Can NLP Help With Stress?

Stress can be caused by many things: pressures and challenges at work, difficult relationships, life transitions, world events, and now also covid. Sometimes, we might even feel stressed out without knowing why. Tension may accumulate from a lot of little things, even if there isn’t a major problem.

Besides being unpleasant, stress is associated with many health problems, so it’s important to deal with.

Fortunately, even though we might not be able to change what’s happening in our environment, our response to it can be completely transformed. The Wholeness Work gives us a simple and effective way of “dissolving” stress that can easily be done in a few minutes, as part of a daily routine. And, what’s even better is that over time, our system learns new responses, so that we develop a greater sense of ease.

(Note: Core Transformation can also help; however, we recommend starting with the Wholeness Work for this issue.)

What if I don’t know why I feel so stressed?

Sometimes, we might feel frazzled, without even knowing why. Stress can accumulate throughout the day–a little here, a little there–until the tension has built up to an uncomfortable level, even if we’re not dealing with any one major problem. 

Fortunately, the Wholeness Work can help us dissolve those stressful feelings, even if we don’t know what caused them, or we can’t identify a moment when they began.

What are 5 ways we can be less stressed?

1. Making changes in our environment. For example, if a job is producing some anxiety, we can explore changing our job. This is sometimes the easiest change to make. However, sometimes it isn’t easy or even possible to leave a challenging situation, so we need another solution.

 2. Making changes in our behavior. Sometimes our own behavior causes stressful feelings! For example, if our messy desk is making it difficult to find what we need, organizing our office may reduce stress. Learning effective time management techniques can make it easier to manage our day and get things done.

3. Making changes in our thinking. It may be that we’re holding onto thoughts that are stressing us out. For example, replaying over and over that snide comment from a co-worker, or ruminating over an image of a small mistake we’ve made or want to avoid making. Changing these thought patterns can be an important key, using an effective method such as the Wholeness Work or Core Transformation. 

4. Making changes in our responses. Our mind may be wired to feel stressed about certain things. For example, we might tense up in response to getting a bad grade in school. However, even though these responses may feel automatic, they can be changed, with methods such as the Wholeness Work or Core Transformation. And the good news is, being more relaxed can actually help us perform better!

5. Dissolving the stressful feeling itself. 1-4 above may help us prevent stress. However, most of us won’t be able to prevent stress all the time! Fortunately, the Wholeness Work can help us to dissolve our unpleasant feelings, even if we don’t know what caused them.

What are 10 ways to cope with stress?

There are various ways we can change our levels of stress:

1. Exercise. Moderate, healthy exercise can lower stress hormones, improve sleep, boost energy levels, and enhance our mood. Even 1-3 minutes of exercise throughout the day can help! Just stretching or running up and down the stairs now and then helps increase our circulation. (You can consult with an expert for an optimal exercise program for you.)

2. Eat a healthy diet, with limited stimulants. The more we support our physical body, the more our body can support us. Excess sugar, cafeine, and alcohol may be comforting in the moment, but in the long run, they can make it more difficult for our body and our brain to respond well to stress. 

3. Balance work and play. If you’ve been working too hard, you may be overdue for a vacation! Or, there may be a way to delegate some of your work, or learn more efficient time management, so that you have more freedom to enjoy yourself.

4. Light a scented candle, or enjoy a scented bath. Sometimes, a relaxing aroma can help us let go of tension! A search for “aromatherapy relaxing bath or candle” can get you in touch with something that may soothe your nerves.

5. Reach out to friends or family. Feeling connected with others can help to relieve tension. 

6. Increase laughter. You’ve probably heard the adage, “Laughter is the best medicine!” Actually, it’s no joke–laughter can indeed reduce levels of stress, which is good for our physical health. 

7. Listen to soothing music. We all have different tastes in music. You can find music that you enjoy, that’s calming for you. 

8. Deep breathing. It may help to have a “breathing break” now and then. Take a few moments to get into a relaxing position, close your eyes, put one hand on your abdomen, and take a long, slow breath that pushes your hand out. Repeat 3-4 more times, to help release some tension.

9. Spend time with a pet. Unless you dislike animals, bonding with a pet can calm our stressful feelings. Pets can be a lot of work, so they aren’t for everyone–however, you may know someone with a pet, perhaps someone who would love for their dog to get an extra walk now and then!

10. Practice a stress-relieving meditation. The Wholeness Work offers the deepest level of stress relief we know of. It can be learned from a book, through a seminar, or from one-on-one coaching or therapy. (If you’re looking for a coach, we suggest finding someone who has been trained in the Wholeness Work and Core Transformation, for the deepest level change.)

With the Wholeness Work, we don’t need to “try to relax,” because it happens very naturally and easily. Using the Wholeness Work as a practice over time typically also results in changing various life issues, through following precise steps, but without making ourselves be different.

What is NLP?

NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is the study of subjective experience.

You may have noticed that two people can be in the same difficult situation, yet react differently. One person may experience emotional tension, while for the other it may be “water off a duck’s back.” NLP helps us understand the inner structure of our minds that causes these differences in our reactions. 

In addition to understanding how our minds work, NLP also offers various methodologies for changing how we think, feel, and behave. Of these methods, the Wholeness Work and Core Transformation are unique in that they change our “problem” experience while also enhancing our ongoing wellbeing. 

Is NLP really effective?

NLP can be highly effective, because it deals with the underlying structure that’s causing the stress response. 

The Wholeness Work is especially effective for transforming stress, because it’s working at such a deep level of experience. It helps us to transform even subtle tensions in the psyche, which allows physical and emotional tentions to release naturally. 

The Fine Print: This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness. If you suffer from any physical or mental illness, we recommend finding a professional who is qualified to help.