Effective Strategies to Manage Anxiety
Gavin Money • October 10, 2024
Name it to reduce the intensity.
Naming an anxiety helps reduce it by bringing the fear or worry into conscious awareness, which allows the brain to process it more rationally. This technique, often referred to as affect labeling, taps into how the brain works under stress. Here’s how it helps:
- Emotional Regulation: When you name an anxiety (e.g., “I am feeling anxious about my presentation tomorrow”), you engage the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and decision-making. This reduces activity in the amygdala, which is responsible for triggering intense emotions like fear. By labeling the emotion, the brain shifts focus from the raw emotional reaction to a more measured, analytical processing of it
- Sense of Control: Naming the anxiety makes it feel more manageable because it shifts from being a vague, overwhelming sensation to a concrete issue that you can address. It’s easier to tackle something specific (“I’m anxious about being judged”) than a nameless dread.
- Validation and Acceptance: Acknowledging the anxiety without judgment allows you to accept your feelings rather than suppress or avoid them. This leads to greater emotional self-awareness, which helps reduce the intensity of the emotion over time.
- Detachment: Naming the anxiety can create a psychological distance between you and the emotion. Instead of being consumed by it, you begin to see it as something separate from yourself, which can make it easier to deal with.
Once you've named it try using A FROG to unpick those feelings and reframe your emotional response:
- Alive - Is this anxious behaviour or thought keeping me alive?
- Feelings - How do I feel as a result of this anxious thought?
- Reality - Is my anxiety based on reality?
- Others - How does this anxiety affect my relationships with others?
- Goals - Does the thinking around this anxiety help me reach my goals, is it delaying my potential or development?
Developing your self-awareness is key to reframing anxiety - noticing your feelings and behaviours relating to anxious thoughts help you put them into perspective and minimise the effect. What we resist persists!
Hypnotherapy can be an extremely effective way of managing and reframing anxious thoughts whilst developing future resilience through mindfulness.
Don't let anxious thoughts hold you back, find your inner calm and unlock your full potential. Book a free consultation to see if Hypnotherapy could benefit you.
Finding Emotional Freedom. If you’ve ever felt stuck in negative emotions, patterns of self-doubt, or past experiences that won’t let go, Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) could be the breakthrough you need. This powerful, yet gentle therapy works by helping the brain process and release emotional imprints that influence how we think, feel, and react in daily life. Unlike traditional talk therapy, IEMT doesn’t require you to repeatedly relive or discuss distressing memories. Instead, through guided eye movements, it works directly with the way emotional memories are stored, allowing you to detach from past experiences and shift into the present. This can be particularly helpful for: ✅ Reducing anxiety and stress ✅ Overcoming trauma and past emotional imprints ✅ Breaking patterns of self-doubt and low self-worth ✅ Addressing phobias and fears ✅ Improving confidence and resilience IEMT is fast-acting, effective, and works well alongside hypnotherapy and other therapeutic approaches. Many clients notice a shift in emotional intensity after just one session, feeling lighter, clearer, and more in control. If you’re ready to break free from the past and step into a more confident version of yourself, get in touch to learn how IEMT can help grow@gavinmoneytherapy.uk #IEMT #EmotionalHealing #AnxietyRelief #OvercomingTrauma #TherapyForChange
January can be a challenging time for many. The excitement of the festive season passes, the days are still short and dark, and financial or personal pressures often come into focus. It’s no surprise that searches for mental health support, particularly for issues like anxiety and low mood, spike during this month. If you’re feeling the weight of the “January Blues,” hypnotherapy could offer the help and relief you need. How Hypnotherapy Can Help Hypnotherapy is a safe, effective way to address the emotional and mental challenges that often surface during this time of year. By working directly with your subconscious mind, hypnotherapy helps you uncover and shift unhelpful thought patterns, empowering you to feel more in control and at ease. Here are a few ways hypnotherapy can support you in January: Reducing Stress and Anxiety: Hypnosis induces a deep state of relaxation, which can help to calm the mind and reduce overwhelming feelings of stress or anxiety. With tailored suggestions, you can build resilience and foster a sense of calm, even in the face of life’s challenges. Overcoming Negative Thought Patterns: Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness are often driven by unconscious thought patterns. Hypnotherapy can help you identify these and replace them with more positive, empowering beliefs. Improving Sleep: Many people struggle with poor sleep during the darker months, which worsens mood and energy levels. Hypnotherapy can help reset your sleep patterns, guiding you to rest deeply and wake up feeling refreshed. Boosting Motivation: Whether it’s starting new habits or just getting through the day, hypnotherapy can help ignite a sense of purpose and drive by reconnecting you with your goals and inner strengths. Developing Self-Compassion: January often comes with a sense of guilt or self-criticism, especially after the indulgences of the holidays. Hypnosis can help you cultivate self-compassion, leaving you feeling more supported and hopeful as you move into the year. A Fresh Start with Hypnotherapy The new year doesn’t have to feel heavy or overwhelming. Hypnotherapy offers a practical and effective way to reset your mindset and step into the year with more ease, clarity, and confidence. If you’re struggling with the January blues, consider trying hypnotherapy as part of your self-care routine. It might just be the fresh start you’re looking for. Take the first step toward a lighter, brighter you—contact me today to book a session. You deserve to feel good, not just in January, but all year long. email grow@gavinmoneytherapy.uk
Alex (pseudonym) was 42 years old, feeling stressed, stuck in a job he didn’t enjoy, and battling unhealthy habits like smoking and overeating. His life felt out of control, but hypnotherapy helped him turn things around. Here’s Alex’s story, told in his own words through an interview. Q: What made you decide to try hypnotherapy? Alex: "I was at a breaking point. My job was so stressful, and I felt trapped, I wasn’t happy, but I didn’t know how to make a change. To cope, I was smoking, drinking and overeating, but those habits made me feel worse about myself. I wanted to quit smoking, lose weight, and feel better, but it felt like too much to tackle on my own. When I heard hypnotherapy could help with stress and habits, I thought, Why not give it a try?” Q: What were your first sessions like? Alex: "I was nervous at first because I didn’t know what to expect, but I was surprised by how relaxing it was. In the first session, we focused on reducing my stress. That was a big one for me, I didn’t realise how much tension I was carrying all the time. By the end of the session, I felt calmer than I had in years. It gave me hope that I could actually make changes." Q: How did hypnotherapy help you quit smoking? Alex: "I’d tried to quit so many times before, but it never stuck. Hypnotherapy was different because we worked on the triggers that made me reach for a cigarette, like stress or boredom. During the sessions, I started to see smoking in a completely different way. It wasn’t a 'reward' anymore, it was just something holding me back. After a few sessions, I didn’t even feel like I needed cigarettes anymore. I’ve been smoke-free ever since." Q: What about your relationship with food? Alex: "Overeating was tied to my emotions. I was eating to comfort myself, not because I was hungry. During hypnotherapy, I started to recognise those patterns and make better choices without feeling like I was depriving myself. It wasn’t about dieting, it was about feeling in control. I’ve lost over 9 kilos, and I actually enjoy eating healthier now. It’s been a game-changer." Q: How did hypnotherapy help you with your career? Alex: "This was one of the most unexpected parts of the process. I went into hypnotherapy thinking I just needed to quit smoking and lose weight, but as the stress lifted, I started thinking more clearly about what I actually wanted in life. I realised I’d been stuck in a job that didn’t make me happy for years because I was too afraid to make a change. Through hypnotherapy, I found the confidence to explore my passions, and now I’m working on starting my own creative business. It’s exciting, and for the first time, I feel like I’m moving forward." Q: What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed in yourself? Alex: "I feel free. Free from stress, free from cigarettes, free from the habits that were holding me back. I have more energy, more confidence, and I’m actually excited about the future. It’s not just about the changes I’ve made, it’s about feeling like I’m in control of my life again." Q: What would you say to someone considering hypnotherapy? Alex: "Just do it! I was skeptical at first, but it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s not a quick fix, you have to be open to the process, but it works. If you’re feeling stuck like I was, hypnotherapy can help you get unstuck and start living the life you want." Alex’s journey shows how powerful hypnotherapy can be to help you break free from unhealthy habits, reduce stress, and create lasting change. If you’re ready to take control of your life, why not take that first step today? 👉 Start your journey now with a free consultation - contact me at grow@gavinmoneytherapy.uk #Hypnotherapy #Transformation #NewYearNewYou #StressRelief #QuitSmoking #WeightLoss #CareerChange #PersonalGrowth
