Notes on Hypnosis

You Know Enough. Now Trust It.

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:07:27 GMT

The neuroscience of confidence when presenting — and how to silence the inner fraud before you even reach the podium.

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5 Easy Ways to Deal With Unexpected Change (When It Feels Like a Sucker Punch)

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 15:36:10 GMT

Change has a way of arriving uninvited

Change has a way of arriving uninvited.

Sometimes it tiptoes in gently. Other times it kicks the door down and lands like a punch to the gut. One minute you feel steady. The next, the ground beneath you has shifted and you’re scrambling to find your footing.

Unexpected change can trigger something primal in us. A loss of control. A spike of adrenaline. A rush of “What now?” thoughts that spiral far faster than we’d like.

As humans, we are wired to prefer certainty. The brain loves the familiar. It conserves energy by predicting what comes next. Routine feels safe. Even when we are the ones initiating change, it can still feel destabilising. And when change is imposed on us? That’s when the nervous system really starts to fire.

Life, however, rarely follows a neat script.

So how do you steady yourself when everything feels uncertain?

Here are five grounded, practical ways to deal with unexpected change — not by pretending it isn’t happening, but by meeting it with strength, steadiness and self-respect.

1. Take It in Small Steps (Shrink the Horizon)

When change hits, the mind tends to sprint miles ahead.

“What if this leads to that?”
“What if I can’t cope?”
“What if everything unravels?”

This future-tripping is your brain trying to protect you. It’s scanning for threats. The problem is, it often scans too far and too wide.

When everything feels uncertain, your job is not to solve the next five years.

Your job is to stabilise today.

Ask yourself:

What is the next small, manageable step?
What do I need to do in the next 24 hours?
What is one thing I can complete?

Small steps calm the nervous system because they restore agency. When you take action — even tiny action — you signal to your brain: I am not powerless.

Neuroscience tells us that uncertainty activates the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system). Breaking things into manageable pieces engages the prefrontal cortex — the rational, planning part of your brain. In simple terms: small steps move you from panic to problem-solving.

Sometimes that step is practical.
Sometimes it’s administrative.
Sometimes it’s simply getting dressed and going for a walk.

You don’t need a master plan. You need the next step.

Momentum is built in inches, not leaps.

2. Give Yourself Permission to Feel (Stop Fighting the Wave)

One of the biggest mistakes we make during change is trying to override our emotions.

“I shouldn’t feel like this.”
“Other people have it worse.”
“I need to be positive.”

But suppressing emotion doesn’t remove it. It stores it.

Change can bring grief — even if the change is ultimately positive. There can be grief for the version of life you thought you were living. Grief for the predictability. Grief for identity.

Allowing yourself to feel doesn’t mean collapsing into the emotion. It means acknowledging it.

Name it.
Sit with it.
Breathe through it.

When we label emotions (“This is anxiety.” “This is sadness.”), brain imaging studies show reduced activity in the amygdala. Simply naming what you feel reduces its intensity.

Try this:

Put your hand on your chest.
Take a slow breath in for 4.
Out for 6.
Say quietly, “This is hard right now.”

Self-compassion is not weakness. It is regulation.

When you allow the emotion, it moves. When you fight it, it lingers.

You are not meant to glide through upheaval untouched. Feeling is not failure. It is processing.

3. Focus on What You Can Control (Reclaim Your Agency)

Unexpected change often feels overwhelming because it highlights what is outside your control.

Other people’s decisions.
Market shifts.
Health diagnoses.
External circumstances.

But while you cannot control everything, you can control something.

Control is rarely about the big picture. It’s about micro-decisions.

You can control:

How you respond.
What you prioritise.
How you speak to yourself.
Whether you move your body.
Whether you isolate or connect.

Psychologists refer to this as “locus of control.” People who focus on internal control (their actions and responses) experience greater resilience and lower stress.

When change feels chaotic, draw two columns:
What I can’t control
What I can control

Then deliberately shift your energy toward the second column.

Even choosing to eat well, sleep properly, or maintain routine is a stabilising act. Structure gives your nervous system something predictable to hold onto.

You may not control the storm, but you can adjust your footing.

4. Ask for Help (Connection Regulates the Nervous System)

When we feel destabilised, many of us retreat.

We don’t want to burden anyone.
We don’t want to appear weak.
We want to “handle it.”

But humans are biologically wired for co-regulation. Our nervous systems settle in the presence of safety — and often, safety is another steady human being.

Research on the vagus nerve shows that social connection reduces stress hormones and increases feelings of safety. Even a short, supportive conversation can lower physiological stress markers.

Asking for help does not mean handing over responsibility for your life. It means acknowledging you don’t have to carry everything alone.

Help might look like:

Talking it through with a friend.
Seeking professional guidance.
Delegating practical tasks.
Saying, “I’m not okay today.”

Sometimes strength is quiet and solitary.
Sometimes strength is saying, “I need support.”

There is courage in both.

5. Look for Meaning, Not Just Positivity (Reframe with Integrity)

When change is unwanted, being told to “look on the bright side” can feel invalidating.

So don’t force positivity.

Instead, look for meaning.

There is a difference.

Meaning doesn’t deny difficulty. It asks: What could this open up?

Psychologist Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, observed that humans can endure immense hardship when they can find purpose within it. Meaning transforms suffering into growth.

You might ask:

What might this make possible?
What skills will this stretch in me?
What version of myself could emerge?
What had I been tolerating that I no longer want to tolerate?

Often, the change we resist most fiercely is the one that ultimately expands us.

Not immediately.
Not comfortably.
But profoundly.

You do not have to feel grateful for the disruption. But you can remain open to what it may reshape.

Sometimes doors close loudly. Sometimes they quietly redirect you toward something more aligned.

You won’t always see it in the moment.

But hindsight often whispers what panic could not hear.

When Change Shakes Your Identity

Unexpected change often threatens more than circumstance — it challenges identity.

Who am I if this role shifts?
Who am I if this structure dissolves?
Who am I without this certainty?

Identity feels safe because it gives us narrative coherence. When change disrupts it, we can feel unmoored.

But identity is more flexible than we realise.

You are not your job title.
You are not your routine.
You are not the structure that held you.

Those things may support you, but they do not define the entirety of you.

Sometimes change reveals strengths you didn’t know were there.
Sometimes it highlights resilience you never needed to test before.

And sometimes, it invites you to redefine yourself on your own terms.

That can feel terrifying.
It can also be liberating.

A Final Word on Control, Courage and Growth

Unexpected change will visit all of us.

No amount of planning removes uncertainty entirely.

But here is what experience teaches quietly over time:

You are more adaptable than you think.
Your nervous system can settle.
Your confidence can rebuild.
Your footing can stabilise.

Change does not mean you have failed.
It does not mean everything is collapsing.
It does not mean you are incapable.

It means life is moving.

Take it step by step.
Feel what you feel.
Reclaim what you can control.
Reach out.
Look for meaning.

And most importantly — trust that this moment, however uncomfortable, is not the end of your story.

It may simply be the beginning of a chapter you never would have chosen… but might one day be grateful you lived through.

Even when it starts with a sucker punch.

If you’re navigating unexpected change right now, pause for a moment.

Take one slow breath.

Then ask yourself:

What is the next small step?

That is enough for today.

Mindset - the secret key to weight loss

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 07:10:42 GMT

Think differently about weight loss

Weight loss can be such a struggle. Over time I have been thin, fat and everything in between. I have a spectrum of different clothes sizes in my wardrobe. I have tried all the diets, all the fitness plans all the 'just eat less an move more' ideas going. But you know what I realise now? The most important thing about weight loss is your mindset. If you aren't doing it for the right reasons, if the reason to change isn't big enough, then it can be incredibly difficult to change. Although I thought I wanted to lose weight, I was reasonably healthy and quite fit and being overweight didn't cause me enough of a problem to want to put in the required effort to change it.

This principle of moving away from pain towards pleasure is an interesting concept and it can make or break your chances of achieving the changes you really want. The basic concept is this.

if the pain of staying the same greater than the pain of making the change?

If you can add real emotional significance to the change and emphasise the pain of staying the same then the desire to change becomes more tangible. I often say to my clients if you re in a place in your life where:

1. You cannot go on like this, something has GOT to change you simply cannot carry on as you are

2. You recognise it is you that has to change

3. You know it has to be NOW

Then you are in great place, this is where the magic happens. The same is true when it comes to weight loss. So ask yourself what is the pain of not losing weight for you? What does it stop you doing, what issues does it cause? Then think about all the things you would enjoy if you lost weight, really visualise them and add emotion to it - Emotion is the driver of change - without the emotion its just a passing thought. So make those visions f your future bright and powerful and tag on some serious emotion to drive you towards them. Feel the pain of staying the same and the joy of moving towards the change/

and if you want some help with the mindset part, this is where hypnosis can really help. It can help you amplify that desire and install the emotional drive. So if you re ready, why not get in touch and see what I can do for you.

Or, if you are REALLY ready, join my waitlist for something special coming soon!

Click HERE to find out what it is!

All the best

Jennifer

10 ways to start taking control of your life

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 14:23:00 GMT

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"Have One Week, Will Relax" Your 7 days program to Stress management

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 19:10:56 GMT

Your 7 day guide!

"Have One Week, Will Relax" Your 7 days program to Stress management

They say there's more than one way to skin a cat. The same goes when you start tearing your hair out with all the frustration, grief, anxiety, and yes, stress. It's a state of mental conditioning that is like taking that bitter pill down your throat, causing you to lose your sense of self, and worse your sanity. Just thinking about it can drive anyone off the edge.

And they say that the proactive ones are already living off the edge.

As one stressed-out person to another, I know how it feels, and believe me there are many variants when it comes to stress. Coping with life, and carrying the problems that may or may not belong to you can scratch away the little joy and happiness that you can carry once you head out that door. You can't blame them for being like that; they have their own reasons, so much like we have our reasons to allow stress to weigh us down. They say that stress is all in the mind, well, what's bugging you anyway?

There are several ways to manage stress, and eventually remove it out of your life one of these days. So I'll try to divide it into a seven-day course for you and I promise it's not going to be too taxing on the body, as well as on the mind.

1. Acknowledge stress is good

Make stress your friend! Based on the body's natural "fight or flight" response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I've yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.

2. Avoid stress sneezers

Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!

Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you've got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.

3. Learn from the best

When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?

Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.

4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing

This is something I've learned from a gym instructor: You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.

5. Give stressy thoughts the red light

It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. "If this happens, then that might happen and then we're all up the creek!" Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?

Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong - how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?

6. Know your trigger points and hot spots

Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines . My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!

Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?

Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?

7. Burn the candle at one end

Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it's often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don't burn the candle at both ends!

So having stress can be a total drag, but that should not hinder us to find the inner peace of mind that we have wanted for a long time. In any case, one could always go to the Bahamas and bask under the summer sun.

Can' find balance in life?

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 14:59:37 GMT

Tips for finding balance

If you are anything like me then you have a lot of things going on in your life, work, family, finance, relationships to name just a few! Finding a balance between all of these things and knowing where to put your time and effort is a key part of stress and anxiety management.

Some people will tell you that there’s no such thing as a balanced life. But that’s not true. Some people might prefer a life that’s unbalanced, but that option doesn’t appeal to everyone. A well-balanced life is a worthwhile objective for the majority of the population.

In reality, what is a balance life? What does achieving balance look like?

It’s a life that has all the resources and activities that you most desire. It largely avoids feelings of sacrifice. A balanced life isn’t for those that want to be the best in the world at something. It’s not for the people that live on the edge or the fringe. It’s for regular people that want to enjoy all aspects of life, rather than focus on one thing.

In short, a balanced life contains everything you want it to contain.

All balanced lives have several things in common:

Finances . If you’re struggling to pay your bills, your life isn’t balanced. If you can’t do the things you most want to do for financial reasons, your life isn’t balanced Do you spend all of your waking hours trying to make enough money?

- You don’t need to be wealthy to have a balanced life, but you do need to have enough money.
Transportation . Can you get where you need to be, when you need to be there? Transportation can take the form of walking, public transportation, ride services, friends, or your own vehicle.

- Reliable transportation is an important part of living a balanced life.
Friends . You might need ten friends, or one might be plenty. However, we all need at least one friend. You can’t do everything alone.
Intimate relationship. This one is optional for many people, but entirely necessary for others. Most of us do better if we have an intimate relationship, or a relationship with the potential to become intimate. Busy people often neglect this area of their lives, but that can be a mistake.
Health . Poor health can quickly take the wind out of your sails. A well-balanced life includes a healthy mind and body. While your health isn’t 100% under your control, you have more control over it than you’ve probably been exercising.
Time . If you don’t have enough free time, your life isn’t well-balanced. How much free time do you need? That’s up to you. However, if you don’t have time to do the things you really want to do, you don’t have enough.
Fun . Everyone needs to have some fun once in a while. Can you quickly answer the question, “What do you do for fun?”? If not, you have some work to do.
Personal growth . Progress is part of enjoying life. We feel great when we’re making progress. How have you grown and changed in the last six months?
Career . Money is one thing. Your career is another. Though, they can be closely related. If you make plenty of money, but hate how you make it, your life could be better.

Do you have a balanced life? It’s easy to know. Do you have the money and time to take care of yourself, your family, and to do the things you most want to do? Do you have the social life you desire? Do you have enough time in your week to have fun and grow personally? Do you enjoy your career?

You already know if your life is balanced or not. If it’s not, what are you going to do to re-balance it?

If you would like to download my FREE guide '5 secrets to finding balance' then click here.

12 ways to turn around a bad day

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 12:44:54 GMT

You can change how your day goes!

Everyone has a bad day now and then. You only have two choices: you can either ride it out, or do something to turn the day around. A time machine isn’t an option, but there are plenty of tactics you can apply to put your day on a more satisfying path. You might have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, but there’s still time to salvage the day and extract some value from it.

Get the most from a day that’s gotten off to a rough start:

1. Take a shower or bath . A hot tub might be even better. It doesn’t matter if the water is hot or cold. Just the sensation of the water on your skin can change your mood and perspective . It will certainly snap you out of any negative thinking.

2. Take a nap . A short nap can give you a chance to start your day over with a fresh attitude.

3. Speak with a friend. You know that friend that can always cheer you up? Give her a call and allow her to work her magic. She’s probably dying to hear from you anyway.

4. Eliminate something from your schedule . Determine the least significant thing on your schedule and drop it. Once a day gets started on the wrong foot, accomplishing everything on your to-do list can seem hopeless. Give yourself some hope.

5. Spend time with a pet . You might feel better after watching your fish or hermit crab wander around, but petting a dog or cat might be more effective.

6. Make yourself laugh. Watch a funny movie. Read a few jokes. Make good use of YouTube.

7. Listen to music that makes you feel better . You already know which song always makes you smile. Listen to it. In fact, create a playlist of songs that you can listen to at a moment’s notice . Keep them handy. Your cell phone might be the perfect storage location.

8. Go for a run . Any sort of exercise will do. Lift some weights or play some tennis. Get your blood pumping and your lungs working. As long as you don’t overdo it, you’re bound to have a more positive perspective on your day.

9. Create a gratitude list. When you’re feeling down, there’s a good chance you’re too focused on the parts of your life you perceive negatively. Put your attention on something positive. Make a list of the good things and remind yourself of how terrific your life is already.

10. Look at some photographs. Pull out your high school yearbook or check out your friends’ photos on Facebook. Remind yourself of what you and your siblings looked like 30 years ago. Keep a few photos on your phone that always make you smile.

11. Have some chocolate . Chocolate is an effective way to enhance your mood. Dark chocolate is even good for you! A bad day isn’t an excuse to eat a pound of chocolate, but few small bites might be the solution to your bad day.

12. Meditate . Meditation has become a popular stress solution. Many large companies are even adding meditation rooms to the workplace. Regular meditation can greatly uplift your mood and strengthen your focus.

Remember that what seems like a bad day might only be a bad minute that has soured your perspective. Bad days can seem to occur at random, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through it. You can turn your day around. Take a deep breath and make the best of it. You know plenty of tactics to fight back!

Uplift Your Mood With These 6 Gratitude-Building Strategies

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 16:59:35 GMT

Being Grateful can make you feel better

Most of us are constantly under pressure and on the go with our fast-paced lifestyles. It's only natural for us to occasionally feel worn out or even a bit down from time to time.

The good news is that something as simple as refocusing your attention from your challenges to acknowledging the things that you are grateful for in your life can instantly boost your mood.

Studies show that practicing gratitude on a regular basis can raise your mood and also boost your self-esteem, will power, long term health, and even your level of success in life!

Beat the blues with these practices to help you develop your sense of gratitude:

1. Keep a list of the things you’re grateful for. The next time that you feel angry, frustrated, or a bit depressed, make a list and literally count your blessings. Making a list helps you to stop obsessing over the current situation.

Don't stop at just one list. Consider keeping a journal to record the things and events in your life for which you are grateful. Over time, you create a tangible record of all of the positive aspects of your life.

2. Start the day on a positive note. Set the tone and focus for the rest of your day by taking a few moments each morning to review the positive things in your life.

Self-questions can be a great way to focus on the positive aspects of your life. Good questions to ask include: “What's something good that is happening right now,” “What opportunities await me today,” or “Whose love am I grateful for?”

3. Be alert to the goodness all around you. It's hard to have a positive attitude if you focus on only the negative things happening around you. Make a point to consciously seek the good in everything, especially in small, simple things such as a child's innocent laughter or the beauty found in nature.

4. Perform random acts of kindness. You can increase your own gratitude by being someone else's reason for thankfulness. Practice random acts of kindness by unexpectedly helping others.

What may seem like a small act to you can be a very large act of generosity to someone who is in need. Look for opportunities each day to help someone else. The other person will be thankful for your generosity and you’ll be grateful for the boost in your self-esteem and mood.

5. A picture is worth a thousand words. Why not document the things that you’re grateful for by recording them with a photo? You can even spread the good thoughts around by sharing your gratitude pictures on your social media accounts.

6. Save notes of gratitude, instead of loose change, in a jar. Too busy to make gratitude lists or keep a gratitude journal? Try writing short notes about gratitude to yourself and keeping them in a jar!

Whenever you need an encouraging word, remove one of the notes and read it to instantly perk up your mood!
As the end of the year draws to a close, look back over your gratitude notes to be reminded of all of the good things that happened to you throughout the year.

There are difficult times in everyone's life, but practicing gratitude on a regular basis gives you the power and inspiration to remain positive as you overcome challenges.

Feeling anxious?

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 14:22:06 GMT

Anxiety

Ever felt that fluttering feeling in your stomach right before you do something you’ve never done before or something that is a little bit scary? This is your bodies way of preparing you for what is to come and keeping you on your toes, it is called Anxiety.

Experiencing a certain level of anxiety is good for us, it keeps us on our toes and reminds us that we need to pay attention. When it gets too much however, anxiety can become crippling, leaving you constantly in a state of worry and at times paralysed by fear.

So, what is it? What causes it and how can you manage the level you experience?

I often refer to anxiety as the Big Bad WHAT IF…. When we are experiencing anxiety, we are thinking about what MIGHT happen, so we ask ourselves questions such as,

‘What if I fall flat on my face?’

‘What if everyone laughs at me?’

‘What if I have an accident and then I can’t work, and the bills won’t get paid, and I end up homeless?’

That last one also includes some snowballing where one problem rolls up into bigger ones until you end up homeless in your mind.

We use these questions to create a prison of fear that can stop us from taking any action at all and thus restricting how we live and enjoy life. This can then lead to a cycle of anxiety which perpetuates the feeling – as we avoid doing anything that leads to anxious feelings, we reinforce how good it feels to avoid it and stay safe, leading to more and more avoidance.

What is anxiety?

Let me get this straight, Anxiety is something we create, it is not something that happens to us. Of course, it can be created unconsciously but it is definitely something we inflict on ourselves.

The Fight, Flight or Freeze, (or as one of my more creative biology teachers in school used to call it the, fight, flight, or shite) response –is what is triggered by the brain when we experience anxiety. It is controlled by a region of the brain called the Amygdala. This happens either consciously because we start asking the what if questions and imagining worst case scenarios’ – effectively talking the amygdala into triggering the FFF response or unconsciously.

The unconscious response happens because the amygdala learns through our senses – visual, auditory or kinaesthetic. This means it learns from our surroundings without us consciously processing the fact.

For example.

On Wednesday I decide to wear a red dress and go out and about my business as normal, I have an accident and break my arm. My amygdala may associate wearing red with something bad happening and I will never feel comfortable in red again – but I won’t realise why consciously.

The Amygdala responds to perceived threat by releasing adrenaline into the body which increases blood sugar – all preparing us to face the threat it has perceived. What happens if there is no threat? This is where you start to see the physical symptoms of anxiety manifest in the body:

Shaking
Increased heart rate
Hyperventilation
Feeling weak
Unable to sleep
Gastrointestinal problems
Difficulty concentrating

These are all physical symptoms of anxiety – because the brain and the body are all linked together in one system and when you feel anxiety, the body responds in physical ways as well as mental ones.

Everyone is different and every body will react differently to anxiety and stress so understanding what your anxiety symptoms are, is an important step as spotting them early can help you manage them.

What can you do?

If you are overcome with anxiety what can you do about it? There are lots of different techniques designed to help you regain control over your mind and body and I will share a few of my favourites with you here.

Breathing methods

We all breathe in and out every day, however using your pattern of breathing in different ways can help you control those anxious feelings. When you breathe out a part of your nervous system activates that naturally helps to calm the body -it is called the Parasympathetic nervous system. This helps to slow your heart rate and relax the intestinal muscles so breathing exercises where you breathe out for longer than you breathe in, if continued for several minutes, can help you to relax and release the anxiety – especially as you are also focussing on the counting which means you can’t carry on thinking about the What if’s.

7-11 breathing

Step 1 - Relax and take some deep breaths

Step 2 - Start to breathe consciously and become aware of your breath, focus on it

Step 3 - On the next inhale breath in for a count of 7

Step 4 - On the next exhale breathe out for the count of 11

Step 5 - Repeat steps 3-4 for at least 3-4 minutes

Notice how different you feel after this exercise

Challenge your thoughts

When you are feeling anxious you can be overtaken by irrational thoughts that lead you to think about all the terrible things that might happen. You can get so caught up in this spiral of negative thinking that you never stop to question these irrational thoughts. So, the next time you see this starting to happen gather the evidence for your thoughts and against them, ask yourself some challenging questions such as:

Is this based on fact or feeling? – what are the facts am I assuming anything?
If I were advising someone else on this situation what would I say? - We are harder on ourselves and find giving advice much easier
How likely is this to actually happen?
If the worst does happen will it matter next week? Next month? Next year?

When you start to think in this way you can make yourself feel better by realising that your fear may never actually happen but if it does you can manage it.

5…4…3…2…1….

If you do find yourself in a full-blown panic attack or overcome by anxiety then you can use this well known technique to bring you back to now. As anxiety is worry about the future, grounding yourself in the present moment will help you release those feelings. So, the 54321 technique is all about noticing your surroundings. Look around you and do the following:

Name….

5 things you can see around you
4 things you can feel or touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste

While you are focussing on these and engaging the senses it is IMPOSSIBLE to think about anything else. Go on try it, I challenge you to think anything other than those things when you do this exercise.

Another variation on this is the 333 method

Name 3 things you see
3 things you can hear
Move three parts of your body

Final thoughts

I have suffered mild anxiety throughout my life, and it is only recently that I have come to realise or acknowledge that this is what it is. From working with clients who suffer from debilitating anxiety I know that it can completely ruin your life. Anxiety can strike anyone, even the most confident person, but it can be beaten.

I have shown you a few methods of dealing with it here, I am also writing an anxiety toolbox book which contains many different tips and techniques to overcome and manage anxiety, as well as explain some of the science behind how it works in ways it is easy to understand.

If you’d like to sign up for notification when this is being released, then please complete this form here.

Feeling overwhelmed?

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 16:16:39 GMT

Struggling with the 'do all of the things' feeling?

Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed with everything? The information overload we have in modern society can leave you feeling like you have to do ‘all of the things’

Sometimes trying to keep up with work, a social life, family life, self care, the latest must watch TV show can feel like a never ending circle of activity that you can never stop. Do you feel like you are just surviving and juggling so many different things that if you stop to breathe for a moment everything will come crashing down and it will be a disaster and it will be all your fault?

You are not alone! We put ourselves under so much pressure and the added spice of social media and following the latest trends, whether that is fashion, watching a tv show or just chatting on the latest app with all of your friends all of the time, can lead to mental and physical exhaustion.

I have been there, we have all been there! Over time I have begun to realise what is important to me, and why – I don’t always get it right but I am a lot better. This can take some time as we often do things or want to do things because we feel we should, or we are expected to. However, I have some top tips for you to help with feelings of being overwhelmed.

Write a list

This is my go-to absolute favourite when I have a lot of tasks to do. Sometimes my head spins and I feel like I don’t know where to start. So I write everything I have to do down in a list – in any order – and when I have everything written down, I look for the priorities and assign each one a number based on the order I will do it. Sometimes I leave the most important thing until last or halfway through, as if it is something I need to concentrate on I see if there are any smaller quick tasks I can get done first. This means I can absolutely put all my concentration and effort where it is needed without worrying about the small stuff because it’s already been done.

Say ‘No’ occasionally

Do you think if you say No to something it makes you a bad person? We seem to be hardwired to please others and often this makes us accept invitations and offers even when we don’t really want to. Let me tell you, it is ok to say no to something if you really don’t want to do it. I promise you not everyone will immediately stop talking to you. You can explain your reasons if you feel you have to but saying no sometimes is essential to good mental health and friends and family will understand this.

Understand what is important to you

This really links in with number 3, priorities change over time and one week you might want space and peace and another you might want to raise hell with your best friend. Being in tune with how you feel and knowing your priorities can help you make the right decisions for everyone.

Let go of perfectionism

Perfection means something different to everyone and constantly striving for ‘Perfect’ can create a feeling of overwhelm as we feel like we never achieve it. Understand that perfect is not always possible and anyway what is perfect for you might be terrible for someone else. Instead of looking for perfect, know what good enough means – balance this off by asking what is the benefit of spending more time on this task for marginal improvement? Recognise that ‘done’ is often better than ‘perfect’

Focus on the moment

Instead of worrying about everything you have to do, focus on what you are doing. Keeping yourself in the moment and working through your tasks one by one will help reduce this feeling. If necessary, take some deep breaths and refocus yourself on the feeling of the breath in your body to bring yourself to the moment.

Understand what you can control

Worrying about something you cannot control is an anxiety causing waste of time. If you can do something about then do it. If you can’t then worrying about it is not going to change that. Yes it can be difficult to adopt this method of thinking, this is because anxiety and worrying is a well trodden path in your brain. If you change the way you think the more you practice it the easier it will become as you create new neural pathways in your brain.

Take a social media break

This might sound a bit drastic but many years ago when I was suffering from stress, I switched off my Facebook account and stopped looking at the news every day. I did this for a few months and felt so much better. Not having to live up to our social media presence and having to give the impression of a perfect life can take a lot of the pressure off. Also not seeing what everyone else is posting can mean you don’t feel the need to keep up with every latest trend and you can choose what you do based on what you want. This break can last as long as you need it to but it is something I thoroughly recommend doing a few times a year to give yourself a mental refresh.

Give yourself a break!

Stop being so hard on yourself for not doing everything! The sooner you accept that you are an imperfect human being who will make mistakes and who only has capacity to DO so many things, like we all are, then the better you will feel! You are one person, there are only so many hours in the day, you can only do your best. These are facts. You already know them, but you choose not to apply them to yourself.

Take your own advice

If your best friend came to you and said they were feeling how you were feeling, what advice would you give them? probably a lot of the same suggestions as I have written here? Why are we good at giving advice but not applying it to our own lives? Stop and think about what advice you would give to someone else and the apply it to your own life.

Ask for help if you need it

Asking for help is NEVER a weakness, it is one of the strongest things you can do. if you are struggling with a lot of work then ask someone for assistance or guidance. If this is work related feeling then you should be able to discuss it with your manager or HR department. The most important thing is to take action before it is too late and you are suffering with severe stress or anxiety.

Enjoy life!

When we put this much pressure on ourselves life can flash us by in a whirlwind of tasks and stress. Stopping occasionally to take a break and enjoy something, anything, whether it is a nice meal, lovely view, time spent relaxing, can help you feel less stressed and overwhelmed.

Hypnotherapy or Counselling?

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 08:27:08 GMT

How do you know which is right for you?

What is the difference between hypnotherapy and counselling? Which is the most successful? Which one will work best for me? These are questions that a lot of people might ask when they make a decision to get help. Often people consider counselling as the ‘real’ or ‘more authentic’ way of getting help and dismiss hypnotherapy as a ‘whacky’ alternative treatment. As I have experienced and benefitted from both in the past, I thought I’d share my experiences and discuss some of the fundamental differences.

My story

Before I trained to become a hypnotherapist, I had very limited experience of how it could help and what it could do. I had heard of using hypnotherapy for a couple of things – mainly giving up smoking and weight loss. I was aware of people like Paul McKenna, but I had never read any of his books. I guess you could say I’d heard about it but didn’t really understand how it worked.

I was at a point in my life where I was concentrating on health and fitness and spending time a lot of time exercising and watching what I ate. However, I smoked, I loved to smoke and really enjoyed it. I had been a smoker since I was a teenager, my parents smoked, my brothers and sisters smoked. I wasn’t a heavy smoker, about 10 a day at most but I really loved those 10 cigarettes’ a day. I can’t explain it now looking back, but I did.

At this time, I had a personal trainer who I worked out with. He had recently been on an NLP hypnosis course and was offering stop smoking sessions. I was one of his first sessions. The reason I finally decided to give up was not because I had stopped loving it or even that it became too expensive. I decided to give up because I was asthmatic and finding it increasingly hard to breathe without wheezing. I got to the point where this outweighed any other perceived benefits I had from smoking. I just couldn’t take not being able to breathe any more!

So my trainer asked me some questions about why I smoked, when I would find it difficult not to smoke and that kind of thing. He came and did one session with me, which I remember vey little of now, but I have never even wanted a cigarette since – and it has been about 7 years Which I find completely amazing!

After that, I told many people how hypnosis had helped me give up smoking and sang its praises for this reason. But I never really understood the true extent of what it could help with. I never looked into it any further. For me it had achieved its purpose and faded into the background again.

Many years later due to a distressing incident I was offered counselling. I had never really had counselling before but I had heard of things like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and I watched Fraiser and understood to some extent about the ‘talking therapy’ that counselling offered. So I searched the registered directory and contacted a therapist local to me. I was a bit nervous before my first appointment, not knowing what to expect. I had chosen someone who specialised in different forms of therapy and wanted to talk through the issues I had.

I have to say the experience I had was very different from what I thought it might be. the therapist helped me to challenge beliefs I had about myself as well as understand that some things were not about me they were about other people. We talked about a lot of things and not just the initial incident that had led me to her door. However I came away from these sessions feeling better and understanding myself more and feeling like I had justification to feel the way I felt and how to deal with it.

Differences

So back to the point of this blog, what are the differences? Well the main difference is that counselling focuses on the conscious mind and uses the idea that talking through problems and issues will lead to change in behaviour and thought patterns.

Hypnotherapy on the other hand focuses very much on the unconscious part of the mind and aims to make changes on the subconscious level, which in turn affect behaviour and thought patterns

Often counselling will involve talking through issues that have happened and going over the past to understand why the person feels the way they do. The therapist is an objective person not involved in the situation and can help the person see things from a different perspective.

Hypnotherapy tends to be more forward-looking and works on how the person wants to feel now and in the future without discussing the incidents that happened in the past. A lot of the time hypnotherapy can bring about change without ever knowing the details of the persons past at all. People who come to see a hypnotherapist often have a specific issue in mind they want to resolve.

Both therapies look to help a person process an d release emotion so they can move on and feel better in their lives, just in very different ways.

The best option?

So which is best? Well I don’t think there is an answer to that question because it all depends on what you want to get out of the therapy and who you are as a person. If you want to talk things through, then counselling is for you, but if you want a quick solution to a specific problem and then hypnotherapy could be an option for you.

I have been amazed and the range of things that hypnotherapy can help and I have seen with my own eyes the difference that can be made in just one or two sessions. I have seen lifelong phobias disappear, stress and worry melt away. I have even had sessions myself to get rid of migraines that had been plaguing me all my life.

I am by no means saying that counselling is not worthwhile, I definitely benefitted from the sessions I had and they helped me in a different way. What I am saying is that each has its place and Hypnotherapy should not be dismissed as a ‘whacky’, ‘out there’ idea. When used in a therapeutic setting Hypnosis is very powerful and can help you make some fundamental changes in your life.

You are an individual and your needs a different to everyone else’s so only you know whether counselling or hypnotherapy is right for you. But I would say just consider your options and don’t assume that counselling is the only way.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 16:03:09 GMT

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is something we often associate with military personnel, however you don't have to have seen active service to be affected by PTSD. Recent reports show that Dr's and other healthcare

workers are experiencing these symptoms after the traumatic experience of the 2020 Covid 19 pandemic. Nadia Whittome Britain’s youngest MP at 23 is also currently taking a leave of absence due to PTSD.

So, what is it?

In it's simplest terms it is a mental health disorder that can affect anyone who has experienced or witnessed a severe trauma. While it was first noticed in veterans and sometimes referred to as 'shell shock' or 'combat trauma', as I mentioned earlier it is not only veterans who suffer from it. PTSD symptoms may develop immediately after the traumatic event but can also occur weeks, months or years afterwards. Not everyone who has experienced a traumatic event will suffer from PTSD, but this does not mean that those who do have a specific weakness or are less mentally stable, in fact there is no specific reason why this is and medical experts have yet to come to any conclusion on this.

There are also different types of PTSD

• Delayed onset PTSD

If symptoms occur more than 6 months after the trauma this is known as 'Delayed onset PTSD'

• Complex PTSD

If you repeatedly experienced trauma especially at a young age or it lasted for a long time, this is referred to as 'complex PTSD'. Complex PTSD could be caused by childhood abuse or neglect, ongoing domestic violence or abuse, repeatedly witnessing violence or abuse, being forced or manipulated into prostitution, torture, kidnapping slavery or being a prisoner of war. Complex PTSD is relatively new as a diagnosis and can sometimes be confused with Borderline Personality Disorder as a lot of the symptoms are the same.

• Birth trauma

This is when PTSD develops after a traumatic experience during childbirth - such as difficult, long and painful delivery, unplanned caesarean section or other shocking, unexpected experience during birth

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

PTSD has many different symptoms and can affect people differently. There may be any or all of the following:

Flashbacks or reliving events - feeling like the trauma is happening right now
Nightmares
Pain
Nausea
Sweating
Trembling
Constant negative thoughts about the experience
Feelings of guilt or shame
Repetitive and distressing images or sensations
Avoidance - anything that reminds you of the trauma
Emotional numbing - trying not to feel anything at all
Hyper arousal -feeling anxious and find it difficult to relax, constantly on edge

Often these symptoms, if left unchecked can lead to other mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, addiction and suicide. Getting treatment is essential. Research suggests that around 3 in 100

people may develop PTSD at some point in their life. Of course, it is natural to experience some symptoms after experiencing or witnessing a trauma but if these persist for more than 4 weeks or you have particularly

troublesome symptoms then you may be suffering from PTSD.

Overcoming the stigma

As with all mental health disorders there is often a stigma attached to a diagnosis of PTSD. This can be especially true in areas such as the military, where a 'man up' 'or get over it' attitude can be prevalent, in fact a recent study (Iversen at al, 2011) found that military personnel (both serving and ex) were more likely to report internalised stigma and barriers to psychological care compared to those with non PTSD mental health problems. This stigma can stop people asking for the help they need so it is absolutely critical that we work to remove this.

If you think someone might be suffering from PTSD then look out for

Behavioural changes - taking time off work
Mood changes anger or irritability

Give the person time to talk, give them a sympathetic ear and ask them questions. Support them, be there for them, recommend asking for treatment or help but don't force them. People suffering from PTSD may not seem like the person you know and love, but they are just experiencing a difficult mental health issue and you should try not to take distance, irritability or angry behaviour personally. It is OK for you to ask for help as well as living with someone going through this experience can be hard. there is a lot of support out there. Here are some useful links that will provide more information on PTSD and how to live with.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/ptsd-in-military-veterans.htm

https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-from-caring-for-someone-with-ptsd-2797408

https://support.veteransgateway.org.uk/app/answers/detail/a_id/724/~/mental-health-q%26a-for-veterans%2C-spouses-and-dependants

Most importantly remember, there is no shame in PTSD. None of us know how we will react or process trauma. We are all different and our brains work differently. Asking for help is NEVER a weakness. There are specific techniques that can be used in Hypnotherapy to help you process trauma and overcome PTSD. If you would like to discuss these further, then don’t hesitate to get in touch

References

Iversen AC, van Staden L, Hughes JH, Greenberg N, Hotopf M, Rona RJ, et al. The stigma of mental health problems and other barriers to care in the UK Armed Forces. BMC Health Serv Res. 2011;11(1):31

Mental Health week

Sat, 08 May 2021 13:27:09 GMT

Mental health matters

If you had broken your leg, would you go to the Dr and ask for help? Of course you would, so why do we hesitate when it comes to matters of the mind? What does the phrase 'mental health' mean to you? What images does it conjure up in your mind? Often when people think about mental health there are negative associations and admitting to having a mental health issue can be seen as admitting a weakness. Well as the 10th to 16th May is mental health awareness week in the UK, now is the perfect time to pay attention to your mental health.

In recent years there seems to be much more of a focus on positive mental health and wellbeing awareness, with people like Prince Harry, Demi Levato and Beyonce all talking about the subject and opening up about their own struggles, the subject seems to becoming less of a taboo. Although mental health is a very complex subject and talking about it can be fraught with it's own stresses it is important to remember that acknowledging the issue is first step on the road to recovery.

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone and mental health issues have seen a big increase due to increases in loneliness, anxiety and stress amongst other things. Taking care of yourself is often the last thing on your mind, so to help you think about ways you can, h ere are some top tips to make some small changes that can make a big difference!

Physical or mental?

The link between your mind and your physical body is one that is often overlooked, however looking after your physical health can have a huge impact on your mental health. Your mind and body are all part of the same system so if you body is healthy you can often start to feel mentally better as well. a few simple things can make all the difference in your physical wellbeing, you don't have to run a marathon, but why not try

Eating well
Drinking plenty of water
Getting more active - even small increases in movement will help

While even these simple things can sometimes feel like a struggle if you are feeling low, just taking care of yourself in these small ways can make such a big difference.

Don't beat yourself up

when things are tough and you are struggling to do anything or feeling low, don't beat yourself up. It is ok to take a break from things for a little while and it is ok to say no to things you don't want to do. We often compound the issue by being too hard on ourselves and place unrealistic expectations on ourselves. It is ok to want some time to yourself every now and then and putting unnecessary pressure on yourself only makes you feel worse. So be kind to yourself, think about what you would tell a close friend if they were in your situation and listen to your own advice.

Celebrate your achievements

When we are feeling low, recognising the good things we have done can be even harder than usual. So take time to think about what you have achieved during the day, even if it feels like all you did was get out of bed or get dressed, these can be big milestones when you are struggling with mental health. Keeping track of things you have achieved and giving yourself credit for them, no matter how small you you think they are can help spur you on and

produce feel good hormones.

Stay in to uch

Even though you might want to be on your own, staying in touch with your friends and family is important when you are struggling with mental health issues. Friends can help just by being there and listening. Talking things through can seem daunting but discussing mental health is one of the ways it can become less of a taboo and being open about any problems you are experiencing can help to normalise them. We sometimes think that no one else will understand or know what we are going through but when you open up to friends and family you will be surprised at how often they have experienced something similar or know other people who have. Don't be afraid to talk about your experiences.

Do something you enjoy

Enjoyable activities that you are good at can take your mind off things for a while and even help produce feel good brain chemicals and hormones. Staying active, even in small ways is a key component of good mental health. Finding a hobby that you enjoy can be a great way to engage your mind in productive activity and meet new people. Check out local clubs near you and find an activity you enjoy. Or if you prefer you can use online video sites like YouTube or MOOC sites like Udemy to lean new skills in the comfort of your own home.

Ask for help

This can be one of the most difficult things to do when you have have a mental health problem. Recognising the issue and asking for help can seem like a mammoth task, but it can be one of the most important steps to taking back control of your life. Asking for help is not a weakness, it is one of the strongest things you can do. It means you have acknowledged and accepted your situation and know that you need assistance to deal with it.

Here are some useful numbers to take note of if you need talk.

How does Hypnosis work?

Sat, 24 Apr 2021 12:52:47 GMT

What do you know about hypnosis? Have you seen a stage show and think it is all about dancing like chickens and someone 'making' you do all sorts of crazy funny stuff? Are you worried that the hypnotherapist will find out all of your secrets? If that is your only experience of hypnotherapy then read on to find out how it actually works.

Conscious or Subconscious?

Remember that?

The subconscious mind remembers every experience and stores them all away in it’s mental warehouse, although you might not know it, everything that has ever happened to you is stored in the subconscious.

This means that our actions and reactions are often driven by things that have happened to us that we may no longer be aware of. The subconscious remembers and tells us what to do without us even realising it. Often based on information that is no longer relevant or is not beneficial to us any more as the subconscious has never been informed that it is out of date. This can lead to patterns of behaviour that do not serve us and can actually be bad for us.

Update your thinking

Hypnotherapy can be used to update your subconscious so it realises that these behaviours are no longer helpful. In order to do this the hypnotherapist can help you achieve a state of trance where the subconscious becomes more active and through methods such as visualisation, suggestion and metaphor is shown a different more beneficial way of behaving

It is a bit like updating the software on your computer because the old software is out of date. The computer didn’t know it was out of date until you installed the new program.

I've never experienced hypnosis.....what's it like?

You might not think you have ever been hypnotised before, but……..

Have you ever got in your car and driven to the wrong place as you were on auto pilot? Have you ever lost track of time as you lost yourself in a good book or a film? Have you ever Had a conversation with someone just as you are dropping off to sleep and then not remembered it the next day?

All of these situations are similar to hypnosis as the subconscious is more active and taking control of your responses, you are perfectly safe as the subconscious is protective of it’s owner but you might not always be completely aware of time passing or other things going on around you.

We go into a hypnotic state like this without realising it many times a day.

Myth busting!

It’s time to bust a couple of myths about hypnotherapy that you might have heard. Firstly although Hypnos is the Greek God of sleep, you will not actually be asleep during hypnosis. In fact you will be aware of everything happening around you. Your senses are around 30% more efficient than normal so you are actually in a state of hyper awareness. If you do fall asleep during a hypnotherapy session it is unlikely to be as successful as you wish

Secondly, hypnosis is not a form of mind control, the hypnotherapist cannot make you do anything you do not choose to do. The suggestions made to you during a session will be assessed by your subconscious mind and either accepted or rejected based on whether it thinks they are of benefit to you or not.

This is why, for hypnosis to be successful you must want to the change and be fully bought into the process.

Ready to change?

We need to talk about weight

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 12:52:47 GMT

Weight is such a personal matter, we often don’t discuss it outside of a Dr’s office or slimming club walls. For what it is worth I think that whatever weight you are, if you are happy then it is your choice and don’t let anyone tell you any different! If you want to feel different or look different it is important to do it for the right reasons. If you want to lose weight because someone else thinks you should then you are far less likely to succeed.

There is a lot of information out there about weight and obesity and we are fed a constant diet of skinny celebs and miracle weight loss cures. One of the most quoted and medically used measures for weight is BMI – Body Mass Index. The BMI measure uses your height and weight to calculate your BMI score and tell you whether you are obese or underweight.

However, the BMI score has many flaws that are acknowledged by medical professionals. For example, it does not take into account body composition. So, you can look like a bodybuilder and still be classed as obese by the BMI scale. This is why in my opinion weight is one of the last measures you should take into account when deciding whether you are happy with how you look.

Ask yourself this, if you could drop 2 dress sizes and look slimmer but still weigh the same weight, would you want that? Or would you still insist on your happiness being dictated by the number on the scale?

According to a number of sources (listed at the end) waist SIZE is a MUCH more important indicator of overall health than BMI. This is because even if you are classed as average on the BMI you might still have weight distributed in different places and if you have abdominal fat then you are at much higher risk for type 2 diabetes , cardiovascular disease and death than those whose weight is distributed in other areas more evenly.

A very well known fitness trainer personality even refers to the scales as the ‘sad step’ this is because you can work really hard all week at achieving your weight ‘loss’ goal and it either doesn’t show on the scales or worse you are heavier than when you started. However, if you use size as a measure instead you might have found you lost inches round your waist or hips or chest or all of the above and surely this is more important overall.

Don’t be dictated to by a number on the scales, measure yourself, waist, hips, thighs, chest, biceps – take those measurements as a guide. Also how do you feel? Do you feel healthier? Do you feel lighter, are your clothes feeling looser? These are all much better measures.

There is a better way

If you want help with getting in shape and finding your ideal size, then get in touch. I can work with you on a programme that will help you restore your bodies natural eating rhythms and lose the focus on counting calories and lbs. No more restrictive diets, no more weigh In’s.

Waist size sources

Harvard School of public Health, 2021

NHS 2019

British Heart Foundation

Mayo Clinic

The power of music - Part 2

Sat, 03 Apr 2021 12:57:40 GMT

Music and mood

How does music make you feel? This is quite a complex question as we seem to use music in a lot of different ways. Imagine you are driving, it's summer, the windows are rolled down, the road is clear, the sun is shining, your shades are on, your favourite tune comes on the radio......How do you feel? probably pretty good right?

What about this, you've just broken up with the love of your life, you feel tired and want to listen to sad love songs on your own....How do you feel now? Probably terrible right?

Music is a constant backdrop to our lives, remember the holiday song? That song that played everywhere on your first ever holiday abroad? Just hearing that song now, all these years later instantly transports you back there and you feel all those feelings again.

There is a wealth of research that talks about how music can affect the brain chemistry in different ways. One of the things that is agreed upon is that it has a significant affect on Dopamine production. Dopamine is associated with pleasure and reward in the brain and research suggests that when we listen to music we enjoy, our Dopamine production is increased. In a study reported on the BBC Dr Vicky Williams from Goldsmiths College, University of London, showed it increased by around 9%. So if you are feeling low and need a mood boost then put on some feelgood tunes and your brain will do the rest.

Music can even make you cleverer! There is a theory called the 'Mozart effect' which shows that listening to Mozart can improve cognitive function. Researchers theorised that listening to Mozart ahead of completing a test helped the subjects order their thoughts and acted almost as a mental 'warm up' exercise.

Exercise is something you either love or hate but music can also play a part in this activity too. Think about the song that gets you going to exercise when you don't feel like it, what gets you off the sofa? For me it is 'Eye of the tiger' - predictable I know but it works for me. Music and motivation are linked in countless ways and it is well documented that motivational music can super charge workouts. If you want to run faster, play music with a faster count of beats per minute, if you want to give it everything, find the songs that mean the most to you and your goal.

However it is important to mix it up, randomness is apparently the key as too much routine leads to fatigue, so mix up the playlists, hit shuffle and get going!

According to Christopher Bergland, a retired ultra endurance athlete turned scientist, 'Music is one of the most powerful neurobiological tools we have to change our mood, mindset and behaviour' ( Psychology today , 2012). I hope you found this article a useful way to put some of this into action.

As a hypnotherapist I use music to create an atmosphere with clients but also to help them find that subconscious trance state and relax. I can help you to incorporate music into your therapy sessions and find what helps you make the changes you want to make. Get in touch if you want to unleash the power of music in your life through hypnotherapy.

The power of music - Part 1

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:20:19 GMT

You need more music in your life

Picture this, you've had a busy day, you are exhausted, sitting on the sofa you can barely keep your eyes open. You go to bed, WHAM you suddenly can't sleep. you toss and turn and eventually give up trying and read a book until complete exhaustion takes over and you finally get to sleep.

You wake up the next morning when the alarm goes off, already tired and feeling stressed about the day ahead. Sound familiar?

Music can help you!

If that scenario sounds familiar then read on! Having suffered on and off throughout my life with bouts of acute insomnia I have recently discovered the science of brain waves and music that has helped me get a better night's sleep when I really needed it.

During different activities the brain produces different frequencies of brain waves, these are determined by the electrical activity happening in the brain. Using knowledge of these brain waves a new science is being developed called binaural beats music.

The 4 main types of brain wave being produced are:

Beta - These are prevalent when you are in a normal alert waking state and they fall between 12-38Hz
Delta -Deep sleep produces Delta waves and they are in the 0.5-4 Hz range
Theta - A deeply relaxed, subconscious state is where you will see Theta waves, in the 3-8 Hz range
Alpha - When you are awake but in a relaxed, contemplative state is where Alpha waves are seen in the 8-12 Hz range

Using this knowledge of the different Hz ranges of brain waves has led to the development of Binaural beats. This uses stereo sound to play slightly different frequencies to each ear so that the brain aligns in the middle and bingo you are producing the right frequency brainwaves!

Whilst this is still in the experimental stage, there is research that has shown great promise for the theory.

My own limited research shows that using a sleep headband earphone set, a Fitbit sleep tracker and a delta waves playlist on a timer for 40 minutes to an hour when going to bed, shows that I get into DEEP SLEEP much quicker and get more of it than if I don't use them. So for those nights when my mind is racing and I can't sleep it helps me nod off.

You can also find playlists on music streaming sites for all of the other kinds of brainwaves, so pick your activity, get your headphones on and get going!

Look out for part 2 of the power of music blog coming soon where we discuss the effects music on mood and motivation.

Fears and Phobias holding you back?

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 15:33:48 GMT

Fears and Phobias are no laughing matters

So there I was aged 11, about to have my very first blood test. I asked my mother if I could sit on her lap because I was scared and she smiled and said, 'oh don't be so daft' so I toughed it out and then the next thing I know I was waking up on the small bed in the medical room having passed out. Thus began my lifelong fear of injections. I understand that these fears and phobias can be completely debilitating and have a definite affect on how you live your life. They don't all have a an easy identifying incident like mine either. This doesn't mean they can't be fixed though.

People might tell you to 'just get over it' or 'face your fear' but it is easy to say these things if you have never experienced an extreme fear or phobia. We often go out of our way to avoid any triggers and depending on what your fear or phobia is, this can seriously start to affect your life in a negative way. I always had to turn away when there were injections being given to people on the television, a bit of a drawback if you like hospital dramas like I do! I also had an argument with a Dr in hospital when after an operation he wanted to give me IV antibiotics when I got an infection - not a good idea!

Did you know that research suggests that it is far more likely for a woman to suffer from a specific phobia than a man? Although I would wonder if men are 100% honest when included in surveys as a phobia could be viewed as a weakness. It has also been suggested that although relatively few people seek treatment for specific phobias, those who experience them are associated with higher risk of mental disorders such as anxiety or panic disorder than people without phobias, so taking that step to get help is in your best interests.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way. Hypnotherapy can help you overcome even the most serious fears and phobias and give you your life back. This can be done in a safe way that means you don't have to 'face the fear' to get over it. A recent client of mine said that after our sessions she did things she previously thought impossible without even having to give it a thought.

Your phobia might seem irritational to everyone else but it is very real to you. Whatever it is you CAN release yourself from its power.