'I was an expert at hiding my feelings until anxiety took over my life – here's how I overcame it'

Kim Palmer suffered debilitating panic attacks until she found a way to manage her mental health

Wellness Editor

May 19, 2023May 19, 2023, 3:43 PM GMT+1

We all experience work stress from time to time, but what do you do when it starts to take over your life?

Kim Palmer, founder of hypnotherapy app Clementine, held down a high-stress marketing job for 15 years, but suddenly found herself suffering daily panic attacks due to the pressure.

A self-confessed workaholic and perfectionist, Kim tells HELLO! how she stepped off the hamster wheel and rediscovered happiness.

"I'd been feeling hopeless and unfulfilled for a while and often found myself asking what it was all for. I got a lot of headaches but didn’t know why. My perfectionism spanned all aspects of my life and I felt that dropping a ball would seem like a total failure.

"I knew that I needed help when I started to suffer daily panic attacks, and that coupled with low self-esteem was a huge hurdle in my day-to-day life.

"I knew I couldn’t go on and keep hiding how I was feeling from everyone, so the first thing I did was confide in my husband, who had no clue what was going on with me. I was an expert at hiding my real feelings, but he immediately supported me in my quest to find help.

"I started counselling to see if this would help but it wasn’t quite right for me at that time. I tried meditation and reading mindfulness books but again these were not right for where I was.

"It wasn’t until I tried hypnotherapy that I got an immediate sense of relief. After having my first session and feeling like I could breathe again, I knew that I needed to keep working on my self-belief and cut myself some slack.

Laughing woman in a one shoulder black dress — Kim Palmer rediscovered her confidence after suffering panic attacks

"I kept seeing the hypnotherapist over the course of the year. Of course, my progress was not linear, and I needed time and effort to work on unpicking years and years of unhelpful thoughts about myself."

What is hypnotherapy and what can it help with?

Hypnotherapy is an incredibly transformative, powerful modality, used to help you take back control of your thoughts, feelings and actions.

Hypnotherapy can help with a wide range of issues, including sleep issues, lack of confidence, trauma, addiction, quitting smoking, creating healthier habits, and easing phobias and disordered eating.

A hypnotherapist works with your unconscious mind to uncover thought patterns and behaviour and use this as a catalyst for change.

While the mind is in a relaxed state, it's easier and faster to change negative beliefs and reframe thought patterns that are holding you back.

"My entire life has changed since really understanding what makes me tick. As a family, we enjoy a much simpler life and now know that pleasure and happiness come from daily habits.

READ: Biohacking: what is it and can it make you happier?

"You can't wait for holidays or milestones to feel happy. I feel very content and I have a quiet confidence about me that doesn’t need to be shouted to the rest of the world anymore.

"I’m more grateful than ever before and try to savour all the small things that happen every day."

Phone screen with No7 app on the screen — Clementine and No7 teamed up to create calming rituals for women

Kim's app Clementine has collaborated with No7 to create six free skin rituals for women going through menopause, to help them feel more in control of their day and their skin.

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