stress, anxiety, and panic
Fight or flight response
We all experience a certain level of stress from time to time and, at the right level, it's a good thing. Because it's the body's way of telling us to stay alert. It's the 'fight or flight' response that has evolved to keep us safe.
Essential for our survival
Back in the lives or our ancestors when there were some very real threats to physical survival, our ancestors had to stay alert to anything in their environment that could signal danger, such as something moving in the long grass or the sound of something running towards them. Their body's automatic stress response prepared them to fight or run when faced with an emergency. Sensitive to the sight or sound of hungry sabre-tooth tigers, for example, adrenalin would be released into our ancestor's bloodstream, giving the body a burst of energy and strength in order to fight or run, and at least a chance of escaping the danger.
Today's stress
The fight or flight response has been and still is essential to our survival. But these days we don't have the same kind of threat that it evolved to protect us from. Society has evolved at a great speed since the days when our ancestors were alert for tigers roaming around. We are no longer faced with the same level of threats that required us having to literally fight or run in order to survive, but we do have our modern-day tigers: social and business situations, for example where we have to go somewhere unfamiliar to us, interact with new people, make a presentation, or sit an exam. These situations still create the same kind of response, making us feel nervous or fearful.
Anxiety and panic
The stress response evolved as a short-term mechanism: a jolt of adrenalin to give us time to run from or fight whatever it was that was threatening us, and it is still essential to our survival. Problems arise, however, when our stress response is prolonged, when it becomes sensitive to many more things in our environment than usefully keeps us feeling safe, and it leads to anxiety, panic, and the feeling of not being in control.
It doesn't have to be that way
High levels of stress, anxiety and panic can become debilitating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
During our sessions, we will work on changing your relationship to whatever it is in your current environment or in your past that is triggering the stress, thereby reducing your levels of worry and fear. You will learn techniques that you can take away with you and use in your own time to give you back control of your emotions and responses. And you'll receive an audio download that you can listen to as often as you like to consolidate the changes you'll have made during our sessions and to improve your ability to relax.
A better future
Imagine being able to feel safe in your environment and look forward to the future with optimism. How would your life be different? How would you feel knowing you are in control and feeling safe? What would you be doing that you currently aren't?
I've helped people to find the freedom from their anxiety and panic so that they can feel safe and comfortable to do the things they really want to do.
You've already taken the first step
If you're here, you've already taken the first step. If you're ready to take the next step towards becoming someone who can remain in control and feel safe and calm, I'm here to help you do that ...
... call for a free, no-obligation chat on 07982 963939
or email me at info@celiaburnshypnotherapy.co.uk.