FOR A HEALTHY MIND AND BODY 

Stress Management Programme

Special clinics

Specialist clinics are available to  help you to deal with stress in a natural way. Our clinics cover the following areas: Poole, Parkstone, Bournemouth, Southbourne, Christchurch, Blandford and Weymouth. these clinics are run by an accredited  hypnotherapist using a extremely successful powerful proven programme with a very high successes rate.  

The word Stress has many definitions dependent upon the context in which it is used. You will become over stressed whenever the demands being made on you are greater than your capacity to cope. We can define stress as The emotional, physiological and psychological effects caused by a build up of either internally or externally generated mental pressure.

The last thing that most people who are suffering from excessive stress will admit to is the fact that they are suffering from the effects of stress, or that they cannot handle that stress. They tend to view it as some sort of weakness to even admit to having excessive stress in their lives. It can seem like a weakness to admit to family and work colleagues that they are under too much pressure. They can be afraid that their boss will see it as a sign of weakness, and / or a sign that they cannot do their job properly This puts extra worry and stress on the nervous system, making an already poor situation appear to be even more intolerable.

Stress can come in many guises. it can be caused by a number of different things. Stress will manifest itself in a myriad of ways, but remember, we all need an amount of stress in our lives to be able to survive, to be able to do our jobs, and to give us the will and the energy to cope with emergencies. Stress is not only helpful and necessary, it can often be a positive force in your life.

Stress can and does affect men and women from all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor, no matter what your job, or even if you have no job. Stress and it’s effects have no respect for your status or position, or lack of it, in life.

Most emotional stress is about what may happen - ‘what if this happens, what if that happens?” It has nothing to do with the here and now. Emotional stress is about what we think may occur in the future. In a word, we anticipate some sort of threat to our well being. This feeling, that something of a threatening nature will occur, is the primary factor in causing most of the stress conditions that have such an adverse effect on our lives. Stress is like a disease. You can catch it from others. You can pass it on. You can suffer from it. Or, you can learn to recognise stress and it’s effects, and you can learn what to do about it.

Remember, you are not the only one suffering from stress. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for or to seek professional help Prolonged excessive stress can lead to depression. Both depression and stress can affect the immune system. This in turn opens you up to certain physical illnesses, such as the high risk of a heart attack.

At times of stress or perceived stress, our adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys, release into the bloodstream the hormones Adrenaline, Noradrenaline and Cortisol.

These hormones, which are also produced by nerve cells, are very powerful, stimulating  chemicals, which affect the heart and almost every organ in our body. 

The release of these stimulating chemicals into the bloodstream is essential to us. In times of danger they give us the extra energy to help us to run away, or stay and fight. (Fight / Flight) Unfortunately, in this day and age we generally have nowhere to run to; nor do we have the opportunity to fight the danger, even if we could see or understand what it is that is threatening us. Because of this we have generated a new response to danger - we freeze, both mentally and physically. Now we have fight, flight or freeze.

Some of the first signs of the onset of stress on the body include alert breathing rhythms, quickening heart rate, raised blood pressure, nerve activation, muscle tension and release of essential body nutrients. These are all designed to give the body the power to cope with danger, or perceived danger.

When we go into Freeze mode, our body finds it difficult to dissipate the excessive build up of Adrenaline etc. If we do not dissipate these hormones and their effects from our system, our ability to produce the vital defence substances known as Interferons is drastically reduced. Interferons are antiviral proteins produced by cells that have been invaded by viruses. Cells that are under attack from viruses release Interferons to provide protection for other cells, which may be open to attack from the invading viruses. They also provide protection against any other organism that tries to invade the body. So, if we experience prolonged or excessive stress, not only is our body under direct attack from within, it is also far less able to defend itself from even simple external infections such as the common cold. This makes it harder for your body to cope with a wide range of illnesses. The body and mind become more vulnerable to further stress, our general health declines, and we can enter a vicious downward spiral. This can give rise to negative attitudes and actions.


Some of the numerous negative effects of stress 

Breathing becomes shallow

Heart rate goes up sometimes it races

Blood pressure goes up

Chest pains

All over tension

Excessive perspiration

Minor health problems~ such as upset stomach, headache~ colds, flu, back pain, muscle

cramps and missed menstrual periods can increase.

Skin rashes can appear. If you suffer from a skin complaint, such as psoriasis, it can become aggravated. 

One can suffer a loss of confidence, and can gain a feeling of low self-esteem; a feeling of hopelessness and depression can set in.

A feeling of intense fatigue can follow you about all day. Even when you wake after sleep, you still feel fatigued and tired.

Sleep patterns can become distorted, waking at 3 or 4 A.M. 

Indigestion.

Your appetite can alter to either a desire to go on a binge, especially on sweet, sugary foods, or, you may suffer a loss of all appetite.

Self-blame, guilt, cynicism and a sense of total failure set in.

Anger and resentment at nothing in particular.

A feeling that something is missing.

You may find an extreme reluctance to go to work builds up, making it harder to face going to work each day.

Self-confidence is lower.

Self-esteem is lower.

Sex drive is tower, or you can feel sexually unsatisfied.

Depression can set in.

You may start to have a greater dependency on alcohol, caffeine, nicotine or drugs.

 

If Stress is permitted to become established, it becomes a self-reinforcing process, giving rise to more and more negative actions and attitudes. This in turn leads to further stress and withdrawal. At the first signs of mental or physical discomfort, have a check-up with your
doctor.

Don’t Ignore the symptoms of stress

Worry related stress can affect people who, on the surface, appear relaxed and confident. One thing that you can be sure of is that you are not the only one suffering from stress.

How many of these symptoms do you recognise In yourself?

ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM STRESS WHY NOT TAKE THE TEST BELOW?  

STRESS TEST

Because everyone reacts to stress in his or her own way, no one stress test can give you a complete diagnosis of your stress levels. This stress test is intended to give you an overview only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical or psychological care. If in doubt, always consult your medical practitioner or stress consultant.  Please tick the box that applies to you. Answer yes, even if only part of a question applies to you. Take your time, but please be totally honest with your answers:

A yes answer scores I (one), and a no answer scores 0 (zero).

Now, total up all of your yes scores:………………………………..

If you score:

4 points or less: You have no need to worry about being prone to stress. You are least likely to suffer from stress-related illness. You are also the least likely to have a stress-related heart attack.

5 - 13 points: You are prone to stress. You are also more likely to suffer from the negative effects of stress. You may possibly be open to stress-related illness. You are in need of stress control management / counselling.

14 points or more: You are the most prone to the negative effects of stress. You are more open to stress-related illness and possible heart attack. You must do something about it. Seek professional stress management counselling. Consult your medical practitioner.

What can you do about your stress? Contact me at the clinic now we have a special  Stress Management Programme available.

Call Free Phone 0800 298 7645 

For more information go to the Hypnotherapy home page

THE MAYONNAISE AND THE COFFEE JAR

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open
areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the
jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the
jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table 
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed. Now," said the 
professor, as the laughter subsided, I want you to recognize that this jar 
represents your life. The golf balls are the important things -- your
family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favourite
passions-- things that if everything else was lost and only they
remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,
your car.

The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.”

If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room
for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend
all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room
for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things
that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time
to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another
18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the
disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked," he said. "It just goes to
show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.

Call Free Phone 0800 298 7645 

For more information go to the Hypnotherapy home page

For more information call Paul direct on 0870 428 0934 or e-mail paul@healthyandwise.co.uk   

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Last modified: January 21, 2008