Hypnotherapy and Stress

You can hardly pick up a newspaper or magazine or watch TV
without seeing or hearing some reference to Stress.

Why all the sudden fuss and fascination? After all, stress
has been around since the beginning of time.

Is it because there is so much stress today? Is it because
the nature of contemporary stress is somehow different ad
more dangerous?

The answer to these questions is a very resounding

"YES"

The stress response of the body is somewhat like an
airplane readying for take-off. Virtually all systems (eg,
the heart and blood vessels, immune system, lungs, the
digestive system, the sensory organs and brain) are
modified to manage perceived danger. Yes, the fight or
flight reflex is still very much alive in our DNA.

With regular practice of self-hypnosis meditation you
condition yourself so that stressful events just don't
bother you. You actually become immune to stress. Just ask
the person who scans your groceries the next time you are
in the check out line if he or she is under stress and
their answer will probably be "Yes!" Stress doesn't come
from your occupation (or lack of occupation) it comes from
changes occurring in your life and your response to them.
We are all under a lot of stress...but healthy people learn
techniques to help themselves manage stress.

A few minutes of relaxation with self-hypnosis meditation
can make you a winner over stress. America, like many
western civilizations, is feeling the impact of global
change. The effects of change reach into every crevice of
life putting people more and more under pressure. Think
about the changes that have taken place in your
neighborhood over the past few years…especially since
September 11, 2001. Many people try but find that the
avoidance strategies frequently generate more stress rather
than reducing it. If you drink alcohol or take drugs to
avoid stress you'll end up worse off in the long run.

The perfect antidote to stress is relaxation and
meditation...and the perfect form of meditation is
hypnosis. Stress causes the brain waves to increase, which
causes a chain reaction of events to cascade in the body. A
few of the changes that take place in the body when we
experience stress are higher blood pressure, rapid heart
beat, tense muscles, rapid and shallow respiration, cold
hands and feet and decreased immune function.

When you are stressed it's as though your brain is
preparing your body to fight or run away…and it is! The
stressors faced by humans conditioned to a nomadic
hunter-gather lifestyle are obviously different to the
high-tech lifestyle of today. Our distant ancestors needed
responses to stress that would enable them to trigger
physical flight or fight responses to the perils and
pleasures of hunting. These types of responses are
inappropriate today. If you physically ran away from your
workplace whenever things got on top of you then this would
not enhance your standing in the organization. Conversely
if you punch the boss on the nose when he/she gives you a
tough time then the resulting dismissal and assault charges
will generate considerably greater levels of stress.

Stress causes strain on the body…and the strain can lead to
illness…unless we do something about it...like practice
relaxation and meditation with hypnosis. Stress causes
strain on your immune system and that can lead to illness
and disease. Many doctors report that up to 90% of people
in hospitals are there because of stress…including many
types of cancer and heart disease. The perfect antidote to
stress is relaxation…not relaxing with a brew at the pub or
relaxing in front of the television…but relaxing the body
and slowing the brain waves into the Alpha state with
hypnosis.

When we are in the Alpha State the brain waves slow down to
6 to 8 cycles per second. When that happens we are
perfectly relaxed! Everything that happens to the body is
the opposite of what happens when we are stressed. In the
Alpha State the blood vessels dilate, so the blood pressure
goes down. The breathing is slow and deep. The heart rate
slows down. The muscles completely relax. In the Alpha
State the immune system speeds up…so Alpha is a healing
state. There are only four brain wave states. Beta…when we
are awake…21 to 35 cycles per second. Alpha…when we are
perfectly relaxed and hypnotized…6 to 8 cycles per second.
Theta…when we are asleep…3 to 5 cycles per second.
Delta…when we are unconscious or in a coma…1 to 3 cycles
per second. Alpha, or hypnosis…the words are
interchangeable…is a natural state. It is a fact that we
pass from Beta through Alpha every night before we fall
asleep. And we pass from Theta-sleep-through Alpha when we
awaken in the morning.

The total relaxation that accompanies hypnosis is a buffer
that dissipates the harmful effects of stress…so that you
can thrive in spite of the problems and changes life throws
at you. Karoshi is a Japanese word which literally means
death by overwork. Unfortunately many organizations measure
the value of their employees in terms of hours worked
rather than work quality.

The tragedy of this stupidity was powerfully reinforced by
the story of a brilliant young doctor, about to become a
specialist, who regularly worked 35 hour shifts in her
hospital. After one such shift she fell asleep at the wheel
while driving home and was brought back "Dead on Arrival"
to her colleagues at the same hospital.

Harvard professor Juliet Schor has coined the term
"DOWNSHIFTERS" to describe a new breed of professionals who
are prepared to trade income and long hours for more
leisure and better quality of life.

Should we all be joining them?

How do you handle those "too much to do" and "not enough
time" feelings?

This much I know for sure: we can all "get away." Anyone
with 20 minutes of self-hypnosis will find a calm oasis to
restore a sense of peace and balance in their life.

----------------------------------------------------
Download your complimentary Stress Reduction session at
http://www.BunnyVreeland.com . Dr. Bunny Vreeland serves
Ventura county, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, California –
Bunny Vreeland provides hypnotherapy solutions for weight
loss, hypnosis to stop smoking, IBS, fibromyalgia, stress
relief, and more. Dr. Bunny Vreeland can be reached at
800-755-4083 or 805-984-1237 or at
http://www.bunnyvreeland.com