Welcome to our program on managing surgical anxiety.

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Today we're going to be exploring a powerful combination of stretching and cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, to help you feel more at ease before your surgery. There are three main benefits that we're going to be focusing on.

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Firstly, physical relaxation through stretching. When we're anxious, our muscles tense up, and this is the body's natural response to stress. Stretching releases that tension, promoting physical relaxation and reducing discomfort. By improving blood flow and oxygen to your muscles, stretching helps manage the physical symptoms of anxiety, making you feel more at ease and comfortable in your body.

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Secondly, mental relaxation through CBT. Now, surgery can trigger all sorts of negative and irrational thoughts, and that's where CBT comes in. It helps you identify and challenge these thoughts, replacing them with more positive and rational ones. We'll guide you through techniques that encourage you to visualize the problem and manage it rather than avoiding it. I always think one of the golden rules is never to leave a situation when you're feeling anxious, because anxiety tends to grow when you run from it. Instead, we'll help you acknowledge those feelings, get yourself to a safe mental space, and then build resilience.

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And lastly, the combined effect of stretching and CBT. When you pair physical relaxation from stretching with the mental relaxation of CBT, the impact's greater. Stretching helps calm the body's bite or flight response, making it easier to engage with CBT techniques. This holistic approach targets both mind and body, giving you a toolkit to reduce overall tension and prepare for surgery with confidence. So let's get started.

Together, we'll work through stretching and CBT exercises that will leave you feeling more relaxed, centered, and in control.

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