To better manage stress, the regular practice of mindfulness, sophrology or self-hypnosis can be of great help. These disciplines can also be useful in addition to medical follow-up in case of burn-out or depression.
Mindfulness – focusing on the present moment
Mindfulness can be defined as the gym of the mind that consists of intentionally paying attention to what you are experiencing / doing in the present moment. Daily, without realizing it, your mind constantly wanders elsewhere. This is how, for example, you think about work when you take a shower.
The result is that you are thinking, instead of living in the present moment. The goal of mindfulness is to reconnect you to it. How? By bringing your attention back to your breathing, your sensations and welcoming your thoughts without letting yourself be affected by them. In this way, you refocus on yourself and keep away negative cogitations and anxious expectations.
Mindfulness can be practiced through meditation or during any activity that you perform while being fully present to what you are doing. Thanks to its ability to calm the mind and listen to yourself, mindfulness can help fight against depressive states and prevent their relapse. It can also be beneficial in times of significant stress or even in the of burnout.
Sophrology – finding your harmony
Sophrology stimulates your ability to relax, manage your stress and emotions, and be positive. How? By combining meditation, yoga, and relaxation techniques. A sophrology session may include breathing exercises, visualization of soothing images, muscle relaxation, and body awareness.
These can be practiced during sessions with a sophrologist (in groups or individually). You can practice sophrology also alone, to connect with yourself or to cope with a stressful situation. I met people practicing sophrology before an exam or a job interview. They could manage very well their stressful situations.
Sophrology can be an ally in case of depression, especially because it allows you to reconnect with your positive feelings (by appealing to memories when you experienced joy, for example).
It can also be useful for burnout cases by producing effects since the first manifestation of symptoms (related to stress at work for instance) or by helping to reconnect with your own values and identity.
Self-hypnosis – influencing your unconscious
Hypnosis is a technique that induces in a person a state close to dreaming. As its name suggests, self-hypnosis is hypnosis applied to oneself without hypnotherapists. This allows you to focus solely on yourself by ignoring your environment and to challenge your unconscious to guide it towards solving a problem. How? By performing visualizations or making suggestions in a positive and simple language. Hypnosis acts positively on many psychological problems, such as stress or anxiety. One of its applications is also the treatment of depression or burnout, allowing, for example, to visualize a more serene future.
Have you ever tried one of these techniques? Which ones would you choose to better manage your daily stress?
You can find more on stress management on my blog crisbiecoach.