March 29, 2024 1:17 AM
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Hypnotherapist offers helping hand to deal with Coronavirus uncertainties

As concerns about the Coronavirus and other national crises continues, and daily stress levels rise to new heights, one award winning hypnotherapist is doing her bit to help people cope.

Prescott-based hypnotherapy expert Carrie Ann Apap has released a free download on her website designed to help people deal with the daily uncertainties they are facing.

Studies have shown that facing uncertainty is often scarier that facing physical pain.

The human brain over millennia has developed an aversion to uncertainty. It is a carry­over from our inherent “fight or flight” reaction to threat. In our constant quest for certainty in our lives, we are wired to “catastrophize” or view a given situation as worse than it is actually is.

And this leads to worry, which in turn leads to anxiety.

“For many of us who have never experienced events that have an enormous impact on everyday lives, these are unprecedented times,” Carrie Ann said. “Some people already suffer with low level anxiety, and have found that symptoms have ramped up recently, others might be feeling new physical and psychological strains for the first time.

The lack of answers to questions raised by current uncertainty, “What will happen?”, What is the future for us?”. “What if my livelihood is threatened?”, can lead to frustration, anger, and aggression.

Carrie Ann says: “Our superpower is awareness.” She suggested that feelings of uncertainty can be mitigated by the following:

  • Be conscious of the “worry story” you tell yourself and try to distance yourself from it.
  • Focus on breathing: take long slow breaths
  • Recognize the need to rise above “fight or flight.”
  • Accept the uncertainty, and allow yourself to stop the struggle against it.

“I have spent over 22 years helping people cope with and reduce their anxiety. The techniques I teach my clients, whatever the trigger for their condition, can be applied

“I have spent over 22 years helping people cope with and reduce their anxiety. The techniques I teach my clients, whatever the trigger for their condition, can be applied successfully in this current environment. I’d encourage anyone who is feeling stressed or anxious, whether they are directly affected by Coronavirus or are just generally worried about it or other events we hear about on the news. to download my session and see if it helps.”

The 15 minute audio recording can be accessed from any computer or device, and simply requires the listener to be settled in a safe, quiet space, where they can fully engage with Carrie Ann’s soothing words.

Carrie Ann added: “Even just taking 15 minutes out of your day to focus on yourself, rather than the latest news, can help you regain a sense of balance and focus. It’s all about relaxing your mind, deflecting negative thoughts, and replacing them with calm, positive ones.”

She advises people to schedule a “worry window”. So they can better manage negative thoughts and feelings by containing them in a predetermined time slot, and free up he rest of the day by banishing intrusive thoughts.

“To some degree it’s natural to worry, and we all do it, it’s how our brain handles problems or potential problems,” Carrie Ann explained. “But it stops being useful if we become stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts about things that are out of our control. We should focus on those things within our control, and how we choose to respond to them.”

One way people have been trying to exercise control and diminish their worries is by the unhelpful practice of “panic buying” goods, such as hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Carrie explained this as an overload of the “Fight or Flight” response that’s hardwired into our DNA and is being further fueled by images by empty shelves in the media, and on social media.

She added: “It’s an exaggeration of a natural reaction, we think we’re fighting for our survival. Suddenly, certain items take on a much greater significance than usual and just possessing them seems to calm our fears, that is until the next bout of fear takes hold about a different “essential” item.

The pandemic has many repercussions beyond the actual virus. One is the potential impact on mental health and well-being as people try to manage an increasingly stressful situation.

And if I can help ease that stress in just a small way. I believe it’s worthwhile trying.” To access Carrie Ann’s download, visit www.prescotthypnosis.com.

 

Carrie Ann is an award winning certified professional medical and clinical hypnotherapist, practicing hypnosis for 22 years. She has over 4,000 additional credit hours in mind/body study. As the founder of Prescott Hypnosis, LLC, her mission statement is, “At Prescott Hypnosis we focus on how great each person is and their own natural ability to create success.”

Carrie Ann is the author of the “Masterful Living Program” teaching individuals, corporations, schools, and teachers how to access their genius, and the power tools that highly successful people put into practice. She also authored the “Masterful Athletes Program” by request of her husband coach Chuck Apap after witnessing the success some of his players achieved when working with her. Chuck has brought both football and baseball teams to state championships.

She loves helping people understand how the mind works with words and pictures to bring about their successful outcomes.

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