Recent research from University College London indicates that job-related stress can lead to increased risk from heart attacks. No surprise there really.

However, they point out that it is often those who work in very mundane, repetitive jobs and have little control over the work that they do can suffer more from stress, compared to those who are in potentially much more stressful situations, such as
medical professionals working in an A&E Department. These are clearly examples of very different kinds of stress, and it is true that it can come in different forms, including having too little to do, as well as having too much.

We can also experience stress in the form of difficult relationships, having to cope with illness, financial worries, family troubles as well as job or career challenges.

Nobody ever has a totally stress-free life, and nor would they want it. There has been much said in the news recently about how a certain amount of stress is actually good for us, but as always, its getting the balance right and unfortunately this is not really under our control.

However, what IS within our control is our response to the stress in our lives, and this can be managed by making sure that we keep ourselves in the best possible health, physically and emotionally. Obviously looking after our bodies by putting good natural food inside them is important, as well as taking regular exercise. Finding a physical activity which we really enjoy and can do easily and often is a wonderful way of dealing with stress, as is finding a way to relax by practising meditation, self-hypnosis or yoga.

Sometimes it is really necessary to take a good hard look at our lives, in order to assess where we can perhaps make things easier for ourselves. Often when I see clients they feel so close to their situation that it seems impossible for them to make change. By helping them to take a step back, and also to really look at their lives from a different perspective, they are then able to see ways that they can instigate change in order to make their lives easier but also more satisfying.

Stress is one of those necessary evils, but it is possible to respond to it in a positive way, and even using it creatively to make changes that may be long overdue.

If you would like to have a chat with me to find out how hypnotherapy can help you to deal with stress in your life, then please call me on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.