I am currently running a series of informative posts. challenges and videos on my social challenges titled "Stress Free Summer". Now sadly I don't think anyone's summer (or indeed life) can be entirely stress free but taking care of the basics will equip us all to deal with life's stresses better when they do arise.
So why is summer stressful? Shouldn't the thought of time off work or school spent with family be one that makes us happy?
Well yes but it can also be a time of pressure, and high expectations. Especially post COVID our desire to want perfect holidays to counter the awfulness of the past 2 years is understandable. But it can also set us up for stress and disappointment.
There are also a myriad of "Summer Scaries" just waiting to catch us out. Taking examples from my hypnotherapy practice, holidays are not so enjoyable if you have a fear of flying. I've worked with clients who used to either simply not fly or would only be able to do so using medication and drink. The fear would be so intense that that wouldn't really enjoy their time away as they would be anxiously anticipating the flight home.
Likewise in the summer we tend to spend more time outdoors. Which is lovely and good for our health but can also present a challenge to those who don't like bugs and insects, particularly things like spiders, ants, bees and wasps.
The summer months can also present huge challenges to us if we are not confident in our bodies. For some there can be no more daunting prospect than being exposed on a beach or by the pool in swimwear. Particularly if we compare to what we see on highly curated social media channels.
So there's a lot going on, and with school holidays and the like meaning our regular routines are broken we can forget to do the things we would normally to take care of our wellbeing. I feel that this summer more than ever with the additional concerns at the airports, and the lingering legacy of COVID we should probably all cut ourselves some additional slack.
Whether its generally managing stress or addressing a specific fear - such as flying hypnotherapy can help make powerful changes transforming your summer experience in just a few short sessions. So please do reach out if you would like to explore working with me.
And if you want to join the "Stress Free Summer" challenge on my Instagram page please do. I'd love to hear how you get on.
Liz x