Stress, in the form of pressure, can be useful. It can focus the mind, improve motivation and, ultimately, lead to goal attainment. In this positive light it tends to be referred to as ‘ustress’. But, excessive pressure over prolonged periods of time can lead to feelings of distress.
Stress can be result from any number and combination of sources such as work demands, insecurities, change and uncertainties, long-term pain or ill-health, family expectations and financial concerns.
No one person’s cause is quite the same as the next. People interpret and react to things differently; what one person might consider an exciting challenge, another might find altogether overwhelming. Whether a person will react negatively or not to specific situations, people or events, depends largely upon their life experiences; what has happened to them in the past, how they have interpreted those events, and, most importantly of all, the nature of the emotions around the stored memories of those events.
Too much stress experienced over prolonged periods of time can be damaging both physiologically and psychologically. Individual’s body responses to stress (the fight and flight response) tend to vary, but typically people are left feeling physically tense, unable to sleep, out of control, feeling helpless, unable to cope and vulnerable to ill-health. Often emotions, perceptions of self-confidence and feelings of self-worth are also negatively affected, ultimately influencing choices and behaviour.
Christine Woolfenden DCH DHP reg. GHR, clinical hypnotherapist of Echelon Associates Hypnotherapy Practice (Charlbury, Oxfordshire) offers a holistic approach to helping individuals manage stress more effectively; the Stress Hypnotherapy Treatment Programme.
At the outset, the individual’s unique situation is assessed to identify and explore the causes, symptoms and triggers of stress as they are experienced. The physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural ramifications of that stress are investigated in depth.
The Stress Hypnotherapy Treatment Programme employs deep relaxation hypnosis to lower the physical stress response and counteract the damaging side effects of stress, easing away tension to allow the body the opportunity to rest and repair and so operate optimally. By anchoring the physical and psychological sensations of deep relaxation, people are taught how to re-create those feelings whenever desirable or necessary. Direct positive suggestion and post hypnotic suggestion are used to re-educate the cognitive response to stress, and to instil alternative, more effective ways of dealing with specific stressors as they arise, so extending the ustress comfort zone.
Memories from the past that are interfering with the present are re-visited and re-framed so that the emotional and cognitive influence on the present and future are de-sensitised.
The Stress Hypnotherapy Treatment Programme also applies techniques such as mental rehearsal, creative imagery, future pacing and pseudo-orientation in time to reduce stress, build confidence and boost self-esteem.
At Echelon Associates, Christine Woolfenden www.echelonassociates.co.uk offers a Stress Hypnotherapy treatment programme to promote positive physical and psychological change in response to perceived stress in an individual’s life.
Mkazo, katika namna ya mkazo, waweza kuwa wenye manufaa. Inaweza kukazia fikira akili, kuboresha kichocheo, na hatimaye, kuongoza kwenye kufikia malengo. Katika mwangaza huu chanya inaelekea kutajwa kama "mkazo". Lakini, mkazo wa kupita kiasi kwa muda mrefu waweza kusababisha hisia za huzuni. Mkazo unaweza kutokea kutokana na idadi yoyote na mchanganyiko wa vyanzo kama vile mahitaji ya kazi, ukosefu wa usalama, mabadiliko na kutokuwa na uhakika, maumivu ya muda mrefu au afya mbaya, matarajio ya familia na wasiwasi wa kifedha. Hakuna sababu ya mtu mmoja inayofanana na ile ya mwingine. Watu hufafanua na kuitikia mambo kwa njia tofauti; kile ambacho mtu mmoja aweza kukiona kuwa changamoto yenye kusisimua, mwingine aweza kukiona kuwa kikubwa sana. Ikiwa mtu ataitikia vibaya au la hali maalum, watu au matukio, inategemea sana uzoefu wake wa maisha; nini kilichotokea kwao katika siku za nyuma, jinsi walivyofafanua matukio hayo, na muhimu zaidi ya yote, asili ya hisia zinazozunguka kumbukumbu zilizohifadhiwa za matukio hayo. Mkazo mwingi sana unaopatikana kwa muda mrefu waweza kuharibu mwili na akili. Majibu ya mwili wa mtu binafsi kwa mkazo (kupigana na kukimbia) huwa tofauti, lakini kwa kawaida watu huachwa wakihisi mkazo wa kimwili, hawawezi kulala, nje ya udhibiti, kuhisi kukosa msaada, hawawezi kukabiliana na afya mbaya. Mara nyingi hisia, maoni ya kujiamini na hisia za kujithamini pia huathiriwa vibaya, hatimaye kuathiri chaguzi na tabia. Christine Woolfenden DCH DHP reg. GHR, mtaalamu wa hypnotherapy wa kliniki wa Echelon Associates Hypnotherapy Practice (Charlbury, Oxfordshire) inatoa mbinu ya jumla ya kusaidia watu kusimamia mkazo kwa ufanisi zaidi; Programu ya Matibabu ya Hypnotherapy ya Mkazo. Mwanzoni, hali ya kipekee ya mtu binafsi inathaminiwa ili kutambua na kuchunguza sababu, dalili na vichocheo vya mkazo kama wanavyojionea. Athari za kimwili, kihisia-moyo, za utambuzi na za tabia za mkazo huo zinachunguzwa kwa undani. Msaada wa Hypnotherapy ya Mkazo hutumia hypnosis ya kupumzika kina ili kupunguza majibu ya mkazo wa mwili na kukabiliana na athari mbaya za mkazo, kupunguza mvutano ili kuruhusu mwili nafasi ya kupumzika na kurekebisha na hivyo kufanya kazi vizuri. Kwa kuunganisha hisia za kimwili na za kisaikolojia za kupumzika kwa kina, watu hufundishwa jinsi ya kuunda tena hisia hizo wakati wowote inapohitajika au inahitajika. Ushauri wa moja kwa moja wa chanya na ushauri wa baada ya hypnotic hutumiwa kuelimisha tena majibu ya utambuzi kwa mkazo, na kuingiza njia mbadala, bora zaidi za kushughulika na mkazo maalum unapoibuka, hivyo kupanua eneo la faraja la usher. Kumbukumbu za zamani ambazo zinahusika na wakati wa sasa zinatembelewa tena na kuundwa upya ili ushawishi wa kihisia na utambuzi juu ya wakati wa sasa na wakati ujao uondolewe. Programu ya Matibabu ya Mkazo ya Hypnotherapy pia inatumika mbinu kama vile mazoezi ya akili, picha za ubunifu, maendeleo ya baadaye na mwelekeo wa uwongo kwa wakati ili kupunguza mkazo, kujenga ujasiri na kuongeza kujithamini. Katika Echelon Associates, Christine Woolfenden, Mkurugenzi wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada wa Msaada.