HYPNOSIS - THE ANSWER TO WORK BASED STRESS?

As the economy once again begins to shrink and we enter the dreaded 'double dip recession' many employees are feeling the pinch from both sides.  Not only are they struggling to keep up with the ever increasing cost of living but Employers are squeezing every last bit of productivity from their staff in an effort to provide 'more for less'.  A quick look around websites such as www.workstress.net shows just how widespread the problem of stress in the workplace is becoming.

Many of us are aware of the Flight/Fight Response; otherwise known as the Flight/Fight/Freeze Response or Stress Response.  When faced with acute danger this response is triggered and we revert to 'Survival Mode', this ensures we react quickly and without conscious thought to deal with the danger, giving us the best chance of surviving.

Many people however, are not aware that this response can be triggered by day to day life, and the effect that this has on our wellbeing.

The human mind cannot distinguish between the sharp rise in anxiety caused by the appearance of acute danger and the gradual rise in anxiety caused by modern living.  If a Sabre Tooth Lion were to show up on your way to work you would be fully aware of your anxiety shooting through the roof, your heartrate increasing, your stomach churning, and the sudden power you had in your legs to 'run like the wind' to escape the danger or in your arms to fight the danger.  The mind has recognised the sharp increase in anxiety, has lost Intellectual control and moved into the original Primitive area of the brain.  This part of the brain is only concerned with your survival; it releases the necessary chemicals to give you the strength/power to fight or run and triggers various physiological changes to allow you to deal with the danger.

So what happens when our Stress levels rise gradually?  Well, the first thing to understand is that it is not necessarily the events in our life that cause our anxiety/stress to rise; it's actually the way we think about things!  Let me give you an example to demonstrate: you're driving to work in the morning when you get caught up in a traffic jam.  What's your thought process in these circumstances?....'oh no, i'm going to be late; the boss is going to go mad; it's going to mess up my whole day; what if i'm stuck here for ages? What's that idiot in the car in front doing? Oh no, what if I run out of petrol before I get out of this jam? This is terrible, what if I'm Stuck here all morning, oh no, what am I going to do, this has ruined my whole day.....' 

Now imagine someone else coming across this traffic jam on their way to work.   Let's have a look at their thought process:  'oh no, I'm going to be late for work now.  Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it, I might as well put on a good CD and have myself a really good sing while I wait'.  In both circumstances the car occupants are late for work.  However, one arrives with their anxiety through the roof, they are upset or agressive when they explain the reasons why and their whole day is affected by the traffic jam; the other arrives at work with their anxiety nice and low, calm and in control, explains why they were late, apologises and re-plans their day around the late start.  They have had exactly the same experience, it's their thought patterns that have affected the amount of stress they experience, and so it is in life.  Of course, some situations are far more difficult to deal with in a positive manner; but the important thing is to always try to look for the 'silver lining' and so keep the anxiety levels low.

When we lose this battle with our anxiety levels and they gradually reach a certain level the Primitive mind 'steps in'.  It doesn't know we don't need it; it only knows that your stress levels have increased and therefore there must be danger and acts appropriately.  So what does this look like when it's chronic anxiety rather than a sharp rise in anxiety?  Let's think back to our Sabre Tooth Lion to demonstrate.  If you came across that Sabre Tooth Lion would you want your Primitive mind to be thinking 'I'm sure it's ok to stay here, I expect it's already eaten'?  No, of course not, you'd want it to be thinking 'Get out NOW, you're it's dinner!!'  The Primitive mind always thinks in the worst case scenario, it has to to ensure our survival.  Useful for Lions, not so useful if it's your job, your bank balance, your day to day duties that it's thinking about in the worst case scenario.  When the Primitive mind steps in as a response to chronic anxiety it places a 'worst case scenario' angle on everything.

The Primitive mind also obsesses about the perceived danger.  If our Lion took up residence outside our front door we would want that to stay on our mind; we certainly wouldn't want our mind to become distracted otherwise we may foget it's there and when we open the door to go to the shop we end up in it's jaws!  So, the Primitive mind obsesses about problems to protect us, again great if the problem is a Lion, not so good if it's a difficult Customer or Manager, an overloaded day or the possibility of redundancy.

So how can Hypnosis help this ever-increasing problem?  Any good Hypnotherapist would explain to a client exactly how our mind works to create stress and the effect this can have on the individual and their pyschological and physiological wellbeing.  They would help to ensure a 're-think' to more positive thought patterns and use Hypnosis to let the subconscious mind know this.  Hypnosis is a state of concentrated distraction not unlike daydreaming, that allows suggestions to be put to the subconscious to ensure it is working to the same agenda as the conscious mind.  In this way overall anxiety is reduced, making room for a more positive outlook that ensures those levels are kept low and reduces the need for the negative, obsessive Primitive mind to 'step in'.   A Solution Focused Hypnotherapist would talk about how you would like things to be (rather than looking at why things are the way they are) and would use Hypnosis to access and optimise all the rescources you already have at your disposal subconsciously to allow change to happen.  In this way the client is able to move forward quickly and positively to a new, less stressful future that uses the Intellectual mind to think from....the part of the mind that allows calm, logical, rational, positive, goal-orientated thinking to happen!

LIVING THE DREAM

Have you ever seriously considered, in detail, what changes you'd make to your life if anything were possible?  Do you remember what your dreams and ambitions were for life?  Do you often think 'if only I didn't have this habit/condition/problem, my life would be so much better....I could do X, Y or Z'?

For those who are quite literally 'Living the Dream', congratulations!!!  For everyone else.....WHY NOT????

No doubt, at this point about a million reasons why not have just popped into your mind!  Either that or you've just become completely stumped by the original question 'What DO I want out of life?'  Or maybe Nickleback's Rockstar is playing on a loop in your mind.....'I want a brand new house on an episode of Cribs, and a bathroom I can play baseball in......'

For many the 'I Want' has been trained out of them.  'It's rude to say I want, it's selfish to think about what you want, don't be silly you'll never achieve that'.  We seem to be brought up in a society that on the whole discourages us from dreaming......and of course, by dreaming what I actually mean is......having Goals!!  How could we possibly achieve anything though, if we don't know what we want!  So, we get stuck in this life that doesn't satisfy us and then wonder why we're not jumping out of bed every morning with enthusiasm to greet the new day!  So many people spend their whole life in a mild state of depression or anxiety without actually realising it, others go on to develop unpleasant mental or physical conditions without ever realising that an alternative IS possible.

Imagine if you will, a life where from a young age you were asked what you want.  What you'd like to achieve.  Where someone took the time and patience to plan the steps you would take to get there and encouraged you in your goals, without judging you or putting a negative opinion forward.  Where you were told every single day by your loved ones, your peers and society that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, that you should want, and that you have the absolute right to have a good, prosperous and fulfilling life.  That to get everything you ever wanted is not dangerous or 'expecting too much out of life', but something you should always aspire to.  That a set back is only an opportunity to re-evaluate your goal, check that it's still valid and maybe to re-plan your route or build a new dream.

Unfortunately for most, this is not the life they had and as adults all the negative influences, opinions and expectations have had an unfortunate or even devestating effect on the story of their life.  They forget to dream, the self esteem is battered, the internal dialogue that plays ensures that they stay 'stuck' in a life that doesn't satisfy them.

Among the solutions for this mass apathy about life Hypnotherapy stands out for me as a leader in making change.  Not only because it uses the scientific evidence that we are now becoming aware of, to hone this skill to it's very best use, but also because many Hypnotherapists are Solution Focused therapists and ensure that clients learn the skills of setting goals and planning steps to achieve those goals.

Hypnotherapy allows us to re-write the internal dialogue.  The powerful negative belief system that many of us live with in our minds throughout our lives is able to be replaced with a positive internal dialogue.  We could spend inordinate amounts of time chanting positive affirmations planned to re-programme our belief system and hope for results, there would be no guarantee of course, because this chanting could still be subjected to the 'filtering' system of our negative programming to reject the affirmations even as we're saying them.  With Hypnosis, we distract the filtering system so that the new, more positive belief system is able to be accepted by the subconscious without question; and with this new, positive belief system our achievements can become immense.  We can reach out and make life happen, accepting success as our right.

What changes would you make to your life if anything were possible?  What are your dreams and ambitions for life? What would you do if you didn't have that habit/condition/problem?

Imagine how great life (and society) would be if everyone knew it was absolutely possible to be 'Living the Dream'......

HYPNOTHERAPY - DEMYSTIFYING THE MYSTERY

As life in general becomes more stressful, and our opportunities for 'de-stressing' seem to be diminishing, more and more people are suffering the types of conditions Hypnotherapy exceeds in relieving; anxiety/stress, depression, IBS, sleep problems, addicitions, eating disorders, to name just a few.  And yet, many suffering from these conditions do not seek the help of a Hypnotherapist, preferring often to turn to medication whether the results are what they hoped for or not.

One of the main reasons for Hypnotherapy not being sought is that Hypnotherapy still remains a mystery for many.  One perception is that this type of therapy IS mysterious, somehow magical, and that the Hypnotherapist can somehow take over your mind and make you do things against your will.  Unfortunately this mis-conception is often also shared by the media who love nothing more than a juicy Hypnosis story that appears to uphold these incorrect beliefs.

The first step to demystifying Hypnotherapy is understanding that Hypnosis is a completely natural state!  We actually go into a Hypnotic state several times a day, in fact there is evidence to suggest we spend large parts of our day in this natural state!  How many times have you got to work in your car and had no recollection of driving there? (Of course, you would have been immediately aware had another car suddenly pulled out on you).  How many times have you been preparing a meal, listening to the radio, thinking about your day, with only half an ear on the story your child is telling you about what happened in school that day? (Of course, if your child suddenly announced little 'Johnny' had punched them in the tummy you would become immediately fully aware of the story).  How many times does your mind wander to what you would do should you become the winner of the enormous Euro Millions Jackpot up for grabs at the moment?

In all these instances you were in a Hypnotic trance!  The only difference between this and the state you enter when receiving Hypnotherapy is possibly the depth of trance, and the content.  During Hypnotherapy the Hypnotherapist guides you through a relaxation process similar to that practiced in yoga or meditation, and then will usually encourage you to imagine pleasant places or images - my favourites are a sun drenched white beach with palm trees and a hammock, with the ocean sparkling like a million diamonds as the sun glances off the tops of the waves as they gently lap the edge of the sand; or a country garden, lush and green where your feet sink into the moist, springy grass, the song of distant birds fill your ears and the fragrance of hundreds upon hundreds of beautifully coloured flowers fill your entire being......As your mind fills with these wonderful images the Hypnotherapist continues to talk to you about your goals, your hopes, your dreams, reminding you of the beliefs your 'real self' has - rather than the self doubt or negative belief system many people habitually live with.  Quite often the Hypnotherapist will tell you a nice story - much like the ones we were told as children when parents and teachers wanted to teach us not to 'cry wolf', or to 'work hard or you may end up living in a house that could get blown away by a wolf', or to not 'talk to wolves in the forest' (funny how so many wolves appear in these stories, as adults we tend to have our own wolves to deal with in day to day life!)

Generally the belief is held by the general public that for Hypnosis to work the subject must be in a near sleep state - it would therefore surprise the majority to learn that the University of Liege in Belgium have carried out many operations using Hypnosis instead of general aneasthetic and the patients are fully aware of their surroundings and the people around them at all times!  It is only necessary for the subject to be in a relaxed, focussed state (ie. Hypnotised!) for the treatment to be successful.

Mystery solved!!  Hypnotherapy is the client relaxing; listening to gentle music; imagining pleasant images and listening whilst the Hypnotherapist makes positive suggestions to you and often tells you a story!

Generally speaking, a good Hypnotherapist will also de-mystify the way the mind works by explaining how it works to the client.  An understanding of how and why we develop the problems/conditions/addictions etc that we do is often a huge relief ('I'm so glad you explained that to me - I no longer feel like some kind of freak/abnormal/silly for having my problem now that I know this' are often repeated comments made by clients), and a great step towards resolving the issue and making sure it stays resolved.

When visiting a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist a typical session is usually made up of half talk, half Hypnosis.  The talking part explores what you would like to achieve, how you would like to achieve this, what skills/knowledge/abilities you already have awareness of that will help you achieve your goals and the life you'd prefer for yourself.  We'd then use Hypnosis to make sure your subconscious is working to the same agenda that your conscious mind is, by making the suggestions you, as the client, have come up with during the talking part.

Is this Mysterious? Magical? Mind Controlling?  Of course not....it's what we do every day of our lives but done in a more focused, productive way.

.....Of course, many that have experienced Hypnotherapy would say the results are Magical.....but I'll let you make your own mind up about that since only YOU can be the boss of your own mind!

Good Things are Like Purple Shoes

If I were to ask you right now to tell me everything that had been good about your week, would you be able to?  How many things would you be able to come up with that could go on the list?

 

Good things are like Purple Shoes……why? I hear you ask!!…..I’ll tell you….

If I were to ask you right now whether you had seen any Purple Shoes because I wanted a pair and couldn’t find any, it’s likely you’d shake your head and say ‘No, I never see Purple Shoes’

However….now that you know I’m looking for Purple Shoes I’ve brought them into your focus.  You’d suddenly start seeing Purple Shoes on people walking by in the street, in the shops, on TV, you’d notice them if they were in the corner of the screen when you were surfing the net.  You may even notice a pair of Purple Shoes peeking out from the back of your wardrobe that you forgot you bought so long ago.

As you started to become more aware of Purple Shoes, you’d start actively looking for them.  In work you’d purposely look to see what shoes your colleagues were wearing.  When your family came to visit you’d check out their shoes, when you were visiting the dentist you’d take a sneaky look just to check if there were any Purple Shoes there.

It would become a game you took pleasure from and maybe even a little sense of achievement each time you found a pair.  You would start to realise there are Purple Shoes everywhere, then you would begin to congratulate yourself that you know this and that you know how to spot them and where the best places are to look.  You may even return somewhere just because you know it’s a place you’ve found Purple Shoes before and delight that there were more Purple Shoes when you got there.

Good things are like Purple Shoes…..

When you bring them into your focus and make yourself aware of them you suddenly realise they are everywhere.  The more you find, the more you delight in them.  The more you learn about where they are the more you visit that place.

Next time you think there’s nothing good in your life, go looking for your Purple Shoes….you’ll be amazed how many there are out there and where you’ll find them.

HYPNOSIS - FRIEND OR FOE?

We hear so much about Hypnosis in the press and who would want to be a killjoy about such stories as the Hypnotists who apparently fell, knocked himself unconscious and left a group of people in a state of Hypnosis that they were –so the story ran - unable to come out of until a new Hypnotist had been brought in?  These stories are great fun.  They tap into the common, albeit inaccurate belief that whilst Hypnotised the subject is under the ‘power’ of the Hypnotist.

We often find that fully qualified Clinical Hypnotherapists whose work is to use Hypnosis for the benefit of the client, often leading to outstanding results, improving the client’s life beyond recognition on occasions, become very upset about such stories.  They worry that members of the general public who may otherwise spend years more of their life dealing with difficulties such as depression that may be ruining their life, their ability to work and their relationships will become reluctant to experience Hypnotherapy as the solution to their problems, despite an idea that this could be, and often is, the one type of therapy that will lead them into a happier,
more fulfilled life.

My view is that Clinical Hypnotherapists such as myself, have nothing to worry about.  The business of Stage Hypnosis continues to thrive.  Shows are often ‘sold out’ and I
can’t imagine that there would ever be a time when the Stage Hypnotist, having ‘primed’his or her audience would be short of willing volunteers to come up on stage
and undertake the ‘suggestibility tests’ that are often a hidden pre-cursor to the Main Event – for those not in the know, this is the part in many shows where the Stage Hypnotist will test how willing the volunteers are to ‘play the game’.  When so many audience members are still so willing to participate in these shows, despite the dramatic media stories about getting ‘stuck’ or behaving in a way that was apparently against the participants conscious or unconscious will, my view is that fully qualified
Clinical Hypnotherapist have no need to worry that truly troubled members of the public will be put off from seeking help with their Irritable Bowel Syndrome (for which of course, the British Medical Association have acknowledged the role of Hypnotherapy in the treatment of), or their Panic Attacks, OCD, Pain Management, Sleep Problems or many, many other conditions Hypnotherapy has proved in many research studies to help, by amusing media stories about the tool of Hypnosis being used for Entertainment purposes – and of course, we must not forget that these stories appear in areas of the media whose purpose is also to Entertain!

By stopping for a moment to consider whether we would play games on a computer to test its suitability for undertaking serious work projects we can begin to understand
the differences between Stage Hypnosis and Clinical Hypnosis.  A properly qualified Hypnotherapist undertakes training to obtain a Hypnotherapy Practitioners Diploma which is recognised by the Open University and is equal to a Level 4 Qualification (45 Undergraduate points).  Many practice Hypnotherapy in a Solution Focused way which focuses the client on their preferred future rather than psycho-analysing the possible root cause of the problem. Many also register with National Council of Hypnotherapist, which as part of their strict Code of Ethics, dictates that members attend regular Supervision.  We have to ask ourselves why anyone who had gone to all this trouble to obtain a professional qualification that enables them to help clients into a far better future, would want their client to ‘cluck like a chicken’? We would be far too busy resolving a fear of flying, needles or dentists, or teaching a mother-to-be relaxation and self-hypnosis techniques for  coping with childbirth in a manner which helps ensure their experience of childbirth is as calm and positive as possible – rather than the dramatic and torturous experience they have previously been taught to expect.

As a member of NCH (National Council of Hypnotherapists), AfSFH (Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapist) and holder of a Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma and Diploma of Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy issued after a full and intense course at an accredited Hypnotherapy Training School, I believe that the general public can make up their own mind and recognise the truly amazing value of Clinical Hypnotherapy, and continue to enjoy the highly entertaining stories portrayed in the media about Stage Hypnosis for Entertainment purposes.

Hypnosis in all its forms, will always be a Friend for me.

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Hypnotherapy is a big subject nowadays.  We hear about how it helps with Childbirth; Slimming; Anxiety; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Addictions; Depression.....the list is endless!

But how much do most people actually know about how and why it works?  When I experienced Hypnotherapy myself  I found it very difficult to put my finger on exactly how or why it worked; but I knew without a doubt that it had!!!  Having completed a comprehensive Hypnotherapy training course I now understand what happened, and am grateful every day that it did!

Over the coming weeks and months I will be adding posts that will help you understand Hypnotherapy and why it is so effective for so many people and why it can help so many difficulties. 

If Hypnotherapy was able to be administered in a little Blue pill it would be hailed a 'Wonder Drug' and most of the population would be taking it daily!  If we knew we could take a little Blue pill that had no side effects; could be taken long term; made you feel better in every way; had the potential to help you reduce your chances of suffering various diseases and illnesses; and could help improve your life in every way we would be queuing round the block to get our hands on it.  Hypnotherapy can give you all this and much, much more.....