Do you often find yourself feeling anxious, spiralling in your thoughts, or ruminating about things that have already happened, or things that haven’t even happened yet?

Many people experience anxiety, so you are not alone in how you are feeling, even though it can often feel very overwhelming at times. In fact, anxiety is a very normal response, it is your brain’s way of trying to keep you safe.

How your brain responds to anxiety:

During solution focused hypnotherapy sessions, you learn to understand how and why your brain thinks and behaves the way it does. When we use our left pre-frontal cortex we think from a place of logic, positivity and rationale. Even if something challenging or stressful would happen, this part of the brain would be able to assess the situational rationally and respond accordingly, calmly and in a way that feel right for you.

However, there is another part of the brain called the limbic system. This primitive part of your brain is around 300,000 years old, and its sole function is to help you survive.

Within the limbic system is the amygdala, you might imagine this as your very own safety officer. When this part of the brain detects a potential threat or danger, the amygdala triggers the fight/flight/freeze response to protect you. And sometimes, that safety officer can begin working overtime, staying on constant high alert and not taking the break it needs, this is called amygdala hijack.

Why anxiety can feel overwhelming:

The primitive part of the brain works incredibly well when there is real danger, such as a speeding car, a barking dog, or a sudden loud noise, as the amygdala activates a ‘survival’ response and your body reacts instantly.

However, this response is not always helpful when there isn’t a real or immediate threat, and the danger is instead something imagined, remembered, or anticipated. In these moments, the mind can begin to react as though something is wrong, even when you are completely safe.

Your brain is always trying to respond to what it believes you need, just as it does when you feel hungry, tired, or bored. Sometimes, this can mean becoming stuck in patterns of worry or anxious thinking. And when these patterns repeat, it can lead to feelings of overwhelm and being caught in a cycle that feels difficult to break.

When we spend too much time in this primitive state, we can become highly reactive or emotional, we find it difficult to think clearly or make rational decisions, and can struggle to respond in the way we would like. Anxiety can begin to feel as though it is taking over, leaving us feeling anything but calm, safe, or in control.

How solution focused hypnotherapy can help with anxiety:

Solution focused hypnotherapy helps you recognise these patterns and gently begin to shift them. Through solution focused talking therapy, we start to create new ways of thinking and responding. We focus on what is working well for you, identifying the positives in your life, and gradually redirecting attention away from anxious thoughts. And we embed these positive messages and feelings of calm in relaxing trance.

Over time, you begin to feel more in control, recognising that you always have choices in how you can respond to your thoughts. And by responding in a calmer, more balanced, and more compassionate way, you can begin to create new, more helpful patterns, and life starts to feel lighter, clearer, and more comfortable.

Support:

If you are struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, or persistent worrying thoughts, support is available.

At Calm by Victoria, I offer gentle, compassionate, and evidence-informed online hypnotherapy sessions, helping you feel calmer, more in control, and more like yourself again, all from the comfort and familiarity of your own home.

How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help with anxiety

If you’d like to learn more or book a session, feel free to contact me.