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.

Beat the Winter Blues

We had a lovely autumn with lots of warm sunny days but now the clocks have gone back and the days are getting shorter.  Whether or not you suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) you may find yourself feeling tired, overeating and experiencing periods of low mood.

Lack of light during the mid-winter season causes an increase in the production of melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy at night), and a reduction of serotonin, the lack of which can lead to low mood.

If you do have symptoms of SAD, you could consider trying Bright Light Treatment using a specialist light box.  These lights provide summertime levels of light and have been shown to be effective in up to 85% of diagnosed cases.  Light boxes are not available on the NHS and have to be bought from specialist retailers.  They are free from VAT when used for medical purposes.

If your symptoms are relatively mild, there are other things you can do.  Firstly, take a 30 minute walk outside around the middle of the day.  The exercise will make you feel better and you can get the best of the daylight.  Secondly, do something that makes you laugh for five minutes three times a day as this will help to boost your levels of serotonin.  Thirdly, to boost your levels of wellbeing, keep a notebook of the ‘gifts’ you receive every day.  These don’t have to be big things, they can just be the little things like seeing a beautiful sunrise, a smile from a colleague or a cup of tea that’s been made for you. 

For more information and advice on SADA see www.sada.org.uk

From Good to Great - Tips from a Master

As a Life Coach and Sports Mind Coach I am always interested in learning from other people who I admire.  Last weekend I listened to a recording of Robert Fripp, the legendary King Crimson guitarist, speaking at the National Speakers Association in America.  He was talking about the principles of moving from being good to being great.  In fact, he says you have to move from bad to good before you can move to great!

Although he is talking about mastery of the guitar there is plenty in what he says that is true for anyone who wants to achieve mastery in any field.  He sets out 7 steps:

1. Have an aim.  Having an aim helps to guide your actions.  Fripp’s aim at 11 years old was to be the best guitarist in the world.  
2. Find someone who has been there before and is willing to teach you.  That can be an instructor or mentor or teacher.  Normally it will be someone who is one rung above you in terms of mastery and as soon as you are as good as them you need to find the person at the next level.
3. Get out of bed.  You need plenty of time to work and practice
4. Practice.  Remember to listen to yourself when you practice.  Notice what you are doing and make a record of it so that you can learn from it.
5. Work with people who are better than you.  That gives you a chance to learn and one day you may get an opportunity to stand in for them.
6.  Work a lot.  If work is not coming to you, go and find work.
7. When you are unemployed or ‘resting’, keep practicing.  That way you will be ready when the chance comes along

I think those steps apply to most skills.  There is a theory that you need to practice for 10,000 to attain mastery of any skill.  I suspect Fripp has well exceeded that.  

A final thought from Robert Fripp:

“In strange and uncertain times…sometimes a reasonable person may despair.   But hope is unreasonable and love is even greater than this.  May we trust the creative impulse.”