Stress

Stress is something that we are all familiar with. It is part of our normal daily life to a certain extent and in fact, researchers say that a certain level of stress can be good in order to motivate us to do our best. In recent times, the global pandemic has increased stress further for most people. Sometimes we experience stress to an overwhelming level and we need help to get through it.

Psychological therapy can be helpful for teaching people to learn ways to manage their stress, using relaxation and breathing tools to calm down the central nervous system. The Polyvagal theory developed by Stephen Porges has helped researchers, clinicians and clients to understand the nervous system and how to work with it. Mindfulness can help to let go of stressful thoughts. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy can teach us about when it is important to pay attention to our stressful thoughts and how to make good decisions to lessen the stress that we are experiencing. It can also teach us when it is more useful to just let the thoughts go and focus on something much more important or pleasant and how to do that.

Yoga is something else that has been shown to be very effective at reducing stress. While I am not a qualified yoga teacher, I have practised yoga myself for more than 20 years. I can discuss yoga with you and help you to find a suitable class or a yoga therapist that can help you if that is something you would like to pursue.

Often when people are stressed they also require help with sleeping issues as well. If this is the case, then please refer to the section on sleep. Sometimes stress can also be part of a more serious problem such as post-traumatic stress disorder. If this is the case, see Trauma and PTSD.