Out of Sync: Why Our Modern Lives Trigger Ancient Stress Responses
Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by something that shouldn’t be a big deal?
Maybe it was a stressful email. A message that went unanswered. A to-do list that kept growing. Your heart races, your stomach knots, and suddenly it’s hard to think clearly.
You’re not overreacting. You’re just human — and your body is doing exactly what it was designed to do… just in a world it wasn’t designed for.
An Ancient System in a Modern World
Our brains and bodies have evolved over millions of years to help us survive. In the past, that meant being alert to real, physical dangers: wild animals, unpredictable environments, or being separated from our tribe.
Back then, the fight, flight or freeze response was a lifesaver. It kicked in fast, preparing us to act - by increasing our heart rate, tightening our muscles, and shutting down anything non-essential (like digestion or calm thinking).
But today, we’re not being chased by lions. We’re juggling back-to-back notifications, constant social comparison, rising expectations, and the pressure to always do more, be more, achieve more.
Our nervous systems don’t know the difference. They still react like we’re in danger.
Why We Feel So On Edge
That email becomes a threat to our safety.
A deadline triggers a flood of adrenaline.
Even silence — from a friend, a partner, or a manager can feel like rejection, and our body responds with panic.
We live in a world full of stimulation, pressure and uncertainty, but our internal wiring is still running an ancient programme. One that was built for survival, not modern life.
This mismatch can leave us feeling anxious, irritable, exhausted, or stuck in freeze mode — where everything feels too much and nothing feels possible.
You’re Not Broken — You’re Overloaded
There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling overwhelmed.
Your stress response isn’t faulty — it’s overworked.
It’s like having a smoke alarm that’s doing its job a little too well. It's detecting danger in places where there isn’t any real threat, and it keeps going off.
Over time, this constant state of alert can fill up what we often call the “stress bucket.” And when it overflows, we start to feel the effects; emotionally, mentally, even physically.
How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Can Help
At Trancespire, I offer a gentle and neuroscience-informed approach to help calm your nervous system and reconnect you with a sense of safety and clarity.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy helps:
Reduce the production of stress hormones like cortisol
Switch off the fight/flight/freeze mode
Increase the “feel-good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine
Rewire your brain to focus on what’s going right, not just what’s wrong
Through positive conversations and guided hypnosis (a deeply relaxed and focused state), you give your body a break from stress and your mind a chance to imagine a calmer way forward.
You don’t have to revisit trauma or dig through the past — we look at where you are now, and how you’d like things to be. One small, achievable step at a time.
You’re Designed to Heal
Even though the modern world can be intense, your brain is also beautifully capable of change. That’s the power of neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form new pathways and learn new ways of being.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
If your system feels stuck in overdrive…
If your body is carrying stress that words alone can’t shift…
There’s a way back to calm, and you are allowed to feel better.
Let’s work with your brilliant, ancient brain — not against it.
If you’d like to find out more, I offer a free, no-pressure chat to explore what’s possible.
📍 Based in Llangorse, near Brecon, Hay-On-Wye, and Crickhowell, Wales — also available online UK-wide.
👉 Book a free consultation
👉 Learn more about how hypnotherapy works
