Consider hypnotherapy
If you’ve always thought of hypnosis as a bunch of mumbo jumbo, you’re in for a stress-busting surprise. “Hypnosis is basically a focused daydream, and a way to get the mind back inside the body,” says licensed therapist Helen Adrienne. She uses hypnosis to help her patients alleviate stress and accelerate mental and physical healing. She recommends self-hypnosis for those who prefer to try the practice at home. “Hypnosis is about ‘hallucinating’ yourself into believing you are someplace pleasant. You can also hallucinate that you are preparing something that needs to be adjusted, or that you have already achieved a goal you’ve set for yourself,” she explains. “During this process, aim to sync your mind and body together, by systematically noticing the places that help you to let stress go.” During a hypnosis session, Adrienne prompts her patients to notice that their tummies are relaxing, or that their facial muscles have flattened out. This helps them experience the cascade of relaxation that results from simple, micro-movements. She invites her patients to follow a set of instructions that have to do with relaxing and moving from their current place to one that’s more pleasant. It can be someplace familiar, like your living room, or a place associated with tranquility, like a mountain top or a quiet beach. “The ultimate goal is to take yourself so deep that your actual, physical surroundings no longer exist, or have relevance,” she explains.