Have you ever felt the satisfaction of getting rid of a lot of rubbish from your home or do you like to store things up just in case they might one day come in handy?Hoarding things can become an obsession and if taken to an extreme can become a limiting factor in a person's life. Perhaps a distinction can be made between an obsession and a hobby or past-time, especially if it is shared with other people. But when the obsessive behaviour starts cutting the individual off from others it could be regarded as a negative feature of their personality.
Brian found himself becoming increasingly drawn to surfing the internet at every opportunity. He could easily spend several hours doing this each evening, often not getting to bed until the early hours of the morning. Not getting enough sleep began to affect his ability to perform at work and colleagues began to notice his lack of energy and decline in productivity. One friend, who had used hypnotherapy to stop smoking, suggested that he come and see me.
We discussed his problem and began work on helping him to overcome his behaviour and develop a new lifestyle. After several sessions he reported that he had been able to cut down on the amount of time he was spending on the internet and was getting much more sleep and feeling more energetic and able to cope at work.
Monday 22 March 2010
Friday 12 March 2010
Procrastination
It's so easy to put things off, even things that may seem relatively important - wills for example. How many people do you know who have not yet made their will? Do they think that they are going to live for ever or that an accident wont happen to them? Putting things off is called procrastination and we all do it, but some do it more than others.
Alex had a particularly bad habit of putting things off and it was beginning to effect his life and especially his work. Even as a child he had delayed doing his homework until the very last minute, but always seemed to get by. This continued at university, but, because he was reasonably intelligent, he always seemed to get by.
He succeeded in getting a good job in advertising, but with promotion came greater responsibility and he could no longer rely on just getting by. A friend recommended hypnotherapy as a way of helping him break his lifelong habit.
After discussing his habit and possible causes I was able to plan a course of treatment and within a very few sessions he was able to break the habit and feel much more in control of his life.
Alex had a particularly bad habit of putting things off and it was beginning to effect his life and especially his work. Even as a child he had delayed doing his homework until the very last minute, but always seemed to get by. This continued at university, but, because he was reasonably intelligent, he always seemed to get by.
He succeeded in getting a good job in advertising, but with promotion came greater responsibility and he could no longer rely on just getting by. A friend recommended hypnotherapy as a way of helping him break his lifelong habit.
After discussing his habit and possible causes I was able to plan a course of treatment and within a very few sessions he was able to break the habit and feel much more in control of his life.
Monday 19 October 2009
How to deal with anxiety
We've all experienced anxiety in our lives to varying degrees - going somewhere for the first, meeting new people, starting a new school or job - things that take us out of our comfort zones. Then there are the times when we are being tested - school exams, spelling tests, essay writing, sports events, acting, singing, dancing, interviews, appraisals - these can all be stressful times and the build up to them can be the most stressful part of all because we are facing the unknown and may not be confident enough in ourselves to feel that we will succeed.
Clare is a successful business woman working for a finance company, but for some unknown reason she suffered from anxiety that manifested itself by a feeling of intense tension in her jaws - during the day she clenched them when she felt stressed and at night she ground her teeth, much to the annoyance of her husband.
During the initial consultation it transpired that Clare felt under pressure to achieve at a high level and she attributed this to the high expectations of her parents from a very early age. She had done well at school and then university, but found the combination of being a good mother and successful business woman quite stressful.
Through hypnosis she has managed to feel much more generally relaxed, is calmer and her sleep has improved. She practises self-hypnosis regularly and leads a more balanced life, enjoying her family and getting a sense of satisfaction from her work.
Clare is a successful business woman working for a finance company, but for some unknown reason she suffered from anxiety that manifested itself by a feeling of intense tension in her jaws - during the day she clenched them when she felt stressed and at night she ground her teeth, much to the annoyance of her husband.
During the initial consultation it transpired that Clare felt under pressure to achieve at a high level and she attributed this to the high expectations of her parents from a very early age. She had done well at school and then university, but found the combination of being a good mother and successful business woman quite stressful.
Through hypnosis she has managed to feel much more generally relaxed, is calmer and her sleep has improved. She practises self-hypnosis regularly and leads a more balanced life, enjoying her family and getting a sense of satisfaction from her work.
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Relaxation with hypnosis
Many people could benefit from the practice of some kind of relaxation technique. Yoga or tai chi are obvious choices but involve having some space and specialist knowledge. Self-hypnosis can be carried out virtually anywhere and at any time and only requires minimum preparation. I teach all my clients self-hypnosis and find that those who practise it regularly get the best results with what ever problems they are dealing with.
Roger was suffering badly from panic attacks. They began when he went to discos and seemed to increase when he found himself in crowded places such as busy shops. At one point he had to be taken off an underground train and receive medical treatment. He needed to travel by underground to reach his office in the City so it was important that he dealt with his problem.
He came to see me and began practising self-hypnosis. He was able to record his own voice giving himself the suggested he needed to hear. He soon managed to conquer his panic attacks and was able to start leading a normal life once more.
Roger was suffering badly from panic attacks. They began when he went to discos and seemed to increase when he found himself in crowded places such as busy shops. At one point he had to be taken off an underground train and receive medical treatment. He needed to travel by underground to reach his office in the City so it was important that he dealt with his problem.
He came to see me and began practising self-hypnosis. He was able to record his own voice giving himself the suggested he needed to hear. He soon managed to conquer his panic attacks and was able to start leading a normal life once more.
Sunday 30 August 2009
How to improve your Presentation Skills
Rex had problems when asked to do a presentation at work. He had recently been promoted and was expected to make regular presentations in front of colleagues and senior managers. As the day of the presentation approached he became more and more anxious, despite the fact that he was very familiar with the material he was presenting. He went hot and cold just thinking about it, began sweating and had difficulty sleeping the night before the presentation. He became anxious on his journey to work and dreaded the thought of everyone looking at him when he got to the room where the presentation was to take place, even though he knew nearly everyone there and was on good terms with them.
He decided that this state of affairs couldn't go on, did a search on the internet and after a bit of research, thought that hypnotherapy could be the answer.
He came for the initial free consultation and explained his problem. I reassured him that he was not alone and that many people experienced nervousness when having to stand up and speak in front of a group. A certain level of stress is to be expected and once this is acknowledged he would be able to relax and actually enjoy the experience.
During the hypnosis session I helped re-programme his mind to feel confident about the whole experience, to gain control of his breathing, to relax the muscles of his body and to regard the group as his friends whom he could talk to as he would any group of friends.
After three sessions, over a three week period, he was amazed that he was able to do exactly as he had hoped. He was no longer anxious about the experince and realised that his fears had been unjustified. As hoped, he began to enjoy giving the presentations and his confidence grew.
He decided that this state of affairs couldn't go on, did a search on the internet and after a bit of research, thought that hypnotherapy could be the answer.
He came for the initial free consultation and explained his problem. I reassured him that he was not alone and that many people experienced nervousness when having to stand up and speak in front of a group. A certain level of stress is to be expected and once this is acknowledged he would be able to relax and actually enjoy the experience.
During the hypnosis session I helped re-programme his mind to feel confident about the whole experience, to gain control of his breathing, to relax the muscles of his body and to regard the group as his friends whom he could talk to as he would any group of friends.
After three sessions, over a three week period, he was amazed that he was able to do exactly as he had hoped. He was no longer anxious about the experince and realised that his fears had been unjustified. As hoped, he began to enjoy giving the presentations and his confidence grew.
Smoking
It's amazing to think that it wasn't until the report by the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians in 2000 that it was finally admitted by the medical profession that smoking was the single most important health problem in Britain. No other single avoidable factor accounted for such a high proportion of deaths, hospital admissions or GP consultations as smoking. It's estimated that smoking costs the NHS £2 billion per year and causes the death of one in every five in Britain. The greatest impact of smoking is death from lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease and chronic obstructive airways disease. Passive smoking also damages children before and after birth.
So why do people smoke? There is strong evidence of psychological dependence on cigarettes. The major psychological motivation to smoke is the avoidance of negative mood states caused by withdrawal of nicotine. Nicotine intake in smokers is stable and consistent over time. Smoking is widely believed by smokers to have a positive effect on mood, but objective evidence suggests that the only improvements in mood resulting from smoking are those arising from the relief of withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine obtained from cigarettes meets all the standard criteria used to define a drug dependence or addiction, but historically addiction to nicotine had not been recognised as a medical or social problem in Britain until recently. But nicotine is highly addictive, to a degree similar or in some respects exceeding addiction to "hard" drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
Addiction to nicotine is established in most smokers during teenage years and within about one year of experimenting with cigarettes. Once addicted, most smokers are unable to give up even when they develop disease caused by smoking and made worse by continued smoking. Only about 2% of smokers succeed in giving up in any year.
Hypnotherapy can not be guaranteed to stop someone smoking, but it can help the determined person who wants to break their addiction to nicotine. It does this by placing an emphasis on all the benefits of being a non-smoker, by changing smoking habits and addressing any important issues that may be driving the addiction.
So why do people smoke? There is strong evidence of psychological dependence on cigarettes. The major psychological motivation to smoke is the avoidance of negative mood states caused by withdrawal of nicotine. Nicotine intake in smokers is stable and consistent over time. Smoking is widely believed by smokers to have a positive effect on mood, but objective evidence suggests that the only improvements in mood resulting from smoking are those arising from the relief of withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine obtained from cigarettes meets all the standard criteria used to define a drug dependence or addiction, but historically addiction to nicotine had not been recognised as a medical or social problem in Britain until recently. But nicotine is highly addictive, to a degree similar or in some respects exceeding addiction to "hard" drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
Addiction to nicotine is established in most smokers during teenage years and within about one year of experimenting with cigarettes. Once addicted, most smokers are unable to give up even when they develop disease caused by smoking and made worse by continued smoking. Only about 2% of smokers succeed in giving up in any year.
Hypnotherapy can not be guaranteed to stop someone smoking, but it can help the determined person who wants to break their addiction to nicotine. It does this by placing an emphasis on all the benefits of being a non-smoker, by changing smoking habits and addressing any important issues that may be driving the addiction.
How to stop Nail Biting
Susan had been biting her nails for as long as she could remember. Without thinking, her fingers moved towards her mouth and she found herself chewing on any small part of her nails that were still remaining. She even chewed on the skin around her nails until it became raw and painful.
As she grew up she felt ashamed of the way her hands and fingers looked and envied people who had nice looking nails and fingers, but the habit had become so ingrained that she found it impossible to stop. She became self-conscious of her hands and began hiding them away as much as possible.
After confiding in a friend how upset she was beginning to feel about her problem, the friend made enquiries and found that hypnotherapy was an effective way to get rid of the habit.
Susan came to see me and after two sessions of hypnotherapy she managed to break the habit and began taking a pride in her nails. She now has elegant nails and fingers, uses nail polish and has regular manicures. She feels more relaxed and much more confident with other people. She regrets the fact that she allowed the problem to persist for so long and wishes that she had dealt with it sooner.
As she grew up she felt ashamed of the way her hands and fingers looked and envied people who had nice looking nails and fingers, but the habit had become so ingrained that she found it impossible to stop. She became self-conscious of her hands and began hiding them away as much as possible.
After confiding in a friend how upset she was beginning to feel about her problem, the friend made enquiries and found that hypnotherapy was an effective way to get rid of the habit.
Susan came to see me and after two sessions of hypnotherapy she managed to break the habit and began taking a pride in her nails. She now has elegant nails and fingers, uses nail polish and has regular manicures. She feels more relaxed and much more confident with other people. She regrets the fact that she allowed the problem to persist for so long and wishes that she had dealt with it sooner.
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