The Mind/Body Connection And Stress Management

by | Apr 28, 2020

My name is Mary Moylan, as a corporate trainer and clinical hypnotherapist, one of my areas of expertise is in medical hypnosis. I’m going to talk to you today about the mind/ body connection and stress management and, how this may affect you- in your day to day life, and, in your work environment.

I focus on mind body/ integration for optimal health-and business success and I work both privately and within group sessions. I help people manage the mental and emotional challenges associated with for example, confronting the stress or pain of sudden change, or even personal loss, such as we have recently navigated with this pandemic.  

 I came into this meaningful training and counseling work during a challenging PhD program, when I encountered some of these stress related issues that I’m talking to you about today. Ultimately, this created some health issues that taught me the importance of not only dealing with the body directly but also the importance of integrating the mind and the emotions. In my career as a teacher and mental health counselor, I have assisted many people with these powerful tools and I enjoy helping to empower others. I help people build psychological momentum as we bring on board their mind and emotions to support their body and their behaviors.  

Let’s take a moment to look at the impact of stress on our lives and in the workplace. We live in a world where overwork is overvalued. And, thanks to constantly changing company structure, the burden of needing to do more with fewer resources, longer work days and the advancement of technology, this stress is compounded. In a recent study about stress in the work environment from Stanford University, psychologists show that slow burning stress and negative emotions such as anger can literally kill us. And unfortunately, we see that this exists all too commonly in today’s business environments and corporate structures. Over time, “chronic stress” has been shown to be the number one enemy of success.

Further research has shown that more than 60% of employees in the U.S. report that they experience workplace stress for at least 4 days per week. And, what we know is, the impact of this stress is both human and financial for the employee and for the businesses that they work for. Have you ever experienced the pressure of an upcoming deadline? Have you experienced physical issues because of stress in your work environment, like issues with sleep, headache, stomach upset, blood pressure, cardio vascular issues? During stressful times or situations, people often blame themselves for being weak or for their inability “to handle it.” 

According to a report from the National Institute For Occupational Safety and Health, job stress is rated higher than family or financial complaints. That work affects family, family affects work, which affects family…and the cycle continues. The key is to break that cycle! Are you self -employed? Or working from home? And do you experience burn-out? An inability to concentrate? Lack of motivation? poor decision making? These are all symptoms that can be related to chronic stress. Or even short term stress. As a business owner, in the work environment, you may see high absenteeism, labor turn over, poor performance and productivity, low morale,or poor motivation.

The American Psychological Association has established that excessive stress in the work environment can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as: over eating, or, eating an unhealthy diet, smoking cigarettes or abusing drugs and alcohol. In looking at these issues, it becomes obvious that employee wellness means business wellness. And time, energy and resources applied to the wellness of the employee becomes improvement in the bottom line of your organization.

Now, Let’s take a look at how the subconscious mind can help to change this. The most effective approach combines cognitive strategies and subconscious learning and reconditioning to establish new behaviors, new coping skills and ultimately the reduction and mitigation of stress for long term success. With subconscious therapies, we are addressing the potential subconscious ideas, beliefs, and emotions that often limit people from achieving optimal health and well-being- as it relates to their physical, mental and emotional health and  to the health and effectiveness of you and your business. Hypnotherapy has been scientifically proven in clinical studies at major universities, including Stanford University, as a powerful mind/body therapy. Research conducted by David Spiegel, M.D., in the areas of hypnosis and brain body connections looked at the effects of hypnosis on control of somatic processes, specifically related to anxiety. The evidence indicates an important role for hypnosis in managing anxiety disorders and anxiety related to medical illness.

For the people that come to me for help or for group trainings, I support them with identifying and balancing psychological factors- such as fears, stress, negative thinking, worry and limiting beliefs. Because hypnotherapy is a tool for retraining the mind and the emotions, it allows us to replace these with greater calm, positive thoughts, emotions and behaviors. This includes follow through with the behaviors that support their health by engaging in the consistent management of their stress. In my individual and group trainings, people learn to identify and modify environmental, occupational, and lifestyle factors that are limiting their success and happiness in life. Many people don’t even know that they have a choice to feel a different way or to behave in a more empowered manner.

I truly enjoy my role as a guide in helping people To learn new behaviors and habits and to remove old programming and limiting beliefs that have held them back in their life. It’s such a purposeful experience, this role, motivating people. I look forward to helping you to overcome your limits for a more empowered, healthier and truly successful life.