National Stress Awareness Day on 7 November 2012
Twelve million adults see their GP with mental health and stress related problems every year, according to MIND 2012 statistics, and many more struggle on without seeking medical help.
It’s already known that chronic stress can affect our health adversely in many ways. What is not so well known is that it can also lead to premature ageing and the health problems that are associated with getting older.
Latest research suggests that these age related diseases occur at different rates in different individuals, and ‘psychological distress’ appears to be an important factor in how quickly the onset of these diseases occurs.
Stress brings about imbalances in the body, such as high cortisol, glucose and insulin, and low growth hormones, and these may lead to unwanted responses in our bodies, potentially impairing the normal cell ageing processes.
Premature ageing can also occur as a result of a lifestyle that includes the sort of behaviours that we associate with stress, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, a high fat diet and sleeplessness. These have all been linked to DNA damage due to a process called oxidation.
It doesn’t sound great, does it? But the good news is that these ageing mechanisms can be reversed.
Research suggests that individuals can help themselves by reducing their perceptions of stress, along with increasing healthier behaviours, such as sleeping better, drinking less, and stopping smoking. These changes can promote subtle but important improvements in premature cell ageing.
A study in 2010 showed that during and after a hypnosis session, heart rates were reduced and breathing rates were lower. So the state of relaxation induced by hypnosis can lead to stress reduction, thereby minimising the risk of premature ageing.
I am passionate about the efficacy of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy in the management of stress. We know that too much pressure can lead to stress and a range of physical and mental health problems including, it now transpires, premature ageing. Stress affects the way you think, feel and behave, impacting every area of your life at any age. Hypnotherapy offers powerful techniques and strategies to enable you to deal with stress, helping you to think and behave in a more positive way, and that has many health benefits.
I encourage clients to focus on how they want things to be; avoiding ‘problem’ talk and to help them realise their preferred future. By encouraging clients to think and express themselves positively, I can help to improve their response to life’s stress. Hypnotherapy can help people manage their stress levels, promote relaxation and in turn make beneficial lifestyle changes.
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