Learning to cope with stress

Simply, stress occurs when the number of problems (stressors) is greater than the coping abilities we possess. Individuals react to life events in different ways. Some of us can seemingly cope with stress easier than others. Stress is not a sign of weakness; it is something that we all experience at some time in our lives. Although we all need a certain amount of pressure in our lives, chronic, long-term stress can make us physically and mentally ill.

Once a stress manager has identified the causes of stress in an individual, he can teach him strategies to deal with it. We cannot remove all stress from our lives, but we can begin to take control and alter our perception of it. The stress reaction, the 'fight or flight' response, is simply the body's way of dealing with a perceived or real threat. If this response is prolonged, it can permanently damage health.

Once an individual understands what stress is, and what his particular responses are (headache, panic, backache, insomnia, irritability etc.) he can begin to alleviate them.

As stress managers, we first of all identify and remove maladaptive coping strategies. The next task is to teach relaxation, using a combination of hypnosis, EMDR and NLP. These therapies can be combined with massage, exercise, and nutritional advice.

Most cases of stress, whether caused by work or personal issues, or a combination of both, will be resolved after a course of stress management.