Back to School Stress?

As the summer season is winding down here at the Jersey Shore, I am reminded of my younger years when hearing the term "back to school" filled me with a certain dread-although as a parent it now creates quite a different emotion!

A small amount of back to school anxiety is normal as all the unknowns about the coming year such as "what will the new teachers be like?" or "will I be able to handle the work?" can challenge your child's confidence level.

Yet in some instances the child's level of stress gets to the point where it becomes a major problem and interferes with quality of life at home and school.

Over the years I have enjoyed working with students from middle school up to college age when it comes to academic-related stress for two major reasons.

First, younger people are naturally imaginative and this allows them to much more receptive to experiencing the process of hypnosis.

Second, learning about self-hypnosis and mindfulness is a tool that can serve a person well for the rest of his or her life.

I often wish I had learned earlier on in life that:

• The unconscious mind automatically acts out patterns, images and beliefs whether they are good, bad or neutral-so you need to be careful what you dwell upon!
• That the unconscious mind reacts to vividly imagined experiences as if they were real. The good news is that the same mental dynamic that provokes fear and stress can also create calm and confidence-you do have a choice. 
• The basic tenet of mindfulness: learning to be more in the moment and realizing that as long as I am breathing, right now I am OK.

Please feel free to connect if you have a younger family member who could use some help in developing relaxation skills and greater self-confidence by calling for a free, confidential consultation at (732) 714-7040.