National Tinnitus Awareness Week

This is National Tinnitus Awareness week (9th Feb to 15th Feb). Tinnitus is a common problem suffered by no less than 4.7 million people in the UK. Tinnitus is most often associated with a ringing sound in the ears, but it can take many different forms, which can easily be confused with external noise. 

Many people cannot pinpoint a reason or cause for the onset of this problem but many will agree that the noise is made worse by stress or anxiety; some believe that stress is the cause.

I developed tinnitus 5 years ago when a virus attacked my auditory nerve and knocked out most of the hearing in my left ear.  It started with a noise which was like dripping water and then became a hissing sound like a water cistern filling up.  At times it can almost be like whispering voices.

The British Tinnitus Association states ‘It is now well established that Tinnitus is generated in the brain and not in the ear. Moreover, we have learned from animal studies that tinnitus might be linked to increased spontaneous activity of nerve cells in the brain’. 

I am fortunate that my tinnitus has never seriously affected my mood or emotions but studies show that about 50% of tinnitus sufferers are psychologically affected by their condition. The emotional impact of tinnitus can range from simple annoyance and frustration, to anger, anxiety, sleep disturbance and impaired concentration, to more severe conditions like panic, depression and chronic insomnia.
  
Unfortunately there are few medical treatments are available for tinnitus suffers but psychological therapies have helped many people. Cognitive Hypnotherapy is one such therapy. Cognitive Hypnotherapy combines Hypnotherapy, CBT, WordWeaving and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) to provide a treatment programme that not only can help to identify the stressors, but also actively works to lessen the stressor and manage, lessen or even eliminate symptoms.

Sufferers can also be taught techniques which they can put into practice themselves.  One technique you can try for yourself is the 'control panel'.  Close you eyes and imagine a control panel inside your head.  You can decide whether it looks more like a car dashboard or hi-fi controls or something else.  Find the volume control and give it a scale of 1-10.  Notice the current volume level and then turn it down to an acceptable level.

Once learnt, this type of technique can easily be practiced at home or work and can be effective in combating, controlling or even eliminating the symptoms.

For more information about tinnitus see www.tinnitus.org.uk

What is good nutrition?

I work with clients on issues from nail biting to depression and I run training sessions on a range of wellbeing and NLP subjects.  I’ve found that the clients who benefit the most and the delegates who learn the most are the ones who engage with the therapy and the subject.  They are the people who ask lots of questions, experiment with the techniques that I teach them and give me lots of feedback.

So I love it when clients and learners come back to me with research and recommendations from things that they have read or seen.  Thanks to the Internet we can all have access to the latest research, the only limit is the amount of time we have to look.  

One of my weight loss clients is sending me some great information on nutrition and I thought I would share them with you.

“Sugar: The Bitter Truth.” Speaker: Robert H. Lustig MD UCSF  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

“Protein Power". Speaker: Michael Eades, MD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sKFSG41SU0

“10 Diet Myths”: The GKR Karate UK Conference Presentation. Speaker: Zoe Harcombe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg-iRMYbxOM&feature=related

Lots to think about there if you are struggling with your diet.

And sleep

When people find out that I am a hypnotherapist one of the most common problems that they want to talk to me about is sleep.  They either can’t get off to sleep or they wake up during the night or they wake up unrefreshed.  Good sleep is so important for our physical and mental health and that’s why I frequently blog about the subject.

 

I also run a one day workshop on getting better sleep.   I was preparing for one of these workshops last week and I was looking for any new material or research.  I came across this beautiful piece of music by Eric Whitacre on TED Talks called ‘Sleep’.  The music and the words are so lovely I wanted to share it.  http://blog.ted.com/2011/04/08/watch-sleep-eric-whitacres-new-work-with-2000-voices/

Enjoy! 

The Best Medicine

Today, 16 January, is said to be the most depressing day of the year.  Well, I know it’s Monday, but the sun is shining and it feels like a good start to the week.

As human beings we are hardwired to look at the bright side of life even if the evidence around us suggests that the future is not looking so good.  Optimism is part of our strategy for survival and helps us to deal with financial problems, health issues and worries about our children.

This could be the reason why laughter is so good for us.  It reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and releases health enhancing hormones, such as endorphins, into the bloodstream that help to heal, rejuvenate and renew our bodies.  It can also strengthen our immune system.

Laughter can be contagious – in a good way.  The brain responds to the sound of laughter by preparing the face to laugh and smile.  If you laugh, the chances are that people around you will relax and laugh too.  So just by laughing you can improve your own mental and physical health and the wellbeing of the people you live and work with. 

What would make you have a good laugh today?  Do you have a favourite funny movie or TV programme that you could watch?  Or is there a book that really makes you laugh?  I remember the first time that I read The Diary of Adrian Mole I was incapacitated with laughter.  Even better, could you sit down with some family or friends and remember some happy, funny memories?

Whatever you do today, take your medicine – have a good laugh!

Good Resolutions

 Good Resolutions

What have you decided to change in your life in 2012?  Is it something you want to stop doing - smoking, drinking too much, over eating?  Or is it something you want to do more of - relaxing, exercising, learning a new skill?  

It’s good to have a goal for positive change and remember, if the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the road to heaven is paved with commitment and good planning.  So, whatever you've decided to do, here are some tips for making it happen.

Step 1 Know what you want to have happen

• Close your eyes and visualise what you want. State it in the positive eg “I want to be a size 12”, “I want to breathe easily”, “I want to spend two hours a week exercising”.
• What will you see, hear and feel when you achieve your goal?
• When do you want to achieve it by? eg a specific date or special occasion.

Step 2 Plan how you are going to get there

• What resources do you already have? What resources do you need?
• What options do you have to help you achieve your goal?
• Do you need any advice or support?
• What actions are you going to take?
• What obstacles might you experience? How might you overcome them?

Step 3 Make a commitment

• Tell someone else what you are going to do or
• Join a group with the same goals

Step 4 Work the plan

• If you move off of the plan one day, forgive yourself and start again

Step 5 Enjoy your achievements!

 

Good Luck and Happy New Year

Beat the Winter Blues Update

A couple of weeks ago I suggested taking a walk at lunchtime to get some midday sunlight and some healthy exercise.  We already know that exercise has significant benefits for mood and energy levels and has the potential for managing addictions.  Now there’s an even better reason to go for a walk.

According to research published by the University of Exeter, a 15 minute walk can cut your snacking at work by a half.  The researchers invited 78 regular chocolate eaters to abstain from chocolate for2 days and then enter a simulated work environment.  They were asked to take a brisk 15 minute walk on a treadmill and then they divided into four groups.  The first group was given an easy, low-stress task and the second was given a more difficult task.  The other two groups were asked to have a rest before being given the same tasks as the first two groups.  Chocolate was freely available to all the teams.

The groups who had exercised before working ate on average half the amount of chocolate eaten by the others.  The difficulty of the task made no difference to the amount of chocolate they consumed.

Professor Adrian Taylor, lead researcher, said: “We know that snacking on high calorie foods, like chocolate, at work can become a mindless habit and can lead to weight gain over time. We often feel that these snacks give us an energy boost, or help us deal with the stress of our jobs, including boredom. People often find it difficult to cut down on their daily treats but this study shows that by taking a short walk, they are able to regulate their intake by half.”

You can read more at http://www.sciencedaily.com Dec 7 2011

A Festive Recipe

Last week, along with the sales catalogues and Christmas cards, I received a flyer from a local firm of solicitors with a special offer. It was for free initial advice on divorce and family law. The offer ends on 31 January. This is not a piece of random marketing because family law solicitors are particularly busy at this time of year.

Relationships can come under pressure for a variety of reasons; seasonal depression, financial pressure, anticipating spending time with relatives, an excess of alcohol at parties etc. Some people see Christmas or the New Year as an arbitary deadline for getting their lives sorted out.

If you are in an abusive relationship then you need to take action. But if your relationship is just at a low ebb, stop, think again and consider taking some relationship advice or therapy.

There are lots of new and traditional recipes around at this time of year so how about a recipe for  happier Christmas relationships?

Ingredients:

A good helping of patience

A pinch of time spent alone with your partner

An extra helping of laughter and fun

One cup of tea (served hot to partner in bed)

A handful of hugs to increase happiness hormones

A helping of shared exercise for health and well-being

A generous helping of happy memories that you’ve shared

 

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients. Look back over the happy memories and make them as vivid as possible so that you can really enjoy them.  Review the highlights with your partner every evening to ensure that everything is cooking well. At the end of three days review all of the new happy memories and store them away for easy retrieval during the year.

 

Best wishes for a Happy Christmas 2011.