What Is Stress Actually Costing You?

When was the last time you felt truly relaxed? Think back to a moment when your mind was calm, your body at ease, and life felt manageable. Now, contrast that with a high-stress situation—your heart racing, thoughts spiralling, and the sense of being completely overwhelmed.

For many, these moments of stress aren’t occasional but a regular part of daily life. Yet, have you ever stopped to ask yourself: What is chronic stress or anxiety actually costing me? From your physical health to your emotional wellbeing, stress and anxiety carries a far greater price than most realise.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress or anxiety, remember, you don’t have to face it alone. I can help you regain control and transform your experience of stress or anxiety. Book a free consultation today to explore how therapy can help you take the first step towards a balanced, peaceful life.


The Biochemical Cost of Stress

Stress isn’t just an emotional response—it has profound biochemical effects on your body. During periods of stress, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline as part of the fight-or-flight response. While these hormones are helpful in short bursts during emergencies, prolonged stress can cause significant harm to your body over time.

How Stress Impacts Your Health

Chronic stress has been linked to:

  • Heart disease and hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Type 2 diabetes, due to prolonged spikes in blood sugar
  • Weakened immune function, making you more susceptible to illnesses
  • Chronic inflammation, a root cause of many degenerative diseases

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms or concerns, now is the time to take control of your stress. Through tailored therapy, we can work together to identify the root causes of your stress and build strategies to reduce its impact on your physical health. Get in touch today to start your healing journey.

Stress doesn’t just lead to serious conditions; it also manifests in day-to-day symptoms that erode your quality of life, such as:

  • Poor sleep and insomnia
  • Fatigue and brain fog
  • Digestive problems like bloating or indigestion, Reflux, IBS, Diverticulitis, IBD, SIBO..
  • Hormonal imbalances affecting mood, weight gain or weight loss, and low energy levels
  • Frequent headache, migraine and muscle tension

Chronic stress isn’t something you have to live with. Through Integrative Therapy, we can address these symptoms at their source. Let me help you regain your health—book an appointment now.


The Nutritional Cost of Stress

When it comes to stress, most people overlook its impact on nutrition and diet. Stress increases the body’s demand for nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C, and magnesium—yet these essential nutrients are often depleted during periods of prolonged stress.

Stress and Poor Eating Habits

Stress often drives people to make unhealthy food choices. You may find yourself reaching for sugary snacks, caffeinated drinks, or processed comfort foods, which only worsen the body’s stress response. These habits can:

  • Disrupt digestion, impairing nutrient absorption
  • Lead to deficiencies in essential minerals like iron
  • Weaken your immune system, leaving you prone to illness
  • Contribute to weight gain and metabolic imbalances

If you recognise that stress is influencing your eating habits and energy levels, let’s work together to build a nutrition plan that supports your mental and physical health. Through therapy and nutritional advice, I can guide you towards healthier choices and restore your body’s nutritional balance.  Contact Claire Russell Registered Nutritionist today.


The Emotional Cost of Stress

Stress takes an equally heavy toll on your emotional health. When stress becomes chronic, it can drain your resilience, leaving you feeling:

  • Irritable or easily angered
  • Anxious and constantly on edge
  • Depressed, or low mood, with a diminished sense of joy

These emotional effects of stress often strain relationships with loved ones and colleagues, leading to feelings of disconnection or isolation. Additionally, chronic stress clouds your judgement and decision-making abilities, making it harder to respond effectively to life’s challenges.

Emotional resilience can be restored through therapy. I help clients address the underlying causes of emotional stress, regain control of their feelings, and improve their relationships. Book a session today and start building emotional strength that supports both your wellbeing and your relationships.


How Therapy Can Help: An Individual Tailored Approach to Managing Stress, Low Mood, Low Energy, Anxiety and Panic Attacks

At Counselling Experts, we offer a variety of therapeutic services that can help you manage stress, improve your mental and physical health, and regain control over your life. Each therapy is designed to address different aspects of stress, low mood, anxiety and panic attacks, so you can choose the path that best suits your needs.

1. Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool for addressing the root causes of stress, anxiety, and other emotional challenges. It works by accessing the subconscious mind, helping you reframe negative thought patterns, break unhealthy habits, and manage stress more effectively.
Benefits:

  • Relieve anxiety, depression, and stress
  • Overcome limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns
  • Improve sleep and relaxation
  • Enhance focus and clarity

If you’re looking for a deep, transformative way to manage stress, book your hypnotherapy session in person or ONLINE  with Claire Russell Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist today and unlock the power of your subconscious mind.


2. Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy

Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy is a specific form of hypnotherapy that focuses on healing the mind-body connection. It can help with a wide range of stress-related physical symptoms, including chronic pain, insomnia, inflammation, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune disease , autoimmune symptoms, stomach and digestive issues, GUT health and more. Clinical Medical Hypnothearpy targets the physical manifestation of each symptom and the stress, helping you heal and regain control over your body’s response to the symptoms and to stress.
Benefits:

  • Alleviate chronic pain linked to stress
  • Alleviate symptoms and allow your body to heal itself
  • Improve sleep and relaxation
  • Address underlying physical symptoms such as digestive issues
  • Strengthen the mind-body connection for overall wellness
  • Strengthen the heart-brain connection
  • Strengthen and restore the GUT -Brain Axis

If stress is taking a physical toll on your body, Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy might be the solution you need. Contact us  today to learn more about this powerful approach.


3. Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a natural, relaxed state of focused attention that helps individuals access their subconscious mind. It’s an effective way to rewire the brain’s response to stress and anxiety. By engaging with the subconscious mind, hypnosis helps clients to overcome negative habits, reduce stress responses, and develop positive thinking patterns that promote a healthier, calmer mindset.
Benefits:

  • Reprogram the mind to reduce stress and anxiety and panic attacks
  • Release deep-rooted emotional blocks and trauma
  • Change to positive behaviours, great Confidence and positive thought patterns
  • Improve focus and mental clarity

If you want to unlock the power of your subconscious to manage stress, book a hypnosis session today and take the first step towards profound change.


4. Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT)

RTT is a cutting-edge therapy that combines the best elements of hypnotherapy, coaching, and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) to create rapid, lasting transformations. RTT targets the root causes of stress, often going back to past experiences that are triggering current reactions. By addressing these root causes, RTT helps clients achieve quick, life-changing results.
Benefits:

  • Break free from long-held negative patterns and beliefs
  • Heal from past emotional wounds and trauma
  • Experience rapid relief from stress, anxiety, and emotional distress
  • Create lasting behavioural change
  • And much much more!!!

If you’re ready to experience fast and transformative results, book an RTT session Contact now and begin your journey towards lasting peace and emotional freedom.


5. Nutrition Services and Nutrition Consultations 

Stress can have a significant impact on your nutritional health, leading to unhealthy eating habits that exacerbate stress.  Our Nutrition Services, Nutrition Consultations, Nutritional coaching session helps you make the necessary changes, and informed food choices that support both your physical and mental health, balancing your stress hormones and improving your energy levels.
Benefits:

  • Improve your diet to support stress reduction
  • Personalised food supplement guidance and advice
  • Manage weight and hormone levels effectively
  • Boost energy and mental clarity
  • Enhance your overall wellbeing with a balanced, stress-reducing diet

If you want to take charge of your health from the inside out, book a nutrition coaching session with our Registered Nutritionist Claire Russell today and start nourishing your body and mind.


6. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Mindfulness and relaxation techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing, can help you manage stress in the moment, calming both your mind and body. These techniques encourage you to stay present and grounded, reducing the physiological impacts of stress.
Benefits:

  • Reduce physical symptoms of stress (e.g., rapid heart rate, shallow breathing)
  • Cultivate a calm, focused mindset
  • Improve overall mental clarity and emotional wellbeing
  • Enhance sleep and relaxation

If you’re ready to start incorporating mindfulness into your life, contact us today to explore the powerful benefits of mindfulness and relaxation therapies.


7. Counselling and Psychotherapy

Counselling and Psychotherapy are talk therapies that provide a safe and supportive space for you to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Through this process, you can work through deep-seated emotional issues, trauma, or life challenges that are contributing to your stress. Counselling focuses on helping you find clarity, understand your emotions, and develop healthy coping strategies. Psychotherapy delves deeper into unresolved issues, enabling long-term emotional healing and transformation.
Benefits:

  • Gain a deeper understanding of your emotional world and stress triggers , inc anxiety, panic attacks, depression and stress
  • Build emotional resilience and coping strategies through Integrative Psychotherapy
  • Heal from past traumas, adverse childhood experiences, PTSD, work place bullying, school bullying,  and difficult life experiences
  • Improve relationships, couples counselling, family counselling and improve communication

If you need professional support in navigating life’s challenges or exploring the deeper roots of your stress, book a counselling or psychotherapy session today and begin your journey towards emotional wellbeing.


How to Take Back Control: Ask Yourself, “How Do I Want to Live?”

One of the most transformative questions you can ask yourself is: “How do I want to live?”

This isn’t about dreaming of a distant future where life is perfect. It’s about making intentional changes—big or small—right now to align your life with your values.

Many people postpone their ideal lifestyle, waiting for external circumstances to change. But the truth is, the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to break free from the cycle of stress. Time is a precious resource, and if you want to reclaim control over your life and stress, there’s no better time than now.

Start with Small, Actionable Steps

Here’s how to begin creating a life that feels less stressful and more fulfilling:

  1. Reclaim your health: Start small, such as taking a 30-minute walk each day or adding more fresh vegetables to your meals.
  2. Reconnect with loved ones: Schedule regular phone calls or quality time with those you care about. Strong relationships can be a powerful buffer against stress.
  3. Prioritise leisure: Rediscover hobbies or activities that bring you joy. Whether it’s painting, reading, or gardening, make time for pursuits that rejuvenate your spirit.
  4. Reassess work-life balance: Evaluate how much work is truly necessary and whether there’s room to scale back. Could reducing your hours be an option?

Together, we can create a roadmap that reflects the life you want to lead. Therapy isn’t just about stress management; it’s about designing a lifestyle that aligns with your values and brings peace to your daily existence. Contact us now to start reshaping your future.


Final Thoughts

Stress, anxiety and low mood  is often seen as an unavoidable part of modern life, but it doesn’t have to define you. By understanding the true cost of stress and taking intentional steps to reduce it, you can reclaim your health, happiness, and sense of purpose.

Don’t wait for the perfect moment to take action. Start today, and take the first step towards a life with less stress and more fulfilment. Contact Claire or Shane at Counselling Experts now to schedule your first session and begin your transformation.

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