Category: Uncategorized

Find excitement in the work you do

Welcome back after the summer. It certainly feels like Autumn, there was a shift yesterday, a slight nip that told me change is in the air.   We all love summer, but there is something special about the change of seasons. I love the freshness of Autumn. How has your summer been?

I took two weeks off to reset, reboot and relax. Back to work today with renewed enthusiasm and energy.  It was lovely to hear some good news first thing from a wonderful client who had a severe phobia that affected her life, big time:

⭐️ “My phobia has been better and hasn’t caused me any issues which is amazing and thank you so much.“⭐️

Work is love made visible

The Lebanese mystic and poet, Kahlil Gibran, said “Work is love made visible“.  Loving work is a choice. No matter what is happening, there is always an opportunity to tune in to the excitement that was there when we decided to do what we do.  What is your highest excitement? Are you following your passion? Can you list 5 things that excite you about the work you do?

I have great love for my work, and I follow my passion every day, doing something I love and helping others at the same time.

Here are 5 of my top tips for following your excitement and loving what you do.

1. Cultivate a feeling of excitement. Recognise the feeling of excitement in your body as the high level energy that takes you to an elevated state of being. We can find excitement in even small things, as long as one thing is more exciting than something else, we are choosing the highest excitement at the time. It doesn’t have to be something big like a roller coaster ride, it can be as simple getting absorbed in something you’re doing, being creative, phoning a friend, choosing to listen to someone inspiring on YouTube for 5 minutes, doing a quick burst of exercise, or just sitting down to enjoy a nice cup of tea. For me, the feeling is a fizzy sort of sensation that expands in my chest and radiates out, and I become aware of a humming sound in my brain – this is the neural pathways lighting up. Doing my work and helping others has always been my passion, and it brings me joy to know that what I do can change lives for the better. What does excitement feel like for you?
2. Lifelong learning. Learning something new is one of my top values, and I am always learning something new, through books, courses, interactions with others and online. Personal development for me is joy and I can never get enough of it. There is so much out there that we don’t know. And one thing leads to another. Very often, just learning one new thing and implementing it, can make a change for the better.  What are you learning that makes you feel excited?
3. Make real connections with others. This is the foundation of good relationships. I aim to connect with every person I interact with like they are the most important person in the room. People are so interesting and resourceful. It’s fascinating to watch how other people think, move and interact and how they cope with life’s challenges. Most communication happens non-verbally, from one brain to another, we pick things up subconsciously, feeling the vibes, the energy and the intention behind the narrative. Imagine what it would be like to be the “other” person and how they might feel interacting with you. Really listening to someone and showing you care is sometimes the best thing. How connected do you feel with those you interact with?
4. Be authentic. Sometimes being authentic can make us feel vulnerable, but this is ok. Showing vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.Someone once said, “Be yourself, all others are taken”.  And why not be your best self?  Show up, sparkle and be heard and do it again tomorrow.  It’s ok to make mistakes, but don’t let one mistake define you.  Just carry on doing your best. Many people worry about what others think of them, they fear being judged negatively or harshly, but what others think is their business, it has nothing to do with us, really.  It’s how we judge ourselves that matters in the end. How can you be more authentic?
5. Learn about your brain. Neuroscience tells us that 95% of everything we do is created by a subconscious programme. That’s the part of the brain that can’t think. It just repeats stored patterns of information.   That means only 5% of what we do is consciously controlled. The Frontal Lobe is the newest part of the brain, the place where we operate from, making decisions, being creative, talking, imagining.  Once we learn something, and repeat it often, it gets stored in the subconscious in order to free up energy for learning something else and surviving.  Evolution has ensured that we programme the things that help us survive.  When you talk about something that excites you, do your hands move? Did you decide that or did it just happen? Your body talks non-verbally, expressing things that you say or don’t say.   The brain filters out, distorts and generalises the information coming through our senses so our reality is filtered through awareness, focus, beliefs and values.  How much do you know about your brain? Knowledge is power.  If you want to change your brain for the better, learn how the operating system works.  The subconscious stores anything that is repeated often and offers it back as a habit pattern. That includes the kind of thoughts we think, and our state of being, negative or positive, so become mindful of what your patterns of thought and feelings are. The Frontal Lobe is where conscious control lives, but that’s only 5% of awareness, so be more mindful, notice your patterns and repeat positive thoughts often.

If you are not feeling love for your work, or excitement has drained away, something needs to change, either the job or the way you look at things. Excitement is another word for high energy vibration and we can always change our state of being by making some adjustments to our thoughts, our physiology and our focus of attention.

Can you list 5 things that bring excitement to your daily life?

Follow me for more exciting tips!

If you were a fly on the wall of your own mind, what would you hear and how would it make you feel?

We have roughly 70,000 thoughts a day – how many are helpful? Are you your own cheerleader or chief critic?

Your brain looks for evidence of what you think and believe and will try to prove you right, no matter what you think.  Positive affirmations are a great way to increase your confidence and boost your mood.  Hypnosis amplifies the effect.

 “What the thinker thinks, the prover proves”.  Dr. Leonard Orr

I am delighted to share my article on Hypnotic Affirmations, published in the Hypnotherapy Directory, just click on the link below to read more…

https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/hypnotic-affirmations

For more information or help with building a positive mindset, book a free call.

Hypnotherapy is more than hypnosis, it’s about empowering you to be the best you can be.

Does the thought of having a blood test make you feel faint?

Do you want to have a tattoo but couldn’t face having a needle?

Would you like to try acupuncture but the thought of needles freaks you out?

You are definitely not alone in this fear.

One of my clients said this recently, about how she overcame the fear of needles with hypnotherapy:

It may sound strange, but the habit of pulling out your hair is very common.

Many people do it in secret and it’s not only women that do it – men do it too!  It can be any bodily hair, including the hair on your head, eyebrows, eyelashes, or beard.

I am delighted to share my article on the subject here, published by The Hypnotherapy Directory:

https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/trichotillomania-how-to-stop-pulling-out-your-hair

If you would like some help, get in touch with me for more information.

Normal forgetfulness is a natural symptom of ageing, we all forget things from time to time, like where we put the car keys or where we parked the car. However, if forgetfulness is accompanied by confusion, difficulty in making decisions, or changes in mood or behaviour it might be something more serious like a NeuroCognitive Disorder (NCD).

It can be quite scary for anyone, older people especially, to think of losing their memory or developing an NCD.  Unfortunately NCDs are on the increase in developed countries across the world and research shows that lifestyle factors play a big part.

According to the WHO (World Health Organisation) the risk factors for developing an NCD include:

• age (over 65)
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• high blood sugar (diabetes)
• being overweight or obese
• smoking
• drinking too much alcohol
• being physically inactive
• being socially isolated
• depression

Stress, anxiety, trauma and depression can also cause memory loss, lack of mental clarity, focus and concentration, in the absence of an NCD, so it’s always a good thing to speak to your G.P. about the symptoms so you can rule out anything serious or get the help you need.

The good news is that help and support come in more ways than one, and there is no time like the present to take steps to minimise the risks of physical and cognitive decline.  We all need to do what we can to remain healthy in mind and in body.

Hypnotherapy is safe and natural, completely drug free and it works alongside any medical diagnosis as it helps to promote physical and psychological wellbeing by providing a great number of benefits, including:

• physical relaxation and mental calmness;
• improved memory, clarity, concentration and focus;
• greater confidence and motivation;
• stress management and emotional resilience;
• help with planning and goal setting.

Every person is different and each individual needs their own person centred approach with a plan of action that works for them.

Here are 10 things that we can all do immediately to improve cognitive function and minimise the risk of developing an NCD:

1.    Eat a Mediterranean diet rich in antioxidants;
2.    Stay physically active, exercising daily;
3.    Stop smoking and give up or greatly reduce alcohol;
4.    Maintain a healthy weight;
5.    Keep an active mind, learn new things or do puzzles;
6.    Socialise and have more fun and laughter;
7.    Journal your feelings;
8.    Keep a diary and write down something nice to do every day;
9.    Before you go to sleep at night, think of 3 things to be grateful for that day;
10. Practice mindfulness in everything you do;

it’s not always about finding a cure to something but hypnosis helps to activate the best possible state of mind/body for healing and we can learn how to minimise and manage the symptoms, in order to enjoy life to the best of our ability.

The use of Hypnotherapy is supported by research from the University of Liverpool which found that hypnosis can aid in slowing mental decline and increase life enjoyment in patients with an NCD.

Whether it’s normal forgetfulness or an NCD, hypnosis can help to greatly improve cognitive function and enjoyment of life overall.

Hypnotherapy & BWRT Programmes available for Anxiety & Trauma Release; Self Confidence & Healthy Esteem; Stress Management & Emotional Resilience; Weight Loss; Addictions.

Face to Face In Person and Online sessions available.  Free Consultation. Milton Keynes & International.

References:

WHO

Science Daily

I have been noticing lately that some people believe they can’t prioritise their own goals because someone or something else needs their attention.  They never put themselves first and believe that others’ needs are more important than theirs.   I have heard many excuses for not sticking to a plan or not pursuing a goal, including:

• A neighbour was down in the dumps today and I couldn’t leave her on her own; 
• A friend broke up with her partner needed a shoulder to cry on;  
• A family member is going through a tough time and needed to be cheered up; 
• There was just too much to do and I didn’t have time;
• A colleague doesn’t get on with the boss and needed to talk to someone; 
• The dog just doesn’t seem right today.

… the list is endless.  

Putting others first can be altruistic and noble, but not at the expense of our own needs, dreams and desires. Very often, the focus on other people is, in fact, a type of self sabotaging behaviour.  Of course there are always exceptions, real emergencies are different. We can do our best to help others, but ultimately we are not responsible for their happiness. 

When it comes to being there for others, it doesn’t have to be  “them or me”, it can be “them and me”. 

Recently, a client of mine didn’t turn up for an audition to perform in a production that she really wanted to do, because her friend was having a tough day and she didn’t want to leave her on her own.  Now, that’s a lovely thing to do, but when it becomes a habit there may be an underlying subconscious agenda going on.   For my client it wasn’t the first time she did this, it had become a habit.  She realised she had an underlying fear of failure, and “putting herself out there” would make her vulnerable.   Spending the day with her friend kept her safe within her comfort zone and stopped her from failing. Her self sabotaging thought was “You can’t fail if you don’t try.” 

“Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of  success.” – Arianna Huffington 

Limiting beliefs are like STOP signs in the brain, but the truth is, a belief is not a fact and fear is not a real barrier.

So the question to ask oneself is  “How long am I going to give my life to others without pursuing my own dreams?”  or “When am I going to stop the self-sabotage and put myself first?”

My client was able to stop that destructive behaviour in its tracks by changing the way her brain responded to the idea of “putting herself out there”.  BrainWorking Recursive Therapy (BWRT) helped her to feel excited instead of fearful.  She decided that showing up and doing her best would be good enough, and no matter what happened it would be a learning experience and a great opportunity to improve her performance skills.   She is now looking forward to her next audition with excitement.  If something crops up like a friend in need, she said she will see her after the audition, or the next day, because she is just as important as her friend. 

When you are ready to overcome the obstacles that are stopping you from living your best life, you can identify the hidden agenda, free yourself from limiting beliefs and counter any self sabotaging thoughts.

Do you have a dream you are not pursuing? Are you making excuses for not doing something you want to do?   Are you telling yourself a story?

Ask yourself these 6 questions:

1. What am I not doing that I want to do?
2. What is stopping me from doing this?
3. What do I believe will happen if I do this?
4. Could there be an underlying fear of something or another hidden agenda?
5. How long am I going to let this sabotage my dreams?
6. When am I going to stand up for myself and do something about it?

If you need a little help overcoming limiting beliefs or self sabotage get in touch for a free consultation and find out how I may be able to help you.   E-mail mary@innerspacehypnotherapy.co.uk or put your contact details in the box below.

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” – Anonymous.

I find the practice of a regular mini meditation to be a great benefit in staying calm. You can slot it into your day around whatever else you are doing.

Professor Daniel Siegel, UCLA School of Medicine, says that “Relaxation is good but it doesn’t provide the psychological changes you see in mindfulness practice.” There is no need to sit for hours on a cushion, you can reap the rewards of meditation in just three minutes a day. It’s safe and effective and brings many benefits.

Professor Siegel advises a building a daily habit, just like brushing your teeth. The brain loves repetition more than duration. He says “Mindfulness meditation is a form of brain hygiene, it cleans out and strengthens the synaptic connections in the brain”.

As well as being good for the brain, meditation helps to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, boost mood and energy, build emotional resilience, restore a sense of calm, enhance creativity and problem solving skills, reduce pain, boost the immune system and slow down the ageing process.

It’s easy to find three minutes in the day, or enjoy taking as long as you want to. You can do a mini meditation whenever you’re waiting for someone so it’s not a waste of time. I love sitting somewhere in nature and tuning in.
When you are used to daily practice, you may find that you can tap into the stillness any time, eyes open or closed.

3 Easy Steps

Prepare by setting your intention to find the stillness within. Adopt a beginner’s mind and be curious about your experience. Sit or lie down somewhere safe and comfortable.

1. Close your eyes and tune in to your experience for one minute or so, what do you notice? Any heaviness or lightness? Warmth or coolness? Just notice what’s going on for you just now.
2. Pay attention to your breath without trying to change anything. Spend about a minute observing the breath as you inhale and exhale. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the breath, without fuss.
3. Notice the sounds around you and the silence in between, no need to label anything, just notice. Do this for another minute or so and slowly bring yourself back and open your eyes.

Of course, you can stay there longer if you want to. Regular daily practice of 3 minutes has a cumulative beneficial effect on wellbeing, it’s a great habit that can be part of your self-care routine.

The weekend is over and it’s Monday again. For many, it’s back to the grindstone, getting up early, working hard and feeling tired already.

I don’t know about you, but I love Mondays and I love the excitement of a fresh start. It’s a new opportunity to get back on track with motivation and desire to advance towards achieving our goals.

There are 3 good reasons why Mondays can be a fresh exciting start. First, it’s a brand new week with a new energy and unlimited potential. Second, Mondays are a good time for planning. By taking small steps we can move forward in leaps and bounds in seven days. Third, Mondays are a great time for motivation. We can use the start of a new week to motivate ourselves to take action and get things done.

Here are 10 tips for making the most of Mondays:

1. Take a little time to set some goals for the week. What do you want to accomplish? What would be the best thing?
2. What are your compelling reasons for wanting this? Write three reasons why it’s important to you.
3. What will be the benefits of achieving your goal this week? Write down three benefits. Visualise and emotionalise yourself taking action and feeling proud of your achievement, happy that you stuck to your guns.
4. Plan ahead. Break the goal down into a few steps and schedule them into your diary. Make a commitment to yourself, you are worth it!
5. Anticipate any obstacles that might try to sabotage you and think of fun ways to overcome them.
6. Get yourself organized. Monday is a good time to declutter and create some space. An organised environment creates positive energy that will help you stay on track.
7. Eat healthy food and avoid sugar spikes that lead to a dip in energy and motivation.
8. Build exercise into your day. Exercise helps to relieve stress, improve sleep, boost your immune system and slow down the ageing process. All activity and movement counts. Make it a healthy habit, any exercise is better than no exercise.
9. Schedule in some quality time with friends or family during the week. Good quality connection with others builds emotional resilience.
10. Be kind to yourself, you are amazing. Speak to yourself like you would speak to your best friend.

By following these steps on a Monday, you are setting yourself up for success, making it more likely you will have a productive week. So make Mondays matter and enjoy them!

If you are finding it hard to get motivated or achieve a goal, and would like some help, get in touch with me for a free consultation. Hypnosis and BWRT are great tools to overcome obstacles, break through emotional blocks and reprogramme the mind for success.

Hi there, I hope you are doing well today.  If you are anything like me, life can be pretty hectic sometimes.  It’s all go go go.  I’m taking some time out this morning to enjoy the sunshine streaming in through the window as I sit here with my cup of early morning tea.

I have a morning routine that includes meditation and exercise and I am usually up early so that I can set myself up for the day.  I love it when the house is quiet and I can tune into the still peaceful energy that comes before the activities of the day.  This is part of my self care routine.

Self care is not about being selfish, it is about giving ourselves a little time and attention too.  Everyone who has ever flown on an airplane knows that if the oxygen mask drops down, you have to put yours on first, before you can help anyone else.  This is such a good analogy for looking after ourselves.

Some of the people who come to see me say they suffer from stress, they feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life and find it hard to switch off.  When they are supposed to be relaxing they are thinking of work or trying to solve some problem or other.  One of the skills I teach them is a mini-meditation, a brief relaxation exercise that has the power to reduce stress and bring balance and harmony to the mind and body, when practiced regularly.  I encourage them to do it at least twice a day for at least a couple of weeks to see the difference it makes.

As well as things like going for a walk, sitting in the sunlight, having a lovely bath or a nice cup of tea, anything  that you enjoy doing, a brief meditation can give you the boost you need and restore a sense of calmness. The steps are simple and once you have done it a few times you can use it in many different scenarios.

I recently did a podcast with Dr. Sammy, a medical doctor in the U.K.  (see my last blog post for more details).  In the podcast I guide you through a Heart Focused Relaxation exercise, and teach you how to do it for yourself.  The audio extract is linked below.  It  is just 10 minutes long, and when you have learned the steps you can do it for yourself anytime, taking as long or as little time as you need.

There are three main steps in the exercise:

1. Shift your focus from the thinking mind to the feeling heart.
2. Breathe a little slower and a little deeper than normal, and find an easy comfortable rhythm.
3. Activate a feeling of love, care, appreciation or gratitude for someone or something in your life.

From here, I encourage you to spend a few moments connecting to and feeling the elevated emotion, and then radiate this uplifting feeling to every cell in your body.  Then, if you want to, radiate the positive feeling to the world around you.

When you complete the three steps,  you can add some positive affirmations or imagine yourself doing something that you want to do – achieving a goal of some sort, or just sit in the calmness until you are ready to move on with the day.

Click on the link to access the audio: Guided Heart Focused Relaxation Exercise

I love this quote from Carl Jung, it’s a good one to remember at the beginning of every day:

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become”

Feel free to let me know how you get on or if you have any questions.  I’d love to hear from you.

Inner Space – Your Safe Place.

Have you ever really wanted to do something and felt really excited about it, but at the same time a bit nervous?  I can relate.  That was me last week.  I had butterflies in my stomach and my heart was beating faster.  I was preparing to talk on a podcast for the very first time and in that moment I stepped into a space called the “creative growing edge” which was outside my known comfort zone, and into a brand new experience for me.

I was over the moon to be invited as a guest on the “Surrender and Manifest” podcast, hosted by Dr. Sammy – a medical doctor in the U.K.  She talks with her guests about personal growth and mindset, and blends her knowledge of psychology, early childhood development and neurobiology in order to help her listeners to understand more about themselves and how their brains works.

On this episode, we discuss how I got to where I am today, my journey to become a Clinical Hypnotherapist and BWRT (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy) Practitioner, and I share some interesting issues I have helped my clients to overcome, including an unusual phobia and a case of childhood abuse.

I also share some tips to build emotional resilience, and you can find out how I helped one client to activate her Inner Cheetah.  Dr. Sammy does a great job of summarising the main points so you have a take away.

At the end of the podcast, we do a guided 10 minute Heart focused relaxation exercise which is a simple, powerful technique that builds emotional resilience, lowers stress, boosts the immune system and creates a natural state of harmony and balance that connects mind, body and spirit.

You can click on the link below to have a listen, you may hear something that resonates with you.  If you have any questions, please get in touch.  I would love to hear from you, and if I can help you with anything, just ask.

Inner Space – Your Safe Place

Surrender and Manifest Podcast – “Activate Your Inner Cheetah”