
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prepare yourself for bed by having a routine, however short, that your brain learns to associate with sleeping. (this may be the order in which you have a shower, clean your teeth, get your clothes ready for the next day, put the cat outside, whatever is best for you, but do it regularly!)
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don’t drink caffeine for four hours before bedtime (that means no tea, coffee or chocolate) – substitute herb tea, water with lemon, fruit juice etc.). Alcohol may help you get to sleep quickly, but the dehydration it causes can make you wake up earlier or in the night.
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no naps in front of the television !! (these “cat naps” are refreshing and count as sleep as far as your body is concerned!)
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waking up in the night
This can be very frustrating when you lie in bed trying to get back to sleep - the very act of trying makes it less likely that you will go to sleep.
what you can do:-
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Give yourself 20 minutes exactly to get to sleep. If you have not fallen asleep by then, get up and do something productive but that you don’t enjoy doing for 20 minutes exactly. Then go back to bed. If you are not asleep in 20 minutes, get up again and do your task for 20 minutes only. It is important that the task is useful but not enjoyable, otherwise your brain will pattern match the awake period with a reward, and so will keep you awake. (Tasks such as paying bills, ironing, cleaning a cupboard, tidying up fit the bill for lots of people, especially if they have to be quiet.)
hypnotherapy can help you sleep well by:-
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enabling you to learn to relax quickly and easily
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making suggestions to your unconscious mind about the ease and benefits of the brain getting the sleep it needs.
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helping you to break the patterns your brain has made and creating new more beneficial ones.
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helping you deal with anxiety or depression if these are the cause.
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When you relax, your brain causes your body to release endorphins, the “feel good hormones”. Your blood circulates more easily round your body as your heart beats more strongly and slowly, so releasing oxygen to your cells to help them regenerate, and the production of adrenalin (the “fight or flight hormone”) and cortisol are reduced, so lessening any feelings of anxiety.
When you are relaxed, you feel more at ease both emotionally and physically, so often your performance of any task is easier and more effective, whether this be sport or work.
ways you can learn to relax:-
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physically tensing and stretching your muscles then letting them go, starting with your toes and working up to your shoulders, neck and face.
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closing your eyes and imagining you are in a place or situation where you always feel relaxed and at peace .(This can be real or imagined ). Bring it to mind as vividly as you can, by seeing it in clear detail, feeling you are there physically ,hearing any sounds that are going on, and getting a real sense of your feelings. Stay there for as long as you need – a few seconds or 30 minutes, whichever works for you.
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imagining your favourite colour or a sense of warmth flowing throughout your body, through all your veins and arteries.
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spending a few minutes doing 7/11 breathing- this is counting breathing in to a count of 7, holding your breath there for a count of 7, and breathing out to a count of 11.
hypnotherapy can help you relax by:-
- giving you a technique to help you relax quickly and easily.
- enabling you to convert stressful situations into ones where you feel relaxed and in control.
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