Anxiety

High-Functioning Anxiety: When You’re Coping But Still Struggling

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Some of the people most in need of support are often the least likely to ask for it.

They are managing life. They go to work, look after family, meet responsibilities and appear capable. From the outside everything seems fine.

Inside, it feels very different.

You may recognise yourself in this:

  • You think constantly

  • You struggle to relax

  • You replay conversations afterwards

  • You worry about getting things wrong

  • You feel responsible for everyone

  • You rarely feel “finished” with the day

This is often called high-functioning anxiety.

What High-Functioning Anxiety Feels Like

Unlike panic attacks or obvious distress, high-functioning anxiety is quiet. It sits underneath daily life and becomes normal.

Many people describe:

  • always being mentally busy

  • difficulty switching off

  • guilt when resting

  • irritability when overwhelmed

  • emotional exhaustion

  • poor sleep

You may be seen as organised, reliable and capable yet internally you feel under pressure much of the time.

Because you are coping, you may also feel you “shouldn’t” need help.

Why It Happens

Your brain has two main systems:

  • the thinking, logical mind

  • the protective survival mind

When the survival system stays overactive, the brain scans constantly for potential problems. This creates overthinking, worry and mental tension.

The mind isn’t trying to upset you.
It is trying to keep you safe but it’s working overtime.

Over time this can lead to:

  • burnout

  • emotional reactions

  • withdrawal

  • loss of confidence

  • feeling detached from enjoyment

Why Talking Alone Doesn’t Always Solve It

Many people with high-functioning anxiety already understand their worries logically.

They know they are capable.
They know the thoughts are excessive.
But the feeling remains.

This is because the response comes from the brain’s emotional centre rather than the thinking part. Insight helps but regulation helps more.

How Hypnotherapy Supports Change

Solution-focused hypnotherapy helps calm the protective system so the brain no longer needs to stay on alert.

Through gentle trance work and practical strategies, the brain learns it is safe to stand down. As this happens, thoughts become quieter and reactions soften.

Clients often report:

  • feeling calmer

  • clearer thinking

  • less overanalysis

  • improved sleep

  • better emotional balance

  • increased confidence

You don’t lose motivation or responsibility, you lose the constant tension behind it.

Hypnotherapy Support in Bath and Surrounding Areas

I work with adults and teenagers experiencing anxiety, overwhelm and stress in:

  • Bath

  • Paulton

  • Midsomer Norton

  • online sessions also available

The approach is forward-focused and supportive. We are not analysing everything that has ever happened, we are helping your mind feel steady enough to move forward comfortably.

You don’t have to wait until you reach breaking point to get support.

Often the people who look like they’re coping the best are the ones carrying the most internally and with the right help, that weight can become much lighter.

Healing space and time for body and mind.

Why Your Mind Won’t Switch Off at Night (and How Hypnotherapy Can Help)

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Many people come to hypnotherapy for anxiety but what they actually describe first is sleep.

They tell me they feel exhausted all day, then suddenly wide awake at night. The body is tired but the mind becomes active. Thoughts replay conversations, plan tomorrow, revisit worries or imagine problems that haven’t even happened.

You might recognise this:

  • You feel tired until you go to bed

  • The moment your head hits the pillow, your brain “wakes up”

  • You overthink past conversations

  • You lie awake predicting future scenarios

  • You wake at 3am and can’t settle again

This is incredibly common and most importantly, it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you.

Your Brain Isn’t Broken But It Is Stuck in Alert Mode

Your brain has a built-in protection system. When it thinks you need to stay alert, it keeps problem-solving and scanning for danger. That’s helpful during the day but at night it prevents the brain from entering its natural processing state.

Sleep relies on a stage called REM (rapid eye movement). This is when the brain sorts emotional experiences, files memories and reduces stress levels. It’s essentially the brain’s housekeeping process.

When stress, overwhelm or anxiety builds up, the brain struggles to enter this state. Instead of processing thoughts, it keeps holding onto them so they appear at night when everything else becomes quiet.

Many people assume their problem is insomnia.
Often, it’s actually an over-busy mind.

Why Night-Time Is Hardest

During the day you have distraction, structure and activity.
At night you have silence.

That silence allows thoughts you’ve pushed aside to surface. The brain is simply trying to process, but without guidance it loops instead.

This is especially common for:

  • busy professionals

  • parents

  • people experiencing life changes

  • ADHD adults

  • people who are “coping well” outwardly

You may function perfectly during the day but feel mentally overloaded by evening.

How Hypnotherapy Helps Sleep

Solution-focused hypnotherapy works by helping the brain access the same natural state it enters during REM sleep but while you are awake and relaxed.

During hypnosis you remain aware and in control but your mind becomes calm and focused. In this state the brain can process thoughts and emotions more efficiently allowing it to stop holding onto them overnight.

Clients often notice:

  • falling asleep faster

  • fewer night wakings

  • reduced racing thoughts

  • waking feeling clearer

  • improved mood and energy

The Knock-On Effect

Sleep is rarely just about sleep.

When the brain rests properly:

  • anxiety reduces

  • emotional reactions soften

  • concentration improves

  • confidence increases

  • coping feels easier

Many people initially come for insomnia and find other areas of life improve naturally.

Hypnotherapy in Bath, Paulton and Midsomer Norton

I offer solution-focused hypnotherapy sessions in:

  • Bath

  • Paulton

  • Midsomer Norton

  • and online

Sessions are calm, supportive and practical. You don’t need to revisit difficult past experiences, we focus on helping your mind move forward.

If your mind won’t switch off at night, it may simply need guidance on how to process the day.

Sleep is not something you have to force.
Often, it returns when the mind no longer needs to stay on guard.

Healing space and time for body and mind.

Creating Space to Breathe: Why Regular Therapy Can Be Preventative

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Many people seek therapy when life reaches a breaking point when stress, anxiety or exhaustion can no longer be ignored. But increasingly, people are discovering the value of regular therapy as a preventative form of care, rather than a crisis response.

Hypnotherapy offers a way to create space to breathe before burnout takes hold.

If you’re considering hypnotherapy in Bath, Paulton or Midsomer Norton, regular sessions can support balance, clarity and long-term wellbeing.

When Life Feels Manageable But Heavy

Life doesn’t have to feel unbearable to benefit from support. Many people function well on the surface while quietly carrying:

  • chronic stress

  • emotional overload

  • mental fatigue

  • poor sleep

  • constant responsibility

Over time, this steady pressure accumulates in the nervous system often leading to anxiety, burnout or low mood.

Preventative therapy helps interrupt this build-up early.

How Hypnotherapy Supports Prevention

Solution-focused hypnotherapy works by:

  • calming the stress response

  • supporting emotional regulation

  • reducing mental clutter

  • restoring perspective and balance

Regular sessions give the nervous system repeated opportunities to reset, making it easier to stay grounded even when life is demanding.

This approach focuses on what’s working, what you want more of and how to maintain steadiness rather than waiting for things to fall apart.

The Role of the Nervous System

Stress isn’t just mental, it’s physiological. Without regular rest and processing, the nervous system can remain stuck in a heightened state of alert.

Hypnosis supports the brain’s natural REM-like processing, helping emotional experiences integrate rather than accumulate. This is one reason many people report improved sleep, clarity and resilience after sessions.

Who Benefits From Regular Therapy?

Preventative hypnotherapy can be especially helpful if you:

  • have a demanding job or caring role

  • live with ADHD or a busy mind

  • notice early signs of burnout

  • want ongoing emotional support

  • value proactive mental wellbeing

Rather than waiting for a crisis, regular sessions help maintain balance and perspective.

Local Hypnotherapy Sessions in Bath, Paulton & Midsomer Norton

(Regular hypnotherapy sessions are available:

  • Practice Rooms, Bath

  • Elm Hayes Surgery, Paulton

  • Zen Rebel Studios, Midsomer Norton

  • Online via Zoom

Many people choose block bookings to create consistency and protected time for themselves.

Making Space for Yourself

Preventative care is not indulgent, it’s practical. Creating regular space to pause, reflect and reset can make all the difference to how life feels over time.

If you’re considering hypnotherapy as ongoing support, you’re warmly welcome.

đź”— Book hypnotherapy sessions here.

Healing space and time for body and mind…

Supporting Young People – July’s Focus on Hypnotherapy for Teens & Families

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As we move into July and the school year winds down, many young people (and their families) begin to feel the weight of change. Whether it’s the transition to secondary school, the anxiety of returning in September or ongoing challenges like low confidence or ADHD, these summer weeks can bring both relief and new layers of stress.

This month, I’m focusing on how solution-focused hypnotherapy can support young people and their families through these complex and often overwhelming times

Helping Teens Navigate Change

Adolescence is a time of growth, but also uncertainty. Hypnotherapy offers a gentle, forward-looking space where teens can:

  • Reconnect with their inner calm
  • Build confidence and emotional regulation
  • Process anxiety without having to ‘talk it all through’ if they’re not ready

From school-based anxiety and low confidence to emetophobia or worries about returning after summer, hypnotherapy offers a calm, forward-focused way to gently process emotions and build resilience. Parents: you’re not alone, and neither are they.

When They’re Not Ready to Talk

Some young people aren’t quite ready to work with a therapist directly and that’s okay. In those cases, I work with parents to help them:

  • Understand their child’s emotional responses
  • Model calm and confidence at home
  • Learn practical tools to reduce stress in the household

Sometimes the first step is working with the parent. You don’t have to wait for a crisis, or wait for your child to be ‘ready’ – support can begin with you.

 

Supporting Specific Challenges

Each young person is unique, but I regularly work with teens around:

  • School-based anxiety: panic, avoidance, shutdowns
  • Emetophobia: intense fear of vomiting or illness
  • ADHD: emotional regulation, sleep, confidence
  • Self-harming: building safer coping tools

School should feel like a place to grow not somewhere to survive. Hypnotherapy can help calm the nervous system, reframe unhelpful thought patterns, and build confidence gradually and safely.

Emetophobia can deeply affect eating, school, socialising and more. Hypnotherapy offers a calm, supportive way to gently release this fear at your child’s pace.

Living with ADHD can be a whirlwind. I work in a neurodivergent-friendly, strengths-based way to help teens (and parents) manage the overwhelm.

 

And To Every Parent Reading This…

You’re doing better than you think. Parenting through emotional struggles isn’t easy, but you are not alone.

Whether your child is ready to talk or you simply need support to guide them gently – I’m here to help.

Interested in Exploring Hypnotherapy for Your Teen?

I offer a warm, neurodivergent-friendly and solution-focused space for teens and families.

Sessions are available in Bath and online.

Message me to learn more or book a first session.

 

Let July be a month of gentle forward movement – for you and for them.

New Year, New Habits: A Journey to Wellness

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As the new year begins, there’s a unique energy in the air—an opportunity to reset, refocus, and create positive changes in our lives. While resolutions often take centre stage, they can sometimes feel overwhelming or unsustainable. Instead of setting rigid goals, this year, let’s explore gentle, mindful habits that align with our well-being and personal growth.

Start Small, Dream Big

Building healthy habits doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your life. Instead, focus on small, consistent changes that accumulate over time. Think of it like planting seeds: each small step nurtures a healthier, more balanced version of yourself.

For example:

  • Replace self-criticism with self-compassion.
  • Dedicate five minutes a day to mindful breathing.
  • Choose one nourishing meal each day to support your body.

The Role of Hypnotherapy in Creating Lasting Habits

Hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool for embedding these changes. By guiding you into a deeply relaxed state, solution-focused hypnotherapy helps you envision the person you want to become and reinforces positive actions to make that vision a reality. It works with your subconscious mind, aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions with your goals.

Sound Healing for Stress Relief and Clarity

Incorporating sound healing, like gong baths, into your self-care routine can provide a unique and transformative experience. The vibrations of the gongs help to clear mental clutter, promoting relaxation and focus—an ideal complement to new beginnings. Imagine taking an hour to

simply be, letting the sounds guide you toward balance and clarity.

Practical Ways to Embrace New Habits

Here are some simple, intentional practices to guide you in 2025:

  • Start Your Day with Gratitude: Upon waking, think of one thing you’re grateful for. It sets a positive tone for the day.
  • Create a Sleep Sanctuary: Prioritise restful sleep by establishing a calming bedtime routine. Hypnotherapy can assist in quieting a busy mind.
  • Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge even the smallest achievements. Every step forward counts.

A Fresh Start Awaits

This year is your blank canvas, ready to be filled with moments of growth, healing, and joy. Whether through hypnotherapy, sound healing, or simple mindful practices, take the time to prioritise yourself and your well-being.

If you’re ready to explore hypnotherapy or join one of my gong bath sessions, I’d love to support you on this journey. Let’s make 2025 a year of positive change and inner peace.