When the Pressure Does Not Switch Off

When the Pressure Does Not Switch Off

by Sharon Bateman, Mindful Clinic

There is something that does not get talked about much in business circles, even though it is remarkably common. The quiet rituals we develop to decompress. The glass of wine that has become a nightly fixture. The cigarette that bookends the working day. The behaviours we reach for not because we particularly want to, but because the day has been long, the pressure has been relentless, and we need something to help us come down from it.

None of this is unusual. And none of it is something to be ashamed of. But it is worth paying attention to.

The Hidden Cost of Running on Empty

Building and running a business takes everything you have. The responsibility rarely stops, the financial pressure is personal in a way it simply is not for employees, and the mental load of leadership can feel invisible to those around you. Research consistently shows that entrepreneurs experience significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety and burnout than the general working population (Stephan, 2018).

Over time, chronic stress changes the way the brain and body function. It affects sleep, concentration, mood and resilience. And when we are carrying that kind of load, it is completely natural to look for release. The problem is that many of the things we reach for in those moments, however understandable, can quietly make the underlying stress harder to manage rather than easier.

Stress is one of the strongest known predictors of addictive behaviour. When the brain is under sustained pressure, its reward system becomes increasingly sensitive to fast-acting sources of relief, making habitual coping behaviours harder to step back from over time (Sinha, 2008).

Disrupted sleep, lower mood the next morning, a nervous system that never quite settles. The release feels necessary, but the relief is short-lived, and research suggests that over time these patterns can actually increase baseline stress and anxiety rather than reduce them (Koob & Volkow, 2016).

A Different Kind of Support

I am Dr Sharon Bateman, a psychologist and clinical solution focused hypnotherapist. I work with people who feel like they are managing, but who know, honestly, that some of their coping strategies are not serving them as well as they once did.

My approach is not about willpower or white-knuckling through. It works at the level of the brain and nervous system, helping to retrain the stress response so that the pull towards habitual crutches gradually reduces. Solution focused hypnotherapy draws on neuroscience and evidence-based psychological principles to support lasting change rather than short-term suppression (Alladin, 2016).

Clients often find that they sleep better, feel calmer under pressure, and simply stop needing the things they once felt they could not do without. Sessions are available in person in Corsham and online worldwide.

Free 15-Minute Discovery Call

If anything here resonates with you, or with someone in your network, I would love to have a conversation. I offer a free 15-minute discovery call with no pressure and no obligation. It is simply a chance to talk through where you are, ask any questions you have, and see whether we would be a good fit.

The call costs nothing. But it might just change everything.

Dr Sharon Bateman

Psychologist and Clinical Solution Focused Hypnotherapist

PhD  GMBPsS  DSFH  HPD  AfSFH  MNCH (Reg)  NCHC

www.mindful-clinic.com

01249 691346 | WhatsApp: 07821 323351

References

• Alladin, A. (2016). Integrative CBT for anxiety disorders: An evidence-based approach to enhancing cognitive behavioural therapy with mindfulness and hypnotherapy. Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.
• Koob, G. F., & Volkow, N. D. (2016). Neurobiology of addiction: A neurocircuitry analysis. Lancet Psychiatry, 3(8), 760-773. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)00104-8
• Sinha, R. (2008). Chronic stress, drug use, and vulnerability to addiction. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1141, 105-130. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1441.030
• Stephan, U. (2018). Entrepreneurs’ mental health and well-being: A review and research agenda. Academy of Management Perspectives, 32(3), 290-322. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2017.0001