Take a moment of calm in a world full of stress

Stress

Modern life is hectic and stressful at the best of times. Most women experience some stress and anxiety on a daily basis. We have so many things to juggle and roles to fulfil. Any major life event just adds to that stress. This can be something negative such as the loss of a job or even a positive event such as planning a wedding. Sometimes we find ourselves feeling stress at times when we would expect to be excited and happy. We are surrounded by pressure all the time and have little knowledge of how to relax. Stress is the body’s natural reaction to fear and change. At times you may be able to identify the source of your stress and at others you will not.

There is rarely a moment when we are away from our smart phones and rarely a moment when we just do nothing. It is as though we have forgotten how to “just be”. We are caught in a mode of constant “doing” and as a result we end up spending most of our lives on automatic pilot.

Are you locked into “Doing Mode”?

Do you find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present?

Do you tend to walk quickly to get to where you’re going without paying attention to what you experience along the way?

Does it seem as if you are ‘running on automatic’, without much awareness of what you’re doing?

Do you rush through activities without being really attentive to them?

Do you get so focused on the goal you want to achieve that you lose touch with what you are doing right now to get there?

Do you find yourself preoccupied with the future or the past?

We know that a certain level of stress can aid performance for example when preparing for an exam or to go on stage. This pressure can allow you to focus and aid motivation. However at times pressure just becomes too much and we can feel overwhelmed.

Using relaxation techniques and mindfulness you can learn to manage stress effectively. If we feel threatened the “fight or flight” reaction occurs causing increased heart rate, faster breathing and butterflies in the stomach. All these prepare us to run from danger. This reaction is the same if you are faced with a tiger or if you are faced with an important meeting with your boss. In the case of the tiger this reaction helps you to run away. Unfortunately most of us cannot run from our boss, at least not without considerable embarrassment! Continuous exposure to stress at work, home and from the wider world is detrimental to both our mental and physical wellbeing.

“Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at its bottom is not about trying to improve yourself, or get anywhere else but simply to realise where you are already.”
~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

STOP

This is a great tool to have at times when you need a “time out”. These may be times when you are feeling overwhelmed and need to step out of automatic pilot mode to reconnect with your natural resilience and wisdom.
All you need to remember is the word STOP.

S – Stop
Checking head, heart and body
Thoughts (what are you saying to yourself? What images are coming to mind?)
Feelings (enjoying, neutral, upset, excited, sad, angry…)
Sensations (physical sensations, tightness, holding, lightness)
Acknowledge and register your experience, even if it is uncomfortable.

T – Take a breath
Directing your awareness to breathing, to each in breath and out breath, the movement of chest, abdomen and shoulders. This is an anchor to bring you into the present moment and help you to tune into awareness and stillness.

O – Open and Observe
Expand the field of your awareness around and beyond your breathing, so that it includes a sense of the body as a whole, your posture and facial expression, then further outward to what is happening in your sight, sounds, smells etc…

P – Proceed
Let your attention move into the world around you, rather than react habitually and mechanically. This allows you to be curious and open, sensing how things are right now. You may be surprised by what happens next after having created this breathing space.

Suzanne Shenderey MBBS, Cert Hyp CS

Hypnotherapist, relaxation and mindfulness specialist.

07769892376

suzieshenderey@hotmail.co.uk

www.hypnotherapistinleeds.co.uk