I know it seems like an odd statement but we actually all need a bit of stress to get things done. With all the hype that is around currently around about the benefits of ‘mindfulness’ and ‘living in the moment’ I feel that there is a general tipping towards people thinking that any stress in their lives is a problem, but we all need a certain amount of stress. Think about it – if you never felt any pressure, how would you get anything done? Signs of stress include;
Physical symptoms
Emotional symptoms
Symptoms affecting your thought processes
Symptoms affecting your behaviour
We tend to use the word ‘stress’ as a word to mean that we are struggling to cope with life when in fact what we really mean is that we feel ‘out of control’. Ask yourself a couple of questions;
If you answered yes to the first question you will probably be creating stress for yourself and are also opening the door for anxiety to step in to your world. You possibly need some help in addressing the way in which you problem solve & view things, which is the basic premise of CBT.
Answering yes to the second question means that there are factors in your world creating stress and pressure for you that you can’t avoid. You can alleviate this type of stress by helping yourself to feel more in control of a situation.
Tips for coping
Take the stress at the top of your list and work through the options for coping listed below. Start with the first, action-oriented, and if that’s not possible, move on to the next. Over time, you should be able to move through all the stresses on your list. But don’t try to take on too many changes at once. Every time you deal with a single stress, you’ll have less on your plate, so it should be easier to deal with the next.
Action-oriented
If you can change it, change it. It could be saying no to that extra bit of work. It could be standing up to your partner about taking on some extra jobs.
Emotionally-oriented
If you can’t change it, can you change the way you look at it? Don’t think about all the things you haven’t got done, make a list of all the things you’ve managed to finish and congratulate yourself.
Acceptance-oriented
Look after yourself physically, and you’ll be able to cope with stress much better.
Known as the best psychologist around, Wendy’s an obvious choice to be featured on the show’
Cheshire Housewives
As an ex-athlete I’ve always advocated the benefits of keeping in shape physically, but it’s just as important to look after your mental wellbeing. Book a session with Wendy, she’s the person to help you look after your brain just as you would your body.
Graham Bell
5 x Olympic Skier and presenter of BBC Ski Sunday.
Amazing!
Rachel Lugo
Cheshire Housewives
Dare to dream big and Wendy’s THE person to help get you there.
Sam Bailey
X Factor winner with a long list of sell out tour successes under her belt.
The most exciting thing in the world is getting a chance to tear it all up and start again. Keep all the things you want and throw out everything you don’t. Wendy will help you do just that!
Becky Sheeran
Beauty, lifestyle and fashion blogging sensation Becky Sheeran (TalkBeckyTalk)
It’s great to have a leading psychotherapist such as Wendy in the Cheshire area, outside of her Harley Street practice. After publicly raising awareness of mental health issues and myself recovering from depression, I know how immensely life-changing expert intervention can be.
Jason Jarrett
Retired ex-professional football who played for Bury, Wigan, Stoke, Preston, Norwich, Leicester and Brighton during a 14 year career. After leaving professional football, Jason battled depression and recovered with the help of therapy and family support.
Wendy is great at what she does; she made me feel at ease immediately and really helped me work through some issues.
Tara Costello
It’s funny but from the minute I met her I felt so relaxed and she was so easy to talk to. Thank you!
Stevie Brown
Wendy isn’t only really good at what she does, she’s also really easy to talk to.
Gabriel Wilson
I want to thank you Wendy from the bottom of my heart for guiding me through what must have been the most difficult time of my life.
Raza Syed
I was told she was the best and they were right.
Noelle Dray
Although I consider myself a confident person, I was really nervous when I met Wendy for the first time. I had only emailed her before so it was really nerve wracking walking up the stairs to her office. I can honestly say it’s one of the best things I have ever done. Wendy is really normal, no in fact she isn’t normal as she is unfailingly bright and smiley even when she has to listen to me moan on about how awful my life was. It feels like having a chat with somebody who just gets you and you can trust with things you have never trusted anybody else with before. The magic bit comes when things you have talked about just pop up into your head and you start to do things differently. Wendy once joked about not having a magic wand, but I think she has.
Paul Hendry
I came to Wendy with a set of problems I have never been able to fully explain to anyone, which included grief, many family issues and alcohol problems. Wendy truly has an active listening style and absorbs everything you are saying, whilst not making you feel analysed, it is an incredible skill. She astounded me at how she got to the crux of the issues so fast. So much so that we both agreed I only needed one session with her, obviously this may not be the case with everyone but I would confidently recommend her to anyone, regardless of your problems. There was no awkwardness or even clock watching, she is wonderful at what she does, take the plunge and make an appointment, you will not regret it. Life is a direction not a destination and she will get you on the path again.
JB
