Breaking the Anxiety Cycle: How Cognitive Hypnotherapy Can Help You Reclaim Control.
I would like to start this post by letting you know that I understand what that overwhelming feeling of anxiety is like. That desperation of relief from that constant, loud, fast stream of thoughts you are trying to manage. It can feel like you are sinking, and you are using everything you can to keep your head above the water. My hope is that by reading this article you can see that life doesn’t need to be this and by reading about these techniques can keep that spark of curiosity as to what your life could look like alight.
What is anxiety
Anxiety is a common experience that many people face in their lives. It is an experience that can manifest in different ways, but it often involves feelings of unease, worry, fear, and overwhelm. Feelings that can leave you feeling exhausted, leaving their mark on every aspect of your daily life, relationships, and overall well-being. Anxiety can also manifest physically, causing symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and even digestive issues. Understanding the intricacies of your anxiety is key to finding effective coping mechanisms.
The Anxious Brain
Anxiety is our brain's way of providing us with protection, it is preparing us to experience danger. The pounding chest, increased temperature and tense muscles are your body's physical response to preparing for a threat- it is aiming to keep you safe.
However, we are often not in danger in these situations. Somewhere along the way, our brains have made connections between certain events and feelings, and we have processed situations in an unhelpful way. We therefore go into the fight or flight response in situations that don’t put us in immediate danger. This response is often driven by fear – fear of pain, fear of rejection, fear of not being good enough. Cognitive Hypnotherapy aims to find the core experiences holding up these fears and beliefs and act to reprocess them. We work to teach our brains that we are safe in these situations.
How can Cognitive Hypnotherapy help?
Cognitive Hypnotherapy utilises trace states to let your mind uncover those experiences that have shaped your anxious responses. We work to unravel those core memories and reprocess them in a positive and helpful way. This can often look like visiting that memory as the person you are today; with all the knowledge and resources you now have to give that version of you exactly what you needed.
Cognitive Hypnotherapy also works to give you quick, practical techniques to give you control over your anxiety. This allows you to have empowerment over that sense of unease and allows you to deploy techniques to control and limit that feeling.
Other key factors in breaking your cycle of anxiety.
Routine: discover the activities and habits you have that ease your anxiety. Be conscious about adding these into your everyday routine to manage your anxiety. This looks different for everybody but some of my non-negotiables are exercise, journaling and connecting with people I love.
Boundaries: Set boundaries around things that trigger your anxiety. Be aware of these boundaries and honour them when they are breached.
Triggers: For many people, there will be common triggers for your anxiety. Get to know them and be aware of when you come across them so you can use your coping strategies to end that cycle quickly.
I hope by reading this post you have gained some valuable insight into your anxiety, and it has shown you how powerful Cognitive Hypnotherapy can be in helping you break the cycle of anxiety and regain control of your life.
Breaking the cycle of anxiety is possible, but I know how lonely that feeling of desperation can be. Keep hold of the knowledge that you are capable, you are worthy and you are ready to live a happier life.
- Victoria
