I’m Trying to Relax – But It’s Not Working !Irene Cauwels!

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor!Certified Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist !

Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor!National Certified Counselor

I can’t Relax!•  “Workplace stress is as

bad for your heart as smoking and cholesteral JAMA

•  43% of Adults have High Stress Impacting Health

Warning Signs

  Forgetfulness

  Difficulty Making Decisions

  Irritability

  Headaches

  Sleep Difficulties

  Back/Neck Pain

Warning Signs

  Feeling Empty

  Critical, Cynical

  Unforgiving

  Need to Prove Self

Other Warning Signs

  TV Numbing

  Carbohydrate/ Sugar Cravings

  Substances

  Careless Driving

What Happens to Your Body?

  Decreased Immunity

  High Blood Pressure

  GERD, IBS

  Coronary Artery Disease

  Ulcers

  Chronic Illnesses

Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers!

•  Body reacts to stress with FIGHT, FLIGHT or FREEZE

•  Have to move the stress hormones out of your body

•  Shake it out of your body

•  “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” Robert Sapolsky

You CAN learn to relax!

Demonstrable Effects on Brain and Immune System

From Richard Davidson,

University of Wisconsin

• Visualization

• Connect With Your Heart Exercise

• Gratitude

• Proper Breathing

• Mindfulness, Meditation, Prayer

• Self-Hypnosis

Visualization - Your Brain CAN NOTTell the difference between What is Real

and What is Imagined

Simple *Center of Chest - Heart Energy Area *Simple doesn’t always mean Easy *Imagine breathing in and out of

this area - opening like a flower and expanding

*Gratitude, Appreciation, Happiness as you breathe in and out *Hand on Center of Chest - Heart

Energy Area

From Heartmath.org

Focused Breath

  Breath Connects With Soul

  Abdominal Breathing

  Deep Breathing

  In Nose/ Out Mouth

  Inhale Energy/ Exhale Stress

Minfulness vs Reaction

  Mind can think about past, present, and future

  Helps us Learn

  Hurts us by taking out of the present moment

Mindfulness Meditation

  Learn to Focus Attention

  “Paying attention, in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

Meditation and Prayer  Can be part of spiritual

practice

  Set an intention

  Ask for Guidance

  Repeat name, sound, word

  “Ah” is sound of creation

  “Ohm” is also sound of creation

Self-Hypnosis  Natural State of Trance

  You do this all the time - reading, driving,

  Intentional instead of accidental

  You are in TOTAL CONTROL

Self-Hypnosis

  3 Deep Breaths

  Count down

  Visualize

  Count back up

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond

measure.”