Coping Strategies for Stress

According to the Mental Health Foundation, the UK is a ‘stressed nation’. 74% of the UK felt ‘overwhelmed or unable to cope’ at some point in the past year. The good news is, that there is help out there, and we can learn ways to manage stress, cope better, and have a better quality of life.

Stress serves as a defence mechanism to help us through a challenging situation and can trigger changes in our bodies. Stress hormones are released and the fight-or-flight response is enabled. We can experience elevated heart rate, our breathing can become rapid, and our muscles can tense up. The physical changes fade after the difficulty passes but if you’re dealing with stress constantly, your body will likely develop stress-related symptoms.

Big changes in life, such as having a promotion or a new relationship, can also trigger a fight-or-flight response. If you’re dealing with constant stress, pessimistic thoughts and negative emotions, your health will deteriorate. Before this happens, we can learn how to recognise the early symptoms of stress and find effective ways of managing it.

Here are some strategies that you can try to help cope with stress.

Turn to other people

Combat stress by nurturing positive relationships. Invest time with the people closest to you, such as family and friends. Get involved with a cause you care about and meet different people. Joining social or support groups can provide you with a place where you can talk with like-minded people. The contrasting views you get from people outside your stressful situation can bring pleasure and can greatly reduce the symptoms of stress in your body.

Create healthy boundaries

Creating a balanced lifestyle greatly influences having a stress-free environment. Accept that there are things that you cannot control. If activities in work leave you feeling drained and you feel that you’ve given your all to the situation, accepting the outcome allows you to expend energy where it can be more effective.

Have realistic views of yourself and the problem

Examine your stressors and find effective ways of how to cope with them. By having a realistic picture of yourself and the problem, you’ll be able to examine different alternatives and possible solutions.

How Hypnotherapy can help

Hypnotherapy is proven to be highly effective for managing stress. It can help you to actively reduce your stress levels and teach you techniques that you can continue using in the future. We work together to get perspective and clarity on the situation, viewing things from a stronger, different vantage point.

If you are ready to reduce your stress and feel more confident then take the first step and arrange an initial consultation with me at my clinic at Comfort Health in Clifton, Bristol. 0117 214 0706 or email me hello@annettesloly.com

Annette Sloly is a Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist based in Clifton Bristol. Over the years, he has worked with everyone from professionals suffering from stress to world-class artists looking to improve their performance. For more information you can contact her on 0117 214 0706 or send an email to hello@annettesloly.com to find out how Hypnotherapy could help you today…