Reduce Stress

Stress is a mental or physical reaction to problems that are within you or from the outside world. Some stress is good and helpful (called “eustress”), but most of the stress people talk about is harmful (called “distress”). Stress can lead to physical tension, worry, trouble sleeping, a weakened immune system, health problems, and conflict with other people. Chronic stress can also cause people to eat emotionally, use drugs or alcohol, smoke, procrastinate, and find comfort in other ways.

We often blame our job, relationships, health, or money, but different people may react very differently to the same stressor. That means it’s not the outside situation that causes stress. The truth is that what causes worry or overwhelm is how you see and think about things. You’ll feel stressed if you think you won’t be able to handle a task. That fear, which causes stress, comes from what you think about yourself and the world around you. The more you expect something bad to happen, the more likely you are to feel stressed. Low self-esteem and traumatic experiences can make you more sensitive to stress and let it affect you more strongly.

Some common ways to deal with stress are to work out, take deep breaths, meditate, talk to a friend, or do something you enjoy. These methods may briefly relieve stress by treating its effects, but they don’t fix anything. You have to keep doing them, like trying to fill a bucket that keeps leaking, just to keep your stress in check. This is why so many people who just deal with the effects of stress get stuck in long-term talk therapy or addictive habits. Dealing with the real cause of the problem, which is in your subconscious mind, is the best way to get rid of stress.

Hypnosis can help you mainly in two ways. First, hypnosis generally produces relaxation, which is the opposite of the “fight or flight” response. If you do it often, your body and mind will learn to relax more easily. Second, when you’re in a state of hypnosis, it’s much easier to change the subconscious thoughts that cause your stress. Your thoughts, even ones you aren’t aware of, are what make you feel the way you do. Stress is caused by thoughts like “I can’t handle this situation” or “Something bad might happen.” When you replace those thoughts with beliefs that help you feel like you can take care of yourself, your emotional reaction to them changes right away. There are many ways to update the software on your “mental computer,” so you can better deal with life’s problems.