New Year Resolutions: Plan for lapse, not failure

We are now mid-January and you may have noticed something familiar beginning to happen.

The gyms are a little quieter. The alcohol-free drinks feel less exciting. The business idea notebook hasn’t been opened in a few days. And a quiet, uncomfortable thought creeps in:

“I’ve already messed this up.”

Every January, many of us make resolutions with the best of intentions, perhaps to drink less (or stop altogether), to get fitter, lose weight, change careers, or finally start that business we’ve been dreaming about. And yet, just a few weeks in, a lapse happens. A missed workout. A few drinks. A day (or week) of procrastination.

For many people, that lapse is interpreted as failure. And that interpretation is what causes some people to abandon their goals entirely and slip straight back into old habits.

The problem isn't the lapse, it's how we think about it.

When we decide to change any behaviour, we often imagine the journey as neat and linear: motivation at the start, steady progress, and eventual success. But of course human change simply doesn’t work like that!

Change is messy. Motivation fluctuates. Life intervenes. Old habits, especially ones that once served us, don’t disappear quietly.

A lapse is not a sign that you lack willpower or commitment. It’s a sign that you’re human.

The real problem arises when a lapse turns into a story  and you find yourself saying "I always do this" or "There's no point now". Once that story takes hold, people often give up altogether, not because they CAN'T change, but because they believe they already blew their chance.

One of the most powerful mindset shifts you can make is this:

Don’t plan for perfection. Plan for lapses.

If you expect yourself to never wobble, you’re setting a standard that no one consistently meets. Instead, assume that at some point you will slip and decide in advance how you’ll respond when that happens.

This changes everything!

Try asking yourself:

• When I lapse, how do I want to talk to myself?

• What’s the smallest action that will help me re‑engage?

• What usually helps me regain momentum?

When you’ve answered those questions, a lapse will no longer knock you off course.

Think re‑engagement

The language you use really matters. When people think in terms of “relapse,” it can feel dramatic and final as if you’ve fallen all the way back to the beginning. In reality, most lapses are temporary pauses, not total reversals.

So a more helpful question than “Why did I fail?” could be “What will help me get back into action?”

For some people, it’s structure. For others, it’s support. Sometimes it’s reconnecting with the reason they wanted change in the first place.

Remember even a small step can restart the cycle.

Building kindness into your plan

Many people believe they need to be hard on themselves to succeed and that if they let themselves off the hook, they’ll never change.

But self‑criticism rarely produces lasting behaviour change. More often, it leads to shame and shame tends to drive the very habits people are trying to escape!

Kindness to yourself doesn’t mean lowering standards or giving up. It means recognising that change is challenging and treating yourself with the same understanding you’d offer someone else.

Try replacing your language such as “I’m useless, I’ve ruined it” with "This is hard, and I’m learning”.

That shift alone can be the difference between stopping altogether and continuing imperfectly.

Progress is made by returning, not by never slipping

People who successfully change long‑term habits are NOT the ones who never lapse. They’re the ones who return again and again without making the lapse mean something awful about themselves.

So if it’s mid‑January and your resolution already feels shaky, this is not the end of the road. It’s a normal moment in the process.

Pause. Reset. Be kind to yourself.

Then take the next small step forward.

Because lasting change isn’t built on perfection. It’s built on persistence, self‑compassion, and the willingness to begin again.

Are AI tools really changing the way mental health therapies are provided?

Like it or not, AI tools appear to be reshaping the way mental health services are delivered. The main benefits are that they help to expand access, enhance personalisation, and support the therapists and clinicians in their work. But could AI actually replace the therapist altogether?

There seem to be many positives to both therapist and client - AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants now have the ability to provide immediate, low-cost support to individuals who might otherwise face barriers such as long waiting lists, high costs, or geographic limitations. These tools can guide users through evidence-based exercises, offer coping strategies, and even detect when someone might need urgent human intervention. By lowering the threshold for seeking help, AI makes mental health support more accessible and reduces the stigma some people feel when reaching out for care.

For clinicians, AI is becoming a valuable partner in diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment planning. Natural language processing can help analyse patterns in speech or text to identify early signs of depression, anxiety, or other conditions. Machine learning models can also track patient progress over time, flagging changes that might indicate relapse or worsening symptoms. This data-driven support allows mental health professionals to focus their time where it’s needed most—on human connection and therapeutic work—while AI manages routine monitoring and insights. 

One of the biggest risks of relying on AI alone in mental health care is the loss of genuine human connection. While AI tools can offer useful support, they lack the empathy, intuition, and 'gut-feel' understanding that a trained therapist brings to the table. Without human intervention, there’s a danger that someone might feel unheard or misunderstood, especially when dealing with complex emotions or trauma that require sensitivity and deep listening. AI can also miss subtle cues in body language, tone, or context that a human therapist would pick up on. In the worst cases, this could mean overlooking signs of crisis or giving generic advice when tailored, compassionate guidance is needed. 

In summary, my view is that mental health support works best when technology and human care work hand in hand. So, while ethical concerns around privacy and empathy remain, AI is not replacing therapists but rather complementing their expertise, helping create more proactive, efficient, and patient-centered mental health care. It's becoming more readily accepted that AI can enhance the process, but it cannot replace the healing power of real human connection.

If you have had experience of working with AI powered mental health support, I would be delighted to hear your views and feedback. Please get in touch: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

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Let’s Talk: Men’s Health Week 2025

Hey guys — and everyone who supports them — it’s that time of year again: Men’s Health Week, running from 9th to 15th June 2025. It’s a time to hit pause, check in, and shine a spotlight on an area of life that often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list: health — especially mental health.

Why Men’s Health Week Matters

Men’s Health Week is about more than just hitting the gym or eating more greens (although, yes, those are great too!). It’s a chance to raise awareness of the unique health challenges men face — and to remind men everywhere that looking after yourself isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Men are often conditioned to “man up,” push through, or deal with things silently. But that stiff-upper-lip mentality can be dangerous. The reality? Men are less likely to seek help for mental health issues, and suicide rates among men remain alarmingly high in many parts of the world.

Let’s Talk Mental Health

Here’s the truth: mental health is just as important as physical health — and it affects every part of life, from relationships to work performance to overall wellbeing.

Whether it’s stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, or simply feeling overwhelmed, no one is immune. And yet, many men struggle in silence. Maybe it feels like admitting you're not okay means you're weak. But it’s actually the opposite — recognising you need support and reaching out takes real strength.

This week is about normalising that conversation.

What You Can Do This Week

Here are a few simple ways to mark Men’s Health Week — whether it’s for yourself or the men in your life:

• Check in with yourself. How are you really feeling? If you're running on empty, it’s okay to slow down.

• Talk to someone. A friend, a partner, a coach, a therapist — opening up is a game-changer.

• Get moving. Exercise helps not just your body, but your mood and mindset too.

• Book that check-up. If you’ve been putting off a doctor’s appointment — now’s the time.

• Support a mate. Reach out to a friend you haven’t heard from in a while. A simple “How’s it going?” can mean more than you think.

It’s Time to Break the Silence

Men’s Health Week is your reminder that you don’t have to carry everything on your own. Whether you’re navigating a tough time or just want to stay in good shape mentally and physically, you’re not alone — and there’s no shame in seeking support.

So here’s to speaking up, checking in, and taking care. Not just this week, but always.

Because real strength isn’t about keeping it all inside — it’s about taking action to live well.

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If this message resonates with you or someone you know, don’t let the week pass by unnoticed. Start the conversation. Share the blog. Let’s keep breaking down the stigma — together.

#MensHealthWeek2025 #MensMentalHealthMatters #ItsOkayToTalk #StrongMindStrongBody

When we 'SHOULD' all over ourselves...

 How often do you 'should' all over yourself? There are many reasons why we say should... "I really SHOULD do the housework" or "I really SHOULD get around to learning a new language" or even "I really SHOULD stop smoking"...

Are you even aware you are saying this? And do you know why you are saying this to yourself? In reality we say "should" far more often than we realise.

So what is the point of saying we "should" do something? Well it implies we know there are things we could do differently in our lives and also that these things are probably for our own benefit (for example, it gets stuff done or it stops us doing things which are bad for us, like smoking or overeating).

So when we say SHOULD to ourselves, we are basically telling ourselves we acknowledge there is something we could do differently. The trouble with the word SHOULD is that it makes it feel like a chore, hardship or even as though someone else is telling us to do this thing. Have you ever noticed how someone looks when they say "should..." to themselves? They usually shrug their shoulders in resignation, roll their eyes or even back away. This is the body language of someone who is not very committed to what they are saying!

My opinion is that this word should be permanently removed from our vocabulary and banished forever! It provides us no purpose whatsoever as it hardly ever leads to action. All is does is make a person feel even worse about not doing the thing they "should" do!

My advice is simple... whenever you notice yourself saying the word 'should' about yourself, STOP. Remove the word 'should' and replace it firstly with 'WANT'. 

So for example, if you are saying "I SHOULD learn a new language", instead say to yourself "I WANT to learn a new language". If you feel at all uncomfortable with this then chances are you don't actually want to! If that is the case, DON'T. If you don't want to do something, chances are you won't be committed to it and you won't actually do very well. Sometimes we realise there is a NEED to do something, like learn a new language for a job or to move to another country, but if there is no actual need, don't waste your time and energy! Likewise, if you try saying, "I WANT to stop smoking" but in actual fact this isn't true (perhaps someone else is telling you to stop but you really don't), then you are not likely to be successful in your attempts. 

If however your answer is that you do want to do this, then move to adding the word 'CAN'. In our previous example, you would then say "I CAN learn a new language". Any human being has the potential to learn a new skill, so this is always yes. Interestingly the same would be true of the question of CAN you stop smoking or CAN you lose weight. The answer is always yes.

Finally, we move onto the word "WILL". Once you have established that you WANT to do something and that you CAN do it, the "I WILL" comes as a natural progression. Once you get to the point of being able to say "I WILL..." there are actually no more obstacles to action. 

Think how much for positive it is to say "I WILL learn a new language, or I WILL stop smoking" rather than "I SHOULD..." do these things. It not only makes the thing sound like it is definitely going to happen, it also puts you in a far greater position of personal power.

So, stop "SHOULD-ing" all over yourself!

Post-Lockdown anxiety - be gentle with yourselves!

 The end is in sight... after more than 12 months of the world going in and out of some kind of lockdown, it would seem that the end of lockdowns, closures, distancing and isolation is now something we can all start to look forward to. But is it that simple? Can we all simply drop back into our lives and pick up from where we left off?

Regardless of the social distancing measures which may remain in place, the UK and other countries are now looking at roadmaps of ways we can start to return to as normal a life as possible. For many this is fantastic news meaning we can start to see friends and loved ones again. At the same time, this 'return to normality' also brings with it anxiety. Even for those who would class themselves as having good mental health, the prospect of going back to busy work schedules, children's activities, social gatherings etc. is actually bringing up anxieties about how we will cope with these situations which, in pre-lockdown times, were just 'normal life'.

So what is going on here? Surely everyone can't wait to get back to normal life?

Not so. For the past year many of us have had to cope with huge change to our daily activities and routines and this itself was difficult to adapt to. After such a long time of having to live this way, the prospect for some of having to go back out in the big wide world is just as daunting. In adjusting to a new set of rules (many of which have been imposed upon us rather than a conscious decision we made ourselves) these new rules about how we must behave have become ingrained in our lives. "Don't get too close to other people, wash your hands as much as possible, wear a mask wherever you go, don't hug people..." etc etc.

And these rules have had a hard hitting life-saving message attached to them... Save lives.

With the end of some of these rules soon to come into play, we are once again having to adjust our mindset to the prospect of being able to socialise again, to share our space and air with others, albeit limited at first. Having changed our minds to one approach, we are soon going to to have to start to change this again. As adults, we have the intellect and rationality to decide what we are comfortable with (within the boundaries of the current restrictions) and make our own minds up about what we do and when. But for those who HAVE to return to the workplace after having worked from home for perhaps a year, I know some people who are simply not comfortable with this and are getting seriously anxious. Similarly, for some of my Mum friends, even the prospect of mixing with others for family gatherings, social engagements again is bringing an unexpected level of anxiety. the thing we yearned for is now becoming something we fear?!

Now consider children and young people in the equation. Kids are like sponges and are quick to adapt and change to their environments. They do however like to have consistent rules and guidelines or they quickly become confused. Confusion leads to anxiety and excess anxiety can lead to depression, even in young children. We are told as parents to keep household rules consistent to avoid badly behaved children. The past year has put our young generation through more change than we can imagine - in and out of school, being able to see friends and then isolated away. This is bound to lead to behaviour changes and I have seen first hand the effects this can have on kids. 

In the months (and perhaps even years) ahead, we must all pay careful attention to our own levels of anxiety and make sure we be kind to ourselves in terms of what we expect from ourselves (and others, particularly our children). Some people will inevitably have expectations forced upon them of what they need to do, however no one should underestimate the impact on our mental health and we need to realise that we can all be affected in different ways by the changes which we will see as the restrictions begin to be lifted. Above all, be gentle with yourselves!

If you are struggling with your mental health and would like to find out how Hypnotherapy could help, please get in touch with Christy for a no-obligation and confidential chat. Email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

10 ways to untwist your thinking

Have you found yourself having negative thoughts about yourself on a regular basis? It may not be obvious to you to begin with, but these thoughts may be twisted thinking about a situation which is not actually 100% accurate. Bad things happen, no one can deny that. We all make mistakes. We all misunderstand things sometimes. That's life and it's ok! What is not ok is to have continual negative thoughts about yourself which become automatic, to the point where we take them as totally and 100% true.

Below are 10 things you can do immediately to begin to 'untwist' your thinking and start thinking more helpfully about yourself and/or a situation

1.      Identify the Distortions

A distortion is something which you may have exaggerated out of proportion from reality. Try to find at least one distortion for each negative automatic thought you have. 

2.      Examine the evidence

Write down your negative thoughts and also any distortions you may have made. Then ask yourself “What is the evidence for this thought?” Examine the facts.

Ask yourself “Is it really true that….?”

Instead of assuming that your negative thought is true, examine the actual evidence for it. For example if you feel that you never do anything right, you could list several things you have done successfully.

3.      The Double-Standard method

Instead of putting yourself down in a harsh, condemning way, talk to yourself in the same compassionate way you would talk to a friend with a similar problem.

When you have a self-critical thought, ask yourself “Would I say this to a close friend who was very much like me and had a similar problem?”

Learn how to treat ALL people, including yourself, with one standard that’s both helpful and realistic. Give yourself the same encouraging messages you’d give a friend.

4.      The Experimental Technique

When you have a negative thought, ask yourself if there is any way to test it to find out if it’s really true. Sometimes an experiment will help you get to the truth about things.

For example, start to break down a task into small steps and see how difficult it actually is to do…

Try to do an experiment to test the validity of your negative thought.

5.      Thinking in shades of grey

When you have a negative thought, ask yourself “Am I looking at things in an either-or, black-or-white fashion? Am I thinking of myself as a total success or a total failure? This is all or nothing thinking.

Remind yourself that things are usually somewhere between 0 and 100 percent instead of insisting that they’re all one way or the other. Evaluate yourself on a range of 0 – 100.

For example, when things don’t work out as planned or as well as you’d hoped, think about the experience as a partial success rather than a complete failure.

6.      The Survey Method

Ask yourself “Would other people agree that this thought is valid?” You can often perform a survey to find out.

Ask people questions to find out if your thoughts and attitudes are realistic.

For example, if you believe that public speaking anxiety is abnormal and shameful, ask several friends if they ever felt nervous before they gave a talk.

7.      Define Terms

When you have a negative thought, ask yourself “How am I defining terms? What do I mean by this? Am I using vague labels that have no meaning?”

For example, if you are calling yourself a “loser” or a “failure”, try to define what you mean by this and you will usually see that your definition is meaningless or that is doesn’t apply to you. If you think you are a fool for doing something, ask whether anyone has ever before done the same thing. If the answer is yes, you must either concede all people are fools or realise that you just did something foolish.

Ask yourself “What is the definition of a …..?”

Usually there will be no such thing.

8.      The Semantic Method

The method is simply substituting language that is less colourful and emotionally loaded.

When you feel upset, ask yourself if you’re telling yourself “I should do this” or “I shouldn’t do that”…

Instead substitute a phrase like “it would be nice” or “it would be preferable” in place of “I should”.

9.      Re-attribution

If you find you are putting yourself down or blaming yourself for a problem, you are applying a distortion of “Personalisation” or self-blame. The antidote to this is “re-attribution” where you attribute the cause of the problem to something other than your “badness”.

Ask yourself “what other factors may have contributed to this problem?” Develop a list of possibilities.

The aim here is not to deny mistakes you may have made, rather to assess the causes of a problem more objectively. If you did contribute to the situation, accept this and learn from the experience instead of wallowing in self-loathing.

10.  Cost-Benefit Analysis

Ask yourself “How will it help me to believe this negative thought and how will it hurt me?”

List the advantages and disadvantages of a feeling (like getting angry) or a thought (like “I always screw up”) or a behaviour pattern (like overeating).

If it turns out the disadvantages are greater, you will find it easier to talk back to the thought. When the disadvantages of an attitude are greater than the advantages, try to revise it with a belief that will be more realistic.

For example, the attitude or belief I want to change: “I must always be perfect”

List the advantages of believing this and the disadvantages of believing this and then rate the % of each one. Once you have done this, see if you can revise your original attitude.

SUMMARY

If you are having persistent negative thoughts, looking through this list may seem a little overwhelming in itself. THAT IS FINE! Take one or two points and give them a go to see what happens. If it doesn't work for you, no problem, just give something else a go. So take this list, dip in and out as you need and watch your attitude slowly but surely shift.

Well done :-)

"You'll make yourself ill..."

 Have you known someone who was so stressed out that you said to them something like "you need to relax or you'll make yourself ill"?

Many a loving and well meaning person has issued this type of warning to a stressed out friend or family member, but perhaps they've not realised quite how scientifically accurate they were actually being?

Back in the 1970's a Dr Ader make a breakthrough in research which provided an insight into this already obvious, well-meant warning. Then in 1991 further studies concluded (something perhaps we all suspected) that there is a direct and replicable relationship between stress and infections such as colds and flu.

Dr Ader demonstrated scientifically that stress worsens severity of illness, sometimes even triggering it. There is a relatively new field of research which is known as PNI or Psychoneuroimmunology which looks at the interaction between psychological processes (how you think) and the nervous and immune systems in the body. In short, it looks at the effects of how you think on your health and general resistance to disease. So basically if a person is very stressed and has negative feelings, this can cause a physical change in the body.

Some people may say "well no surprises there then" however it's amazing how we seem to ignore this previously assumed, and now scientifically proven fact - we carry on with our stressful lives and more people than ever before are being diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It would seem us humans are literally making ourselves sick!

This mind/body immunity link is now more relevant than ever in these times with a global pandemic. It is already being shown that those people who have weakened immune systems (through disease or vulnerability) are less able to fight the virus so it should be a warning sign to us all that we might be inadvertently weakening our otherwise strong immune systems, purely with the way we are thinking. One could argue it's more difficult to remain positive with news of crashing economies, job losses and family break ups and these things should not be "brushed under the carpet" as not important. these things might just be the key to humanities long term immunity over this, and other viruses in the future. Whether you believe in vaccination or not, it's clear there ARE things we can do to help ourselves beyond relying on medicine; and that means all taking a look at our mental health, with just as much effort as we do the physical. Really they are one and the same.

The good news? Even if you should find yourself testing positive with Covid (or other) viruses this winter, if you focus on keeping your mental processes healthy, you have a much better chance of full recovery and as a result, a much stronger immune system. How can do you this? There are many ways, but keeping stress to a minimum and practicing relaxation/meditation techniques, getting good levels of exercise (preferably outdoors), and doing as much as you can to connect with people who can help you relieve stress, will all help boost your body natural immune defences.

Hypnotherapy is also a wonderful way to overcome anxiety, low mood and relieve stress. If you would like to know more, please drop me an email at: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.

The benefits of a good night's sleep... Hypnotherapy could help you sleep better!

I recently received a newsletter with an article entitled "The benefits of a good night's sleep". Having a new baby (he's now just 9 weeks old!) I was naturally drawn to this article as sleep is something that I've been a little short of recently!

When you feel sleep deprived, do you take time to ensure you get enough zzz'ds or do you reach for that third energy drink or double espresso? This article and video talks specifically about the effect of sleep on our ability to perform at our best, may it be a test, exam, important presentation or even playing sport so I thought it would be of interest to a very wide audience. After all, we ALL need sleep to function!

So have a watch of this interesting TED Ed lesson and see how sleep (or lack of!) is affecting your life.

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-benefits-of-a-good-night-s-sleep-shai-marcu?utm_source=TED-Ed+Subscribers&utm_campaign=ecd56a0428-2013_09_219_19_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1aaccced48-ecd56a0428-47133361

If you feel that you aren't getting enough sleep or your quality of sleep is not allowing you to wake up refreshed and ready for the day ahead, hypnotherapy might help you discover techniques that ensure you can drop off into a silent slumber, and stay asleep. If you have any questions about sleep, please contact Christy for a telephone consultation about how hypnotherapy could help you.

Email me at christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call 01252 334377.

Purpose vs Pleasure - Do you actually enjoy your sport?

This month my blog is all about the topic of enjoyment of sport... mainly due to the fact that so many of the clients who come to see me for help with improving their sporting performance all admit that they have 'lost the love' of whatever sport it is they play!

Does this sound familiar to you?

Many people can tell me what it was about golf, football, swimming, tennis, martial arts etc that they were drawn to when they first began to play / took up their sport. However over the years, the pressure of wanting to get better, improve and beat personal bests can sometimes end up overshadowing the very thing that attracted them to that sport in the first place. I call this the "purpose vs pleasure" effect, which basically means that for some people, their sport becomes ALL about a specific purpose (running faster, jumping higher, lowering handicap etc)

One example of this was a golfer who came to see me for help as he felt every round of golf was full of making mistakes and then "beating himself up over it". He spoke all about the endless lessons to improve his swing and the hours spent on the range or green practising his technique; to no avail. It was only when I asked him to tell me what it was he loved about golf that he was suddenly silent! This question alone made him realise his passion in life had become something he didn't really look forward to anymore as he knew each visit to the course would leave him feeling frustrated and depressed. When we began to speak about what it was that attracted him to the game in the first place, he was able to reconnect with these positive thoughts and feelings and, in a short time, was able to rekindle his enjoyment of each round - regardless of how he played. The extra bonus of course is that when he began to enjoy it again, he actually played much better!

I must of course stress at this point... there is NOTHING wrong with having a purpose in sport (whether you are an amateur or professional) and for a lot of people, they need a goal, motivator or purpose to get them out onto the field or pitch. The problems arise when this becomes the ONLY reason why someone does a sport. Like my golfing client, the purpose of reducing his handicap became so all encompassing that he forgot about the reasons why he started to play in the first place.

So if you are struggling with motivation or feel it has become "all work and no play", remind yourself about what it is about your sport that you actually love. You never know in the process you might actually let some of the pressure off which will actually help you perform better!

If you are interested in finding out more about how hypnosis could help YOU, please get in touch with Christy for a FREE telephone consultation on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

What can hypnosis be used for?

I'm often asked by potential clients what hypnosis can be used to help with. This is actually quite a dififcult question to answer as there are so MANY situations in which hypnosis can be a wonderful form of therapy. There are of course, some situations where hypnosis may not be the most useful or effective way to deal with something, but in this blog I wanted to try to set out some kind of list of things where hypnosis is very likely to be at the very least, helpful and best case, perhaps help overcome completely.

Hypnosis is used in a variety of settings - from emergency rooms to dental offices. But what is the evidence in favour of using it? Clinical studies suggest that hypnosis may improve immune function, increase relaxation, decrease stress, and ease pain and feelings of anxiety. Hypnotherapy can also reduce the fear and anxiety that some people feel before medical or dental procedures. For example, studies show that dental patients who underwent hypnosis had a significantly higher threshold for pain than those who were not using hypnosis. Hypnosis may also improve recovery time and reduce anxiety and pain following surgery. Clinical trials on burn patients suggest that hypnosis decreases pain (enough to even replace pain medication in some cases) and speeds healing. Generally, clinical studies show that using hypnosis may reduce your need for medication, improve your mental and physical condition before an operation, and reduce the time it takes to recover

Visiting a hypnotherapist can also help you learn self regulation skills. For instance, someone with arthritis may learn to turn down pain like the volume on a radio. Hypnotherapy can also be used to help manage chronic illness as it can be used to enhance a sense of control, which is often lacking when someone has a chronic illness.

I promised you a list, so here are a few other problems or conditions that may respond to hypnotherapy:

• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Tension headaches
• Alopecia areata
• Asthma
• Phobias
• Insomnia
• Addictions
• Bedwetting
• Fibromyalgia
• Phobias
• Pregnancy anxiety, labour pain and birth
• Skin disorders (such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema)
• Stress
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Cancer related pain
• Weight loss
• Eating disorders
• High blood pressure
• Indigestion (dyspepsia) 

Aside from these medical conditions, hypnotherapy is also hugely beneficial for people who are suffering from anxiety about giving presentations / public speaking, driving test nerves, to stop smoking and one area I particularly specialise in, enhancing sports performance.

If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you, please contact Christy for a free telephone consultation on 01252 334377 or email: Christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.

(This blog was inspired by and uses information presented in an article appearing in the Hypnotherapy Training International publication.)

Are you getting enough sleep?

Most of us know that skimping on sleep wears down your body in so many ways. The power of sleep should not be underestimated and if you are not getting enough sleep you will know that it can have a detrimental impact on your ability to concentrate, to learn new skills or at least complete a full a day in the office!

All this is bad enough without piiling on the results of a recent study published in Psychological Science which found that sleep deprivation is actually linked to false memories. Among the 193 people tested, those who got 5 or fewer hours of sleep for just ONE night were significantly more likely to say they'd seen a news video when actually they hadn't. The authors of this study also noted that false memories in the form of eyewitness misidentifications are thought to be the number one cause of wrongful convictions in the USA. Clearly the consequences of sleep deprivation are far reaching!

This study also discovered that students were more prone to the researchers' false suggestions when they hadn't slept more than 5 hours. The authors of the study suggest that this is due to the fact that sleep deprivation leads to problems encoding new information.

So if you are looking to embark on learning something new, to be able to give a reliable account of something that happened or even look after your own health at the very least, make sure you are getting at LEAST 5 hours of sleep every night.

If you have trouble getting to sleep or if you suffer with distrubed sleep in the night, having a course of hypnotherapy could help you improve both the quality and quantity of your sleep. Find out how by calling Christy on 07527 567245 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.

What is the difference between hypnosis and meditation?

I am often asked by prospective clients who have never experienced hypnosis before, "what is the difference between hypnosis and meditation?".

There is no simple answer to this question as there are actually many different types of meditation and so it is used for a variety of reasons, in the same way that hypnosis is used to help people in a number of ways.

Firstly, there are actually some similarities between hypnosis and meditation. They are both used very often for relaxation and both can reduce heart rate, blood pressure and the amount of stress hormones in the body. Another similarity is that both states involve brain waves changing from the alert state (beta waves) down to alpha brain waves, which indicate deep relaxation. Neither however take brain waves down to full delta brain waves, which is when we are asleep. Another similarity is that both hypnosis and mediatation also usually begin with some form of deep breathing and/or muscle relaxation exercise in order to relax the body and begin to quieten the mind.

The main difference between hypnosis and meditation is the outcome which is desired in many ways. Meditation is usually practiced with the intention of 'clearing' the mind completely from thought and the focus of meditation is the absence of any kind of stimulus. Hypnosis in contrast is usually focused on directing a person's thought toward a specific thing. So for example, when hypnosis is used to help people stop smoking, the focus will be on directing the person to think about all the bad consequences of smoking and/or how their life will be better as a non-smoker. Hypnosis can be used for general stress reduction/relaxation however even then, it will be more intentional and directive than meditation and involves accessing the unconscious part of the mind to bring forth certain bits of information that will be useful to the person in the present moment.

In summary, both hypnosis and meditation are excellent ways to access the mind's ability to overcome stress and be calm. However the difference is that meditation is generally used as a form of 'downtime' for the mind where it can be totally free from conscious thought, whereas hypnosis is used to change a specific behaviour pattern, whether it be over-eating, smoking or even having a phobic response to something. Hypnosis is therefore used more as a form of 'correction' or making a positive change in a person's life.

If you would like to find out how hypnotherapy might benefit you, please contact Christy for a free telephone consultation on 07527 576245 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

What to look for when choosing a Hypnotherapist

Searching for a hypnotherapist can be a daunting task, with so many to choose from on the internet, how do you decide who is going to be right for you?

Ultimately it will come down to who you like the look of and you may well end up going with your ‘gut instinct’, however the following pointers will help guide you in the right direction.

•  Professional Membership of a recognised association or society 

Any hypnotherapist who is running a full time professional practice should show they are a member of a professional body, such as the National Hypnotherapy and Counselling Society (HS and NCS), the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), the British Society for Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH) or the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH). When a hypnotherapist is registered with a body such as these, it means they adhere to a code of conduct and ethics. It also provides you the customer with a formal means of making a complaint should you need to and the relevant support. 

• Hypnotherapy Qualifications

You may find some hypnotherapists with a long list of letters after their name. Whilst this can look very impressive, be cautious that people are not just ‘padding’ their qualifications! Make sure any qualifications are RELEVANT to hypnotherapy. For example a BSc or MSc degree is all very well but it may not be anything to do with their therapy. In particular, look for either ‘DipHyp’ (Diploma in Hypnotherapy) or ‘HPD’ (Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma) as a minimum. Other relevant qualifications could include the letters; SportsHyp (Sports Hypnosis), NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), TFT (Thought Field Therapy). 

• Member of an Accredited Voluntary Register (AVR) scheme

Hypnotherapy is an unregulated industry so it does not have any formal professional standard applicable to training and qualification. The good news is that within the past 2 years, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) has created an Accredited Voluntary Register (AVR) scheme which accredits voluntary registers of people working in a variety of health and social care occupations, including Hypnotherapy.  

In order to be accredited, organisations that hold voluntary registers must prove that they meet the PSA’s demanding standards. This means the public can now choose to use people who are on a register that has been independently assessed and approved.  This provides assurance that the registers are well run and that they require their registrants to meet high standards of personal behaviour, technical competence and, where relevant, business practice. (Look out for this AVR logo)

• Evidence of Professional Insurance

A good hypnotherapist will be more than happy to provide details of their professional and public liability insurance including the details of the insurance company and policy number. This shows that the therapist is concerned and thoughtful about their practice and the clients they see and are willing to invest in their client's safety.

• Do they offer a niche or specific area of expertise?

Hypnotherapy is a very diverse form of therapy and can be very effective for wide variety of issues. Some hypnotherapists try to be all things to all people in order to market themselves as broadly as possible however. This does not make them a bad therapist, however a good therapist will often specialise in a just one or two areas which interest them in particular and which they may have additional qualifications. This means they are far more likely to have the knowledge and skills to help people in that area.

• Do they mention ‘stage hypnosis’ or hypnosis for entertainment purposes?

If you find a hypnotherapist who also offers stage hypnosis or does stage entertainment shows, my personal advice is be very cautious about going to see this person. Hypnosis done for therapeutic benefit and hypnosis done on a stage for entertainment are two completely different things. If someone has completed an online course in stage hypnosis, they will not necessarily have the relevant skills and knowledge to offer someone effective hypnotherapy for more serious issues such as trauma, anxiety and depression. Stage hypnosis is not governed by any code of ethics as the person is not obliged to act under the guidance of a professional organisation. Your own instinct should be your guide here and please be highly cautious.

• Look for testimonials

A really good hypnotherapist who regularly achieves successful results will naturally receive positive feedback and testimonials from happy clients. The hypnotherapist will naturally been keen to display this feedback to prospective clients, so take note of what other people say about a therapist on their website, social media etc, in particular what results they have achieved.

If you have any questions not covered here, please either email Christy or pick up the phone and I will be delighted to help in any way I can. I also offer a free, no-obligation, 20 minute telephone consultation to all. Email me: Christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call 07527 576245 

Do you suffer from the most common phobia in Britain? Don't look down...

According to the results of a new YouGov survey, it is the fear of heights (also known as acrophobia) which unnerve Brits the most, thereby consigning snakes (ophidophobia) and public speaking (glossophobia) into second and third respectively.

 Often thought of as one of the most common, arachnophobia - or the fear of spiders - only came in fourth place, followed by fears of small spaces (claustrophobia), mice (musophobia), needles (trypanophobia) and flying (pteromerhanophobia). 
Perhaps unsurprisingly, YouGov sought to detail the 13 most common fears - although ironically, fear of that number (triskaidekaphobia) didn't feature. Instead, the remainder was made up of crowds (agoraphobia), clowns (coulrophobia), the dark (nyctophobia), blood (hemophobia) and finally, dogs (cynophobia).

So if you have one of these phobias and it is affecting your life significantly, what can you do about it? One way to deal with a phobia is to avoid the thing you are scared of. That might be relatively easy if it's snakes, however most people come across a situation where they are 'high up' frequently - even if it's driving across a bridge. So rather than run away, consider trying hypnotherapy to help beat that fear. 

Hypnotherapy uses a variety of natural techniques to help you use the power of your imagination to reduce the panic associated with phobias and to dissociate you from the immediate "flight" (or run away) response. Most people feel they have no control whatsoever when faced with their phobia - after all we often don't get any warning it will happen - so hypnotherapy can help give you back a sense of control so you can deal with the fear calmly and more rationally.

For more information, please visit my website: http://www.christyhypnotherapy.com/howcanihelpyou.aspx or give me a call for a free consultation: 07527 576245.

Try hypnosis for a good night's sleep

If you have trouble sleeping at night, is your first thought to reach for the bottle of sleeping pills? If so, STOP! Hypnotherapy might be able to help instead providing a far more natural and long-lasting positive result.

A recent article published in 'The New Age' online magazine talked about the results of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Zurich which concluded that hypnosis can increase the quality of sleep, eliminating the need for medications. The effects of hypnosis on sleep have long been questioned by the medical community so this study opens up promising opportunities for improving the quality of sleep without drugs.

The study involved 70 healthy young women who were invited to the sleep laboratory at the Universtiy for a 90-minute midday nap. Whist there a test group listened to 13 minutes of pre-recorded hypnosis before sleeping, and the control group listened to neutral dialogue over loudspeakers.

 

The results showed that  most hypnotizable participants experienced an 80 percent increase in slow wave sleep. This sudy did limit the participants to women, due to their increased responsiveness to hypnosis on average, so it would also be interesting to conduct this study with men to see if the results are similar of course.

 

Whislt this is only one study conducted with a limited audience, the results show that there IS another option rather than turning to the drugs to help improve quality of sleep. Hypnotherapists world over have been using hypnosis for years to help people sleep better so it is wonderful that it is now being recognised formally and education is being enhanced. "The results may be of major importance for patients with sleep problems and for older adults," says psychologist and study leader Maren Cordi. "In contrast to many sleep-inducing drugs, hypnosis has no adverse side effects."

 

If you experience problems with your sleep, please call Christy today on 07527 576245 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com for more information and a no-obligation free telephone consultation.

Hypnotherapy - not just for phobias, smoking and weight loss!

I recently read an article in the Lancaster Guardian about how the power of Hypnosis helped a 30 year old girl recover from a devastating Cancer diagnosis. Fortunately for the girl (Suzanne), she was diagnosed early and managed to receive surgery to remove all traces of the cancer without the need for medication and further treatment. However it was only after her surgery however that Suzanne began to struggle emotionally as a result of the traumatic health scare. She lost all confidence in life which left her feeling depressed and finding it difficult to cope.

Fortunately she was referred to a local Cancer support group who offered her some hypnotherapy to help her cope better with what she'd been through. One of the best quotes from the article for me was Suzanne saying "Hypnotherapy is just like receiving an injection of positive thoughts". I love this as it shows how for her, the Hypnotherapy was obviously the positive injection she needed in her life which meant she was able to deal with everything that had happened to her.

This may be a little misleading for some people though as unfortunately Hypnotherapy is no injection or tablet you can take to make all your ailments or issues disappear! Many a time I've had clients contact me wanting a "quick fix" as medication has't worked or they've tried "everything else".

I wanted to quote this story as it shows how Hypnotherapy can have many other positive uses outside of the 'usual' issues people normally associate with having hypnosis, such as to stop smoking, lose weight or overcome a phobia. This is not about curing Cancer... unfortunately there is no 100% definitive cure as yet. However many people who are struggling with something in their life might not even consider having Hypnotherapy... either because they think they are not "bad enough" or that they "should be able to cope on their own".

I would like to reassure ANYONE who would like to change something in their life for the better to consider trying Hypnotherapy. You never know what it might be able to do for you! Why not call me today on 01252 334377 for a free 15 minute no-obligation consultation to see if Hypnotherapy could help you. Or email me at christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.

To read the full story about Suzanne and her experiences, click here: http://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/local/how-the-power-of-hypnosis-helped-local-girl-recover-from-a-devastating-cancer-diagnosis-1-6491490

The 60th Anniversary of the 4 minute mile. What could belief do for you?

60 years ago on the 6th May 1954, Sir Roger Bannister was the first man alive to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. At the time Roger, who was a medical student and physiologist, broke through the 'cement wall' which, until then, most people believed was physically impossible.

But what is even more amazing than this historical sporting achievement in itself is that in the 18 months following Roger's new record, another 45 other people went on to do the same! So until this day 60 years ago, no one believed it was possible to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. And because no one believed it was possible, no one had done it. Once it had been shown that it was possible, people naturally started to believe that they also could do the same. Once they believed it was possible, it became possible!

 Today, running a mile in less than 4 minutes is something a great many athletes achieve on a regular basis. It's become a much more 'achieveable' thing for many people to do. This is just one example of how belief changed people's perceptions of something, literally overnight. There are of course many other examples of this, but the most important thing for us all to realise is that "belief" can have such a huge impact on our lives.

Think now about whether there are any beliefs you hold about yourself (or your ability to do something) which are actually holding you back and stopping you from achieving what you are truly capable of. If something comes to mind, think about how what you would do if you knew without fail, that it was possible - all you have to do is give it a go? I'm sure Roger did not know 100% for sure that we was capable of running the mile in 3 minutes and 54 seconds, but he tried anyway.

Henry Ford is famous for saying "whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right". Challenge your beliefs today!

For more information on how hypnotherapy can help you challenge your beliefs, contact Christy on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

Hypnotherapy in the news: Jennifer Saunders has hypnotherapy to overcome procrastination

Jennifer Saunders, known by many as "Eddie" in the TV show Absolutely Fabulous starring alongside Joanna Lumley, has recently announced that she will be writing a fillm script to take the well known television show to the big screen. She admits however that she's suffered with terrible procrastination and was struggling to focus whilst trying to write the film script.

In an attempt to help, she decided to seek help from a hypnotherapist to overcome her procrastination. Revealing for the first time the extent of the struggle she has faced in writing the script, first mooted in 2011, she said: “I am actually having treatment, hypnotherapy, for procrastination. What my hypnotist said was to get rid of the backpack of negativity.”

This is by no means an isolated account of hypnosis being used to help overcome procrastination. Over the years I have had a number of clients come to see me either complaining of a lack of focus in their life or a feeling of "just not being able to get things done". There may be a number of reasons WHY people find it hard to do something in their life - it could be the result of a busy family life, work stress etc - however I find a lot of the time it is mainly down to a fear or anxiety about doing something in case they don't succeed or are rejected.

The great part about having hypnotherapy to overcome procrastination is that it can get right to the crux of these fears and replace them with positive suggestions and motivational visualisations for success. I also find it helpful to do pre-recorded CD's or MP3's for many of my clients which allows them to continue the positve effects of the hypnosis in between sessions. Over a short period of time, this helps the person get rid of that backpack of negativity as Jennifer describes, so they can just get on and do it!

You can download a pre-recorded MP3 from my 'Downloads' page specifically designed to help overcome procrastination, including a 1 minute free preview to give you an idea of what it's like. If you would like to arrange a one-to-one consultation with Christy, please email christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call 07527 576245.