Scientifically Proven Solutions for Stress and Anxiety Management

Becky Upton
6 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Feeling Overwhelmed? Let’s Talk About Practical Ways to Manage Stress and Anxiety

In our fast-paced world, stress and anxiety have become part of everyday life. Whether it’s work pressures, personal relationships, or internal expectations, many of us find ourselves feeling overwhelmed. The good news is that we don’t have to stay stuck in that place—there are practical, science-backed ways to regain control and move forward.

At Becky Upton Hypnotherapy, I use a Solution Focused Hypnotherapy approach that draws on neuroscience to help you rediscover calm, confidence, and clarity.

Understanding Stress and Anxiety

Before we explore what can help, it’s useful to understand the difference:

Stress is a physical and mental response to demands. It’s your brain’s way of keeping you alert and ready—but chronic stress can keep your body in a permanent state of fight or flight, which isn’t sustainable.
Anxiety is future-focused. It’s the brain overestimating danger and underestimating your ability to cope. You might feel it as racing thoughts, restlessness, or even physical symptoms like a tight chest or upset stomach.

In hypnotherapy, we work together to calm these responses and shift focus towards solutions, not problems.

How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Helps

Unlike traditional therapy, Solution Focused Hypnotherapy doesn’t dwell on the past. Instead, we ask: What’s working? What do you want more of? What small steps can move you forward today?

You already have the inner resources—you just need space to access them.

The Neuroscience of Calm: What You Can Do Today

1. Reconnect with the Present through Mindfulness

Mindfulness helps settle the mind by activating the rational, solution-focused part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex). This moves you out of survival mode.

Try this:

Mindful breathing: Pause and notice your breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Do this for two minutes.
Focus on your senses: What can you see, hear, feel right now?

These simple moments can bring your brain back to balance.

2. Move Your Body to Shift Your Mind

When you move, your brain produces endorphins—your natural feel-good chemicals. It also helps burn off excess cortisol (the stress hormone).

A walk in nature, dancing around the kitchen, or a short yoga video can make all the difference.
You don’t need a full workout—just movement that feels good and gets you breathing a little more deeply.

3. Sleep: Your Brain’s Reset Button

In deep sleep, the brain processes emotions, rebalances neurotransmitters, and restores calm.

To support restful sleep:

Keep to a regular bedtime
Wind down with a warm bath or light reading
Avoid screens and caffeine in the hour before bed

In hypnotherapy, we often use guided trance sessions to improve sleep patterns and reduce nighttime rumination.

4. The Power of the Positive

In Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, we focus on what’s going well. Why? Because each time you reflect on the positive, your brain releases serotonin—the chemical that helps you feel calm, in control, and confident.

Try this each night: What went well today? Even the smallest win helps retrain your brain to notice the good.

5. You're Not Alone – Build Connection

Human connection is vital for emotional resilience. Your brain is wired for it.

Share a coffee with a friend
Join a community group
Or simply smile at someone on your walk

Social interactions boost oxytocin, the bonding hormone, which helps buffer stress.

When to Reach Out for Professional Support

If anxiety or stress are interfering with your sleep, work, or relationships—or if you’re feeling stuck—working with a professional can help. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy provides a calm, structured space to:

Rebalance your brain
Reframe negative patterns
Move forward with confidence

Hypnotherapy sessions combine talking therapy with gentle guided hypnosis, creating powerful shifts in thinking and feeling.

Small Steps = Big Shifts

You don’t have to change everything overnight. One small positive action—taken consistently—can begin to change the way your brain responds to life. That’s the beauty of the solution-focused approach.

So, whether you’re trying mindful breathing today, going for a walk, or simply noticing what’s gone well, know this:

You are already moving forward.