Improve Performance by Reducing Stress and Anxiety
Reduce Anxiety and Improve Your Mental Edge
Feeling overwhelmed or stuck? Whether it’s work, performance pressure, or day-to-day stress, this page explores how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the Alexander Technique can help you reduce anxiety, improve focus, and feel more in control.
Common Challenges You May Be Facing
- Struggling with anxiety or performance nerves
- Chronic stress impacting your sleep or productivity
- Tension in the body affects confidence or clarity
- Repetitive negative thought patterns
A Two Way Approach to Wellbeing
Option 1 – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT improves performance by helping individuals manage stress and anxiety that interfere with focus and confidence. It works by identifying and challenging negative thought patterns, teaching relaxation and coping strategies, and encouraging gradual exposure to performance situations. This leads to clearer thinking, reduced anxiety, and better overall performance.
- Experience performance anxiety (e.g., students, athletes, professionals, performers)
- Struggle with stress-related issues affecting focus and productivity
- Are open to structured, goal-oriented therapy
- Want to develop practical skills to manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
- Prefer a short-term, evidence-based approach to improving mental performance
- It’s effective for both adults and adolescents seeking to enhance performance under pressure.
Option 2 – CBT & Alexander Technique Combined
CBT and the Alexander Technique, when combined, offer a powerful approach to improving performance by reducing stress and anxiety—addressing both mind and body.
CBT targets the mental side, helping individuals identify and change negative thought patterns, manage anxiety, and develop coping strategies.
The Alexander Technique focuses on physical habits, teaching better posture, breathing, and movement to reduce physical tension and promote calm, balanced performance.
The combined benefits of CBT and the Alexander Technique include greater mental clarity and physical ease, as CBT helps calm the mind while the Alexander Technique relieves bodily tension. This integration enhances self-awareness—both of thought patterns and physical habits—leading to more conscious and effective responses to stress.
As a result, individuals can face high-pressure situations with relaxed confidence, improving their overall performance in areas like public speaking, performing arts, sports, or demanding work environments.
Individuals who experience performance anxiety or stress in high-pressure environments—such as actors, musicians, athletes, public speakers, and professionals—can benefit most from combining CBT and the Alexander Technique. It is especially effective for those seeking both mental and physical strategies to manage anxiety, improve focus, and perform with greater confidence and ease.
Benefits You Can Expect
• Greater emotional resilience and ability to handle pressure calmly
• Improved focus and mental clarity
• Reduced physical tension and stress-related discomfort
• Increased self-confidence and presence
• Enhanced performance in high-stress situations
• Better awareness of thought patterns and physical habits
• A more balanced, relaxed state of mind and body
Why Work With Me?
I have always been personally interested in managing my own anxieties, which inspired me to learn more about anxiety and performance and how to overcome them effectively.
I am a qualified teacher of the Alexander Technique at a London school where I train students to become certified teachers, and I also offer individual Alexander Technique sessions in the St John’s Wood area.
As an accredited CBT therapist, I integrate other evidence-based modalities such as ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CFT (Compassion-Focused Therapy), and SFT (Solution-Focused Therapy) to provide a tailored, holistic approach.
This unique blend of structured therapy and body awareness enables me to address both the mental and physical sides of stress and performance.
Book a Session or Free Intro Call
You can easily book a session or a free introductory call through [this link to my booking/contact form].
I offer flexible availability for both in-person sessions in the St John’s Wood area and online appointments to suit your convenience.
There’s absolutely no pressure—the intro call is just a friendly, informal chat to explore your needs and see how I can support you.
FAQs – CBT and Alexander Technique for Stress and Performance
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) focuses on the mind by helping you identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors that increase stress and anxiety. It provides tools to manage emotions and improve mental resilience.
The Alexander Technique, however, centers on your habits of reaction—how you respond habitually to stress through tension, posture, and movement. It helps you become aware of and change these automatic physical and mental responses, promoting ease and balance in everyday actions.
So, while CBT targets thoughts and emotions, the Alexander Technique addresses how you habitually react physically and mentally, making them a complementary pair for improving performance and reducing
The timeline can vary depending on the individual and their goals. With CBT, many people start noticing changes in their thinking and reduced anxiety within 4 to 8 weeks of regular sessions. The Alexander Technique often brings more immediate awareness of tension and improved ease of movement, sometimes even after the very first session, though lasting change typically develops over several lessons as new habits form.
Combining both approaches can accelerate progress, but consistent practice and applying what you learn outside sessions are key to seeing meaningful, lasting results.
Absolutely! Both CBT and the Alexander Technique are highly effective for managing public speaking anxiety and exam stress.
CBT helps by identifying and changing negative thoughts like fear of judgment or failure, teaching you coping skills to stay calm and focused. The Alexander Technique reduces physical tension and teaches you how to respond to stress with more ease, improving your presence and confidence during stressful situations.
Together, they help you approach public speaking or exams with a clearer mind and a more relaxed body, boosting your overall performance.
Yes, this approach is highly suitable for performers, creatives, and professionals. CBT helps manage the mental pressures and anxieties that often come with high-stakes performance, while the Alexander Technique addresses the physical tension and habitual reactions that can impact presence and ease.
Together, they support enhanced focus, confidence, and resilience—key qualities for anyone working in demanding, creative, or performance-driven fields.