Stress Management Counselling & Training, Brighton
Stress is probably one of the most over used words in modern society. How often do you hear people stating how stressed they are, how stressful their job is, the children are stressing them out? The list goes on… However, if we take a step back and look at stress and begin to understand what we mean by stress, we are on the way to reducing and therefore coping with stressful situations. Stress has been around since we first walked on this planet. It is our response to situations and challenges and has ensured that our species survived. In early days our response to dangerous situations was to fight or run, often known as ‘ the fight or flight response’. Without this response we would have soon died out. In today’s world not many of us face such situations, but our auto responses are still the same. Our bodies respond to the stressor and become a kind of chemical factory.
Here is the technical bit –
A stressor triggers the hypothalamus which activates the sympathetic nervous system , this activates the adrenal medulla (central area of the brain) to release hormones called norepinephrine and epinephrine ( also known as noradrenalin and adrenalin respectively ) which increases heart rate, blood pressure, respirations, muscle tension and triggers release of stored glucose, which gives immediate increase in energy; followed by reactivation of parasympathetic nervous system and return to relaxed state; this response is adaptive and necessary for survival.
However – if we allow this response to continue for a long period of time, it starts to have a negative effect on our bodies. We become tired and run down and this can lead to serious illness.
It is important that we learn to manage our stressors. It is not always possible to remove what stresses us but it is possible to change our perceptions of them.
Imagine how you would feel if you could relax and unwind from your everyday stresses and learn how to deal with the bigger ones.
You would be calmer and have more energy. You will rediscover your interest in things that have slowly disappeared from your life.
On this and the relaxation page I will give tips and suggestions to manage your stress.
I am a qualified Stress Management Consultant (MASC) Dip (Member of Associated Stress Consultants)
If you would like a 1-1 consultation to look at your stresses and how you could manage them please contact me.
Each session will be approximately 3/4 to 1 hour in length.
A course of treatment could be between 4 – 8 sessions depending on your personal circumstances.
The cost per session is £40.00
Book an appointment