“When the butterfly inside you flaps its wings too fast…”
Meet Sophie. She’s preparing for a presentation at work. Her heart races, her thoughts spin, and she just can’t quieten that buzzing feeling. Sound familiar?
Anxiety can arrive unannounced: a tightening in the chest, a ticking mind, a sense that everything is unravelling. Yet it’s often rooted in understandable concerns: wanting to do well, to be accepted, to feel safe. Recognising that these feelings are valid is the first step toward calming the storm.
What helps
- Ground yourself with your senses. Take a moment to notice five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell… and one you can taste. This simple technique shifts your mind from future worries to present stability.
- Reframe the narrative. Instead of telling yourself, ‘What if I mess up?’ you might try, ‘I’m prepared, and I can adapt if I need to.’ Often, anxiety arises from imagining the worst—replacing that with a realistic, kinder thought can ease the pressure.
- Gentle breathing. Picture breathing in for four counts, holding for two, then breathing out slowly for six. A calm, controlled breathing pattern can slow racing thoughts and reset your nervous system.
- Small steps build resilience. If Sophie faces anxious thoughts about speaking publicly, she might first record herself reading aloud at home, then share it with a trusted friend—each step builds confidence and familiarity.
If familiar patterns of anxiety persist, hypnotherapy at Hibiscus Therapy can offer personalised support. As they explain, hypnotherapy blends hypnosis, cognitive tools and mindfulness to help reset limiting beliefs and ease emotional blocks. It’s tailored, compassionate, and designed to help you rediscover calm and control. hibiscustherapy.com
Here’s how it can complement your journey
- Imagery-based relaxation. A guided hypnotherapeutic session could lead you into a calm mental space—a peaceful beach or garden—where your mind can practice calmness safely.
- Embedded affirmations. Messages such as “I am safe, I can cope” may be deeply accepted through relaxed, receptive states.
- Ongoing self-belief. Together, you’ll identify where anxiety arises and build inner resources to navigate it more easily.
The first step to transforming anxiety is noticing it with gentle curiosity, then giving yourself small, mindful tools to calm and reframe. If you’d like extra support, Hibiscus Therapy offers a free 15-minute consultation—just a kind conversation to explore where you’re at and where you’d like to go. hibiscustherapy.com
All names and identifying details in blogs are examples, client case study information remains confidential.
