Most people now-a-days are stressed out with work, children, family obligations, always being contacted by emails, phone calls, text messages, and an unlimited number of requests from others or ourselves to be busy. A recent study from China of 138,000 people reported that people with high stress jobs had a 22% greater risk of stroke over those with low stress positions, but that increased to 33% for women. Anger or stress release more adrenalin and increase the possibility of a heart attack.
Hypnosis can be your greatest tool for mind programming to manage stress. By just hypnotizing people, the great relaxation of hypnosis alone frequently erases headaches, physical pain, unhealthy habits, energizes, and people come out of hypnosis feeling like they have just come out of a long, deep relaxing sleep. Many physical complaints and emotional problems may automatically disappear after someone has been deeply hypnotized.
After hypnosis, people often say: “I have never felt so relaxed in my life before”. Dr. Jennifer Majersik, head of vascular neurology at the University Of Utah School Of Medicine, says “High stress jobs might lead to activation of an unhealthy physiologic stress – response system, including increased stress hormones.” This can easily lead to increased physical illness. An incredible number of physical and psychologial problems are caused by stress.
70 to 90% of people in a physician’s office are there because stress has totally or partially caused the complaint. Animals put under extreme high stress have a high probability of developing cancer due to a weakened immune system. Similarly, humans often develop cancer 6 to 18 months after major multiple stressors.
The most common problems seen by a hypnotist are smoking, overweight and stress. Hypnosis is a powerful tool to help with these and a thousand other problems. Everyone should set a daily appointment on their personal calendar, just like a doctor’s appointment, for stress management. I cannot overestimate the importance of controlling stress to regain self control in your life. Here are 35 ways to help you to manage stress. Practice one or more of them every day. You will be healthier, more joyful and more successful. You will be happier, the greatest determinant of a good life.
- Play my stress control seminar recordings, and read my book “The Wellness Journey”.
- Use deep breathing exercises.
- Make an appointment for deep muscle massage.
- Tense up all parts of your body one at a time and let go and relax.
- Exercise with a brisk walk, hike, swim, bicycle, go to a gym or buy or rent your own equipment.
- Use self hypnosis. Lie down and relax your body step by step. Remember a peaceful place in detail, using all your senses. Really be there in your imagination.
- Meditate: sit quietly, eyes closed. Slowly focus over and over on one word such as “calm”, or “peace”, or “relax”.
- Talk to a friend, counsellor, minister, or physician. Follow your physician’s advice!
- Change your diet: less salt, less sugar, less alcohol, less fat, less meat, less coffee; more fluids, fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, and fish. Enjoy a balanced meal plan for proper nutrition.
- Listen to relaxing nature sound recordings, New Age or Classical music which induces slower, deeper breathing.
- Drive to a peaceful park, forest, beach, mountain or meadow.
- Take the day off or go on vacation.
- Phone your local hospital to find out when the next stress reduction class will be held.
- Start a new hobby such as painting, ceramics, sailing, tennis, yoga, etc.
- Be assertive, not aggressive. Take a self assertion course at a school or university.
- Have a warm bath at 92 degrees F. with pleasant bath oil.
- Drink chamomile tea.
- See a foot reflexologist for better circulation.
- Listen to a comedy recording; watch a live comedy show or video. Some of the best lessons are learned in the Bible: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones”. Do not live in the past, or you are a victim. Forgive others and yourself, and move on in life. As the song says: “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think”.
- Stretch.
- Volunteer to help others for diversion; new activities; new friends. What will you have given during your lifetime?
- Change your daily routine, dress, route to work, furniture arrangement, etc.
- Set up a regular time to relax, a “relaxation break” instead of a coffee break.
- Change your attitude. Why does the same event bother some people, but not others? You don’t always have to be right. You have a choice.
- Avoid over scheduling yourself for too many tasks.
- Avoid “keeping up with the Joneses”. Sam Walton owned Wal-Mart, and drove a rusty old truck. Live a simple life. No need to impress yourself or others.
- Make a daily “to do” list to tackle items in order of priority.
- Don’t spend $100 worth of energy for a 10 cent problem.
- Break down a major task into several small tasks.
- Delegate work to others.
- Set realistic goals.
- Give compliments and enjoy taking compliments.
- Never say, “I can’t do this or that”. You get what you think about.
- Make a list of tension reducers and things to do “to get outside of yourself”.
- Make your personal and family life a priority over other demands.
- Balance work with play, proper diet, sleep, exercise and relaxation.
- Be thankful for your comfortable bed, friends, food, water, a chance to work, freedom, and many other blessings!
- Above all, when you look in the mirror, say “I love myself. I am a good person.” You had best love yourself because you will be beside yourself the rest of your life. Others want to be with you if you love yourself. You have more love to give to others when you love yourself. Look after your health first so you have the energy to help others. Great happiness and joy comes from helping others to fulfillment.
Vance Romane