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