Calm Your Mind: How Hypnotherapy Helps with Stress and Anxiety
- nadiaq1
- Mar 19
- 4 min read
When you’re trying to navigate everyday life and working through a to-do list designed to get you through the cycle of personal, professional and social responsibilities (and that to-do seems to get longer no matter how much you tick off, by the way!), it’s more than easy to feel overwhelmed.
In this fast-paced world, it doesn’t feel like there are enough hours in the day to get everything done, right? Have you ever tried to get ready to tackle the things on your to-do list that seem to have been there forever and then, as you’ve looked at all the things that need doing, you actually spend more time becoming stressed about the list than actually doing any of the tasks? You’re not alone.
Stress and anxiety are being talked about more and more which is a great thing, especially as they impact a large percentage of the population. It can be helpful to know that others are going through similar experiences, as well as seeing how they have found ways to cope. This could be yoga, journaling, meditation, healthy eating, playing sports or a thousand different things. There’s something for everyone. Some have also considered hypnotherapy.
Hypnotherapy is a gentle but effective tool for managing stress and anxiety by working directly with the subconscious mind.
So, first of all, let’s look at what stress and anxiety are and how they affect the mind and the body. Stress and anxiety are often discussed at the same time and the difference can get a bit blurry so, for clarity;
Stress is a psychological and physical response to perceived external threat. This could be a deadline for a presentation at work and you don’t yet feel prepared.
Anxiety is a deep feeling of worry or fear usually based on expected negative outcomes. This could be expecting that you’ll freeze, forget what you’re saying and everybody will laugh at you during your presentation at work.
If you’ve experienced stress and/or anxiety before then you may have become aware of some of these symptoms;
Physical
Muscle tension
Headaches
Digestive issues
Sweaty palms
Fast heartbeat
Feeling shaky
Sleep problems
Psychological
Feelings of dread
Irritability
Anticipating danger
Low mood
Restlessness
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling overwhelmed
Nervousness
It’s becoming more widely acknowledged that there are strong links between our thoughts, emotions and physical selves and it’s important to remember that when one aspect of yourself is impacted negatively by stress or anxiety, the effects ripple out to affect you as a whole. This is shown when we are very stressed, our thoughts tend to be negative and our bodies respond accordingly.
Hypnotherapy offers a number of benefits in relation to managing stress and anxiety. It provides a safe space to identify the root causes of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, learn to recognise triggers and develop coping strategies to manage and overcome the symptoms. Hypnotherapy works by inviting you into a deeply relaxed and focussed state which then allows positive suggestions to reach the subconscious mind. Your subconscious is where your most deeply rooted beliefs, habits and learned thought processes are so working at that depth can help to make lasting change a reality.
Working with a hypnotherapist (in my experience) is a collaboration where you work together to reframe thoughts and behaviours in order to achieve your goals.
Additionally, as hypnotherapy promotes deep relaxation, you benefit from a release of tension in the muscles and mind.
So, let’s get a bit more specific about how hypnotherapy can help you if you’re experiencing stress and anxiety. Here are some of the ways hypnotherapy can help;
Deep relaxation. This helps reduce the physical symptoms of stress.
Reframing negative thoughts. Identifying negative or anxious thoughts and replacing them with positive and empowering ones.
Improving coping mechanisms. Building up resilience against stress triggers.
Better sleep. Understanding sleep disturbances that are caused by stress and anxiety and developing a healthy sleep routine.
Increased self-awareness and emotional balance. Feel more in control of your emotions and learn to respond to situations the way you choose to rather than reacting without consideration.
Hypnotherapy sessions can support you on your journey as you develop the skills you need to overcome the challenges that chronic stress and anxiety can bring. You’ll be given a safe and non-judgemental space where you’ll be supported as you understand where your stress and anxiety are coming from. You’ll also have a professional in your corner, offering guidance along the way.
We hypnotherapists work in our own ways and so it’s important that you find someone you feel comfortable working with. Many offer a free discovery call or meeting either by phone or online which is a great opportunity for you to have a chat, ask any questions and voice concerns. A quick tip here; write down any questions you have and anything you really want to ask on your discovery call so you don’t forget anything!
Hypnotherapy is a safe, effective and natural way to manage stress and anxiety and the right hypnotherapist for you will support you in the way that you need as you move through this journey.
You can have hypnotherapy sessions online as well as in person nowadays so if you find a hypnotherapist who feels like the right fit for you, it’s okay if they live on the other side of the country as long as they offer online hypnotherapy and you’re happy to work that way. This gives you a potentially much wider search area.
If you’ve never had a hypnotherapy session but you’re curious about how it could help you, remember it’s important that you feel able to relax with your hypnotherapist so make good use of that free discovery call when it’s offered. Consider what you’d like to know about hypnotherapy and write down any questions or concerns so you’re ready to ask on the call.
If you’ve been struggling, don’t keep going alone. Reach out and find out how hypnotherapy could help you create a new path of calm and clarity.
