Psychologist Dr. Carol Francis serves Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, El Segundo, San Pedro, Carson, Harbor City, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Long Beach, All of the Los Angeles South Bay Area.
Psychologist, Psychotherapist & Counselor
Marriage, Family and Child Therapist
Certified Medical Hypnotherapist
Stress & Burn Out
Stress Can Overwhelm Coping Skills
Dr. Carol A. Francis can help teach you ways to reduce stress and burn out
310-543-1824
| Serving the Los Angeles & South Bay Areas
Stress & Burn Out
Reducing Stress
Brief Summary of Techniques
by
Dr. Carol Francis
Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis guided by a therapist can conform to the personality styles and the cognitive styles of the person seeking relief. Muscles releasing exercises with guided imagery might be one selection. Narratives might work better for others. Problem-solving can often be the best stress reliever when one is anxious about an unsolved circumstance and hypnosis can assist with that as well. Personalities that are riddled with chronic anxiety can have relief via the powers of hypnosis to explore and resolve personality constructs that are anxious and transforming them to something relaxed. Reconfiguring an individual's perspective on a life-circumstance can reduce anxiety too. Anxiety associated to lack of sleep can be assisted by hypnotherpeutic processes that reduce insomnia.
Self-Hypnosis
Using CD's, DVD's, YouTube Videos or self-hypnosis techniques can sooth anxiety within a short period of time. Showing those quick, easy self-hypnosis inductions that promote stress relief.
Meditation
Meditations from the Eastern traditions (Hindu and Buddhist practices) and Western Traditions (Shamanic, Transcendental, or Faith-oriented) are noted to reduce the chemicals associated to stress and anxiety and increase chemicals that are “feel-good” hormones. These different types of meditation match different personalities or different moments in lifes' demanding changes. Breathing techniques also are profoundly associated with reducing stress.
Exercise
Due to the nature of stress and the stress releasling physiology of exercise, no one can overlook the impact vigorous cardiovascular exercise (Running, Steps, Kick-Boxing) or meditative muscularly intense exercise (Yoga, Pilates, Weights) has on stress factors.
Play/Fun
Daily playfulness and fun activities that fully involve emotions, mind and body are optimal for stress reduction. These activities impact physiology and psychological aspects of stress.
Laughter/Crying
Strong releasing emotions release stress-relief chemicals as well as distract and substitute for the stress-related thoughts and emotions. Any form of creating laughter or crying is worth considering including movies, books, comics, conversations, comedic outlets.
Foods
We all are familiar with stress-relieving foods that are comfort foods. These are usually carbohydrates that are simple and fast to convert to sugar which helps release drug-like sedation. However, these are usually inflammatory and high calorie and usually reduce coping skills so they are short lived. On the other hand, certain foods and teas have relaxing components such as chamomile tea, turkey, soft fruits, warm milk, warm lemon and honey water. Keeping sound nutrition is also key for coping-skills to be at their height and thus reduce stress-reactions to otherwise normal life-events. Wine and other liquors also suppress anxiety in the moment; and, if not relied on too frequently or too much at one time, the stress-release factors are not inhibited.
Chemicals
Ideally herbal interventions can assist with anxiety-reduction as well without side-effects. If absolutely necessary, medications can reset the brain-chemical balance to help reduce anxiety and improve stress-coping skills.
Coping with the cause of stress is optimal. However, sometimes the stress overwhelms coping-skills. Therefore, having quick or easy or pleasant stress-relievers available while you are in the process of manageing the cause of the stress is wise. If you were to take 5 of any of these forms of reducing stress and add them to you most stressful time in life, you would increase your ability to cope. Beware that you don't reduce stress but forget to solve the causes, however. You don't want to compound more causes of stress by neglecting their resolution while you are reducing your stress reactions superficially.
Dr. Carol Francis
Dr. Carol Francis has 32 years experience as a psychotherapist and is licensed as a Clinical Psychologist, Marriage, Family and Child Therapist, Certified Medical Hypnotherapist, Certified Fitness Trainer, Certified Nutritionist, and Reiki Master. Her training and experience with Hypnotherapy, Western and Eastern Meditation Techniques, Fitness and Eating, Relationship Counseling, Laws of Attractions and Intentionality, and Laughing specifically address stress, its causes , its relief and its solutions.
Dr. Carol Francis has been addressing stress, relaxation techniques, stress-reduction, coping-skills, resolution of causes of stress for 37 years in many contexts: financial issues, family complications, relationship complications, parenting, career changes, relocations, divorce, traumas and abuse, personality changes, death, care-taking for others, and physiological issues associated to weight, addictions, eating habits, and need to exercise.
Dr. Francis has published many books, articles and chapters on various topics which concern humane living, self-respectful practices of dynamic living, successful relationships, and coping with daily demands of life. You can find out more about her work, writings, and passions at any of the following websites. Her television show, Dr Carol Francis Show: Make Life Happen captures these topics in interviews, shorts and life-coaching moments, some shows are available on DVDs and YouTube.