Rising stress and anxiety: how hypnotherapy may help

Have we become so used to feeling stressed that we no longer recognise how much we are carrying? I have been asking myself this question more and more. In my work as a clinical hypnotherapist, and in conversations with friends, family and neighbours, I meet people who feel overwhelmed, exhausted and unable to switch off.

Some have felt this way for years. They call it “just being busy”, “having a lot on”, or “the way I am”. Only when they stop and talk do they realise how much stress and anxiety are affecting their everyday lives.

What concerns me especially is the number of children and teenagers struggling too. Worries about school, friendships, exams, and belonging can leave young people feeling pressured before they have learned how to explain what is happening inside them.

So, are we facing an epidemic? And how can we help people find their way back to calm?

What do the figures tell us?

Epidemic is a powerful word. I use it here as a question about the scale of the problem, rather than a formal medical description.

The Health and Safety Executive estimated that 964,000 workers in Great Britain experienced work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25, accounting for 22.1 million lost working days. Behind those figures are people struggling to get through a working day, parents arriving home with little energy left, and families feeling the effects.

NHS England’s 2023 survey found that 20.3% of children aged 8 to 16 in England had a probable mental disorder. That is approximately one in five. This measure covers a range of mental health difficulties; it does not mean that one in five children has an anxiety diagnosis.

Greater awareness may help us recognise difficulties that previously went unnoticed. But whatever language we use, the need for support deserves serious attention.

When work follows us home

For many people, the working day no longer has a clear ending. Messages arrive during the evening. Emails are checked over breakfast. Working from home can make it difficult to separate professional responsibilities from family life.

Workload, financial worries, difficult relationships and uncertainty can all contribute to a feeling that there is never enough time, or enough of you, to go around.

A manageable challenge can feel motivating, but persistent pressure can feel very different. You may find yourself lying awake planning tomorrow, becoming impatient with people you love, or feeling guilty whenever you sit down.

Helping someone manage stress should also involve looking at what needs to change around them. Relaxation cannot make an unreasonable workload reasonable. Support may mean clearer boundaries, a conversation with a manager, practical help or time to recover.

The school day does not always end at the school gate

Children have always had worries. I know that from my own experience of being an anxious teenager. The past was not worry-free. However, today’s young people can face pressures that continue long after lessons finish. Group chats, social media and online comparisons can carry school difficulties into the evening. For a child experiencing bullying, home may no longer feel like a complete break from it.

The NHS survey found that children aged 11 to 16 with a probable mental disorder were more likely to report bullying, both in person and online. This is an association, not proof of a single cause, but it highlights why we need to take their experiences seriously.

In my work, I encourage adults to look beyond the behaviour they first notice. A teenager who appears angry may also feel frightened, overwhelmed or misunderstood. A child who resists school may need help explaining what feels difficult.

That does not mean every behaviour change is anxiety. It means getting curious: “What is happening for you?” can open a different conversation from “Why are you being difficult?”

Are children picking up stress from adults?

Children notice our tone of voice, our pace, and how we respond when things go wrong, so it is helpful to consider the emotional atmosphere at home when supporting a young person.

Parents often carry enormous responsibilities themselves: employment, bills, childcare, caring for relatives, and trying to meet everyone’s needs. But you cannot keep giving from an empty vessel. Looking after yourself is part of making care sustainable.

Childhood anxiety has many possible influences, so it can't fairly be reduced to a parent’s stress, a phone, or a lack of confidence, although these can all play a part.

Did we once have more room to pause?

I remember a time when being unavailable was ordinary. If you were out, you were out. There was no expectation that you would answer a message immediately. Today, there is always another programme, notification or headline asking for our attention. Technology also brings connection, learning and support. The question is whether the way we use it leaves room for rest.

I would not claim that earlier generations had easier lives. Poverty, illness, family difficulties and unspoken emotional distress were real then too. What I wonder is whether we need to create more deliberate pauses in our lives now.

A meal without phones. A short walk. A quiet conversation. An evening when we give ourselves permission to leave something unfinished. These changes will not solve every problem, but they can be a useful place to begin.

A suitcase full of stress

One way I describe persistent stress is as a suitcase you carry everywhere. You take it to work. You bring it home. You carry it into conversations, and it is still beside you when you go to bed. Eventually, you may forget what it feels like to travel without that weight.

Some people describe a cloud hanging over them. Others say, “I just want to feel like myself again.” Stress can also affect us physically, leaving us feeling tense, tired or struggling to sleep.

When people feel overwhelmed, they understandably look for relief. That might mean eating for comfort, drinking to unwind, smoking, scrolling for hours or withdrawing from other people. Rather than judging these coping strategies, it can be helpful to understand their purpose. What relief do they offer? What might the person need at that moment?

How hypnotherapy may help

Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis within a therapeutic session. It commonly involves focused attention, relaxation, imagery and suggestions agreed around the client’s goals. You do not have to create clear pictures in your mind. Some people respond more naturally to words, sounds, feelings or a simple sense of what something would be like. The work is collaborative. You can speak, ask questions, reject a suggestion or stop the session.

Research offers promising findings for reducing anxiety in some settings. A 2019 meta-analysis found benefits across the included trials, with stronger results when hypnosis was combined with other psychological interventions. This does not establish that it treats every anxiety disorder or works equally well for everyone, and hypnotherapy can be part of an individual support plan, alongside medical care or other psychological treatment where appropriate.

For younger clients, work can be adapted to their age, understanding, and preferences, with appropriate consent, safeguarding, and parent or carer involvement. Persistent school difficulties may also need coordinated support from school and healthcare services.

First, we understand your needs

Before we begin, your hypnotherapist wants to understand your experience. What happens when the worry starts? Which situations feel difficult? How is it affecting your sleep, relationships or confidence? What have you already tried? Being heard matters. You should not have to find perfect words or justify why something feels hard. Together, we can look at what keeps the difficulty going and whether my approach fits your needs.

Then, we make “better” more specific

Many people know exactly what they don't want: “I don’t want to panic.” “I don’t want to keep snapping.” “I don’t want to lie awake worrying.” Hypnotherapy can help shift the focus towards what they would like to experience instead.

Perhaps it is feeling more settled before work, responding calmly in a difficult conversation, or being able to rest without guilt. A clear goal gives us something practical to work towards. Progress might be a shorter spell of worry, a situation you previously avoided, or noticing that you can pause before reacting.

Practising a different response

During hypnotherapy, you may practise settling your attention, easing tension and responding differently to familiar worries.

For those who connect with feelings, the idea of an internal dial can be helpful. How high does the tension feel? What would a small, comfortable reduction feel like? Another person may prefer a story or metaphor: putting down a heavy suitcase, finding a quieter path, or learning from a calm, steady wolf.

These are tools for exploration and practice. They do not require you to feel a particular way or promise an instant change. We may also rehearse an everyday situation: receiving an abrupt message, facing a busy morning or preparing for school. The aim is to build more choice in how you respond.

Building confidence beyond the session

Hypnotherapy can also help you explore the way you speak to yourself. When every difficulty becomes “I’m useless” or “I always get things wrong”, it can be hard to recognise effort or progress. We can explore a kinder, more realistic response. Between sessions, we may agree on simple practices: grounding, comfortable breathing, a brief relaxation exercise or a boundary that protects time to rest.

You do not have to carry it alone

Whether we call it an epidemic or a widespread struggle, too many people are trying to manage overwhelming feelings without enough support. You do not need to wait until you reach a breaking point before asking for help.

If you recognise yourself, or your child, in this article, a conversation can be a useful first step. Our role is to listen as hypnotherapists, explore what you need and discuss whether hypnotherapy could be appropriate for you.

You may have carried that suitcase for a long time. With the right support, you can begin exploring what would help lighten the load.