Inner Switch Hypnotherapy

How well are you handling the long term stress of living in post-quake Christchurch? Everyone copes differently, so now is a good time to identify your stress personality type and assess how successfully you are managing your stress. This Good Health magazine article is based on the work of Dr Stephanie McClellan, a US-based gynaecologist and co-author of So Stressed (Simon & Schuster) and provides a quick way to assess your stress personality and get some tips. However this article is aimed at busy American women, and not the extreme circumstances we are facing here in Christchurch. As stated in the article “chronic stress is at the heart of increasingly serious health issues” so stress management is worth taking seriously. Much of what is happening here in Christchurch is beyond our personal control and this is why it is so stressful. However, we can make good progress by focusing on what we can control and prioritising the things which contribute to our health and wellbeing.  The foundation of health and well being is, as always, a good diet, regular exercise, relaxation, a good night sleep and staying socially connected and productive. Given the extreme circumstances we are experiencing don’t be hard on yourself if you are struggling, as explained in the article long term stress physically affects the body and you become out of balance. They key is to recognise this and take steps, or seek help, to get yourself back in to balance.