We spend 80% of our time worrying about things that haven’t or may never happen. We consider all the ‘what if’s ‘and ‘maybes’ which can then lead to anxiety. Our brains are very clever but they are not capable of determining whether the things we are thinking are real or imagined so while we are having all these negative thoughts and starting to catastrophise, our bodies then also start to respond as if we have actually lived through these thoughts leading to the stress response being activated. We feel what we think.
I have helped many to manage their anxiety. Here is a report of one of those client’s journey.
When I first met this particular client they were displaying high levels of anxiety. We had a thorough discussion about what was bothering them and found that the client was constantly ruminating and literally worrying about worrying itself. They were finding everyday life difficult to cope with and had even started to withdraw from social interactions as they found it difficult to engage with others due to the constant ruminating. Another symptom of their anxiety was that they were finding it difficult to sleep, as the constant overthinking was stopping them relaxing and unwinding.
In my first session with the client we discussed anxiety and the resulting stress it causes. To enable them to control their stress I first taught them the importance of controlled breathing. It was also important that they learnt how to stop unwanted/unhelpful thoughts from consuming them. Hypnosis is a great tool for helping with this as it allows us to focus on the unconscious mind which is where all our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are stored. Positive suggestions made under hypnosis are therefore more readily accepted and more likely to be acted upon outside of hypnosis. To enable my client to really get to grips with this the hypnosis part of the session was recorded and sent to them so that they could listen to it daily. This helps to layer the positive suggestions into their unconscious mind so these new skills become part of their normal life.
During my second session with the client they mentioned that they felt they needed to sort their brain out just like they would a computer. This client had worked in IT so understood about computer programming. I asked them what they would do to sort out a faulty computer. They said they would run a trace to diagnose what was wrong and then when they found the fault they would change the programming instruction. I therefore decided to work to the clients strengths and incorporated this into my hypnosis session. Whilst in hypnosis I took my client to the control room of their mind (we all have one) and asked them to run a trace so that they could locate the fault. Once they had located the fault I then asked them to change the programming instructions. To re-inforce this session I also used some ego-strengthening which helps to build confidence and self-control which would enable them to cope with everyday life in a calm and relaxed manner. This session was a real turning point for my client. At the beginning of the next they were able to tell me that the overthinking had reduced drastically and they were feeling much calmer and more in control.
During further sessions we worked on changing their mindset towards positive thinking and how to let go of negative events from the past. I also taught them self -hypnosis which enabled them to reinforce the changes that they wanted to make now and in the future. They were also able to master the art of just letting their mind go blank when negative/unhelpful thoughts started to enter their head, allowing any areas of tension to leave them so they felt physically and mentally calm and relaxed. This is an amazing skill to have.
Once the client had achieved their goal of no longer ruminating and was feeling much more positive, calm relaxed and back in control we decided that they no longer needed the sessions. They were now able to go out with friends and enjoy themselves again and they were also sleeping much better. Before discharging the client I explained to them the importance of keeping up with the techniques they had been taught in order to control their anxiety. We know that to maintain our physical fitness we have to exercise regularly, but the same principle also applies to our mental health. Once we learn how to manage our stress and anxiety we have to continue with the activities that helped us to achieve this in order to maintain that control.
For more information on how hypnotherapy could help you contact Debbie on 07774061411 or debroutly@gmail.com or visit debbieroutlyhypnotherapy.com
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