How can I manage my stress?
As a hypnotherapist, this is one of the most common questions people ask me.
Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report 2026 shows that 91% of adults surveyed reported high or extreme levels of pressure or stress in the past year. Additionally, 1 in 5 UK workers have required time off work due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress.
Stress is a part of our everyday human experience. It’s a natural response that enables us to take action to deal with the threats (perceived or real) and challenges that we encounter in life.
Whilst we may have no or little control over the situations and factors in our lives that cause us stress, we do have control over the way in which we respond. By learning to respond in ways that are beneficial to us we can learn to manage stress effectively.
In this blog I will outline some effective techniques that you can use both for short-term stress relief and also for long-term stress management. Both have a role to play in supporting you to reduce your stress levels. Finally, I will consider how hypnotherapy can help you to create positive, sustainable changes in the way you handle stress by working with the power of your subconscious mind.
What is stress?
Stress is a natural bodily response to a situation that causes you to feel worried, tense, or under pressure.
How does my body respond to stress?
In stressful situations your body reacts by preparing you to be in the optimal condition to meet the perceived challenge or threat. This results in the activation of the sympathetic nervous system which invokes the “fight or flight” response that prepares your body to take action. Stress hormones are released into your body which create physiological changes. These include increased alertness, pupil dilation, increased heart rate, sweating, and relaxing your airway muscles to allow more oxygen to enter your body.
Is stress harmful or helpful?
The answer to this question depends on how long your stress lasts.
Short-term or acute stress can be helpful. It can be a catalyst for immediate action that allows you to meet that deadline, perform well in an interview or presentation, or deal swiftly with an emergency situation. Once the situation has passed, your body stops producing the stress hormones and your bodily systems return to their normal level of functioning.
Long-term or chronic stress is different because your body was never designed to remain in “stress mode” over a significant period of time. When stress continues over weeks, months or years your body remains in a constant state of high alertness. This can result in you experiencing a range of health conditions including elevated blood pressure, heart disease, problems with digestion, weight gain, anxiety, depression, and difficulties with memory and concentration. Situations that can cause chronic stress include ongoing work problems, family or relationship difficulties and traumatic events, now or in the past.
How can I reduce my stress?
There are two approaches, both of which bring benefits; short-term immediate relief and long-term approaches, which enable you to shift from reactivity to making positive lifestyle adjustments.
How can I reduce my stress in the moment?
These strategies help you to regulate your nervous system and move out of “fight and flight mode” back to a calmer version of you.
Move your body
Through exercise you reduce the levels of stress hormones (e.g. adrenaline and cortisol) that are within your body which helps you to feel calmer and less “jittery”. Exercise is also helpful for reducing the tension that is stored within your muscles and for the release of endorphins “the happy hormones” which lift your mood.
Stretch
There are times (e.g. during the working day) when you may not be able to rise from your chair to engage in exercise at the moment that you feel you need it. At these times a few minutes of gentle stretches can be beneficial. Choose the part of your body where you know you hold tension and work with that for a few minutes. Even just a few neck or shoulder rolls can make a difference, enabling you to release tension and helping you to feel calm once again.
Breathe mindfully
When you choose to engage in a breathing exercise your body receives the signal that it is safe to relax. You then switch from “fight and flight” to “rest and recovery” mode. Your heart rate and blood pressure slow down, and you begin to feel calmer once more.
Have you tried the 4-7-8 breathing exercise?
Breathe in as you count to 4, hold your breath as you count to 7, breathe out as you count to 8 then repeat.
Ground yourself
Grounding techniques are a way of bringing you back into the present moment and, in the process, resetting your nervous system.
Many of my clients find the following technique helpful.
Pause for a moment and bring your attention to your surroundings.
- 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste
In the process you will have shifted your attention away from your stressful thoughts to return to a place of greater clarity and calm.
How can I manage my stress more effectively in the long term?
By implementing lifestyle changes you can create an effective long term stress management strategy that is preventative. This will enable you to move from a position of “fire-fighting” (reacting to stress when it occurs) to building a foundation that will enable you to manage stressful events from a position of strength and resilience.
There are four key pillars.
Sleep
It can be helpful to consider sleep as investing in tomorrow. The quality and duration of your sleep has a very real impact upon your ability to manage stress. When you have slept well you will feel less emotionally reactive and will be able to consider situations more objectively. You will find that you have greater resilience when meeting challenges and that you view situations more positively.
Exercise
Exercise is a powerful way to help yourself to manage stress. When you exercise you activate two release systems: the release of stored tension within your body and also the release of endorphins (the happy hormones) which increases your happiness levels. Furthermore, exercising can reduce the levels of stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) within your body which helps you to feel more relaxed. Other key benefits include improved quality of sleep, increased energy levels, confidence, and mental clarity.
Boundaries and Time Management
Effective time management enables you to use your time wisely and effectively. When you manage your time in this way you will feel calmer and in control, together with a sense of achievement as you engage with and complete the activities that matter to you. One important aspect of time management lies in the setting of appropriate boundaries. This practice means that you do not overstretch or overcommit yourself. In practical terms this may be choosing to say “no” when an activity does not align with your priorities or values, or when you know that you do not have sufficient emotional, practical, or time resources to fulfil it without detriment to yourself. Two very practical and effective time management resources are The Pomodoro Technique which focuses on daily planning and The Eisenhower Matrix which supports task prioritisation.
Self-compassion
Self-compassion is the practice of directing kindness towards yourself. We have all experienced times when you feel that you have failed; through making a mistake, not living up to your own or someone else’s expectations, or by feeling that you have fallen short in some other way. At these times you can choose to replace the old self-critical ways of thinking and behaving by giving yourself unconditional understanding, support and encouragement. Through actively practising self-compassion you will improve your coping skills when faced with stressful situations and enjoy greater resilience and enhanced emotional stability.
How does hypnotherapy help with stress?
It is likely that your mind has become accustomed to reacting to stress in particular ways that you are finding uncomfortable or unhelpful. Through hypnotherapy I am able to help you to change these reactive thoughts and behaviours.
Firstly I help you to enter the trance state, a state of deep relaxation and focused attention. Within this state your subconscious mind becomes more receptive to new ideas and suggestions. I then work with your subconscious mind to begin to create the changes in your ways of thinking and responding that will enable you to deal with stress more effectively.
What aspects of my stress response can hypnotherapy help me with?
Hypnotherapy can help you break free from overthinking, looping thoughts, negative thought patterns and emotional reactivity replacing them with helpful, positive thoughts, beliefs and behaviours that will support you to respond instead of react, and take control of your stress rather than be controlled by it.
Hypnotherapy can also help you regain control over your physical stress responses due to the incredible power of the mind/body connection.
The next step
Having read this far you now know that stress can be effectively managed.
You may choose to try one or many of the suggestions that have been discussed, or perhaps, as a first step, you may choose to take some time to reflect on what your own personal stress management plan might look like.
If you feel you need some support to move forward, then don’t hesitate to get in touch. I would be happy to arrange a free discovery call where we can explore together your personal stress management goals and how hypnotherapy can help you achieve them.
