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If you’re experiencing chronic stress, you may be experiencing irritability, anxiety, depression, or insomnia. Stress produces physical and emotional symptoms. Over time, chronic stress can cause a weakened immune system, weight gain, and heart disease.
There are many methods to help you reduce stress. Here’s just a few ideas:
Massage Therapy
Regular massage therapy is widely used to manage anxiety and chronic stress. Massage decreases cortisol levels and increases activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body and the mind respond better during times of stress.
Hypnotherapy
There are numerous studies that suggest hypnotherapy is highly effective for anxiety and stress, particularly for anxiety associated with exams, test anxiety, or performance anxiety. A 2006 study out of Yale University School of Medicine found that hypnosis significantly alleviates preoperative anxiety. Some people are more familiar with relaxation techniques such as therapeutic imagery or progressive relaxation. Guided therapeutic imagery helps create relaxing images in the mind that help bring a more peaceful, balanced state. This is also highly effective for enhancing your coping skills, making dealing with high tension situations easier.
Floatation Therapy
Floatation Therapy, sometimes called REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy), involves limiting external stimuli while floating in skin-temperature, magnesium rich water. Floatation therapy is considered to be highly beneficial for stress reduction as well as stress-related conditions, such as chronic tension headaches.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
EFT Tapping is a technique based on the same energy meridians used in acupuncture - but without the needles! EFT uses tapping with your fingertips while speaking about the issue. EFT is extremely effective, easy to learn, and yields rapid results. It’s particularly effective for post traumatic stress disorder.
Infrared Sauna
Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas provide dry, gentle heat. They provide a wonderful opportunity for focusing on your breathing and quieting your mind. Regular use of the sauna can help lower cortisol in your body.
Reiki
Reiki is an energy healing modality which has gained in popularity as a complementary therapy. People seek reiki out as a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical method of complementary medicine. Many people find reiki effective for reducing anxiety, as well as mild depression and stress.
Stress can affect your body, mind, and emotions. Finding the right stress management tool for you is critical to maintaining your mental, emotional, and physical health.
There are many methods to help you reduce stress. Here’s just a few ideas:
Massage Therapy
Regular massage therapy is widely used to manage anxiety and chronic stress. Massage decreases cortisol levels and increases activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body and the mind respond better during times of stress.
Hypnotherapy
There are numerous studies that suggest hypnotherapy is highly effective for anxiety and stress, particularly for anxiety associated with exams, test anxiety, or performance anxiety. A 2006 study out of Yale University School of Medicine found that hypnosis significantly alleviates preoperative anxiety. Some people are more familiar with relaxation techniques such as therapeutic imagery or progressive relaxation. Guided therapeutic imagery helps create relaxing images in the mind that help bring a more peaceful, balanced state. This is also highly effective for enhancing your coping skills, making dealing with high tension situations easier.
Floatation Therapy
Floatation Therapy, sometimes called REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy), involves limiting external stimuli while floating in skin-temperature, magnesium rich water. Floatation therapy is considered to be highly beneficial for stress reduction as well as stress-related conditions, such as chronic tension headaches.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
EFT Tapping is a technique based on the same energy meridians used in acupuncture - but without the needles! EFT uses tapping with your fingertips while speaking about the issue. EFT is extremely effective, easy to learn, and yields rapid results. It’s particularly effective for post traumatic stress disorder.
Infrared Sauna
Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas provide dry, gentle heat. They provide a wonderful opportunity for focusing on your breathing and quieting your mind. Regular use of the sauna can help lower cortisol in your body.
Reiki
Reiki is an energy healing modality which has gained in popularity as a complementary therapy. People seek reiki out as a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical method of complementary medicine. Many people find reiki effective for reducing anxiety, as well as mild depression and stress.
Stress can affect your body, mind, and emotions. Finding the right stress management tool for you is critical to maintaining your mental, emotional, and physical health.
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Did you know that filtered tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide (the stuff in your car’s exhaust), hydrocyanic acid (used in execution chambers), ammonia (the primary ingredient for disinfecting toilet bowls), and formaldehyde (better known as the stuff Undertakers use to embalm dead bodies)?
And these are just some of the chemicals in the filter of cigarettes.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States, and smoking is a key risk factor.
When you stop smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. Your risk of coronary heart disease cuts in half after just one year and drops to that of a non-smoker after 15 years. In fact, just 24 hours after your last cigarette your chance of heart attack decreases. And all these benefits are lost if just one cigarette is smoked.
Smoking cessation is one of the main reasons people seek hypnotherapy. Often people want to quit, but for the wrong reasons. They might be motivated by their spouse or their doctor to quit smoking. A good hypnotherapist will ask if you are both ready and willing to quit smoking. If you’re not quite ready yet, hypnotherapy can be very effective for helping you to increase your motivation. Then when you are ready to quit smoking, hypnotherapy can help you with creating new healthy habits.
During a hypnotherapy session, you’ll discuss your goals with quitting smoking and your motivation for doing so. Your hypnotherapist will then help guide you into a very relaxed state. From this relaxed state of being, it is easier to access your subconscious mind in order to build new automatic behaviors. You can create new habits that help disrupt reaching for a cigarette on auto-pilot.
Hypnosis is an easy, comfortable, efficient, painless, and enjoyable way to kick the habit of smoking. Many people are able to quit “cold turkey” on their own. For those who aren’t, hypnotherapy can help uncover the roadblocks preventing you from success.
And these are just some of the chemicals in the filter of cigarettes.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States, and smoking is a key risk factor.
When you stop smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. Your risk of coronary heart disease cuts in half after just one year and drops to that of a non-smoker after 15 years. In fact, just 24 hours after your last cigarette your chance of heart attack decreases. And all these benefits are lost if just one cigarette is smoked.
Smoking cessation is one of the main reasons people seek hypnotherapy. Often people want to quit, but for the wrong reasons. They might be motivated by their spouse or their doctor to quit smoking. A good hypnotherapist will ask if you are both ready and willing to quit smoking. If you’re not quite ready yet, hypnotherapy can be very effective for helping you to increase your motivation. Then when you are ready to quit smoking, hypnotherapy can help you with creating new healthy habits.
During a hypnotherapy session, you’ll discuss your goals with quitting smoking and your motivation for doing so. Your hypnotherapist will then help guide you into a very relaxed state. From this relaxed state of being, it is easier to access your subconscious mind in order to build new automatic behaviors. You can create new habits that help disrupt reaching for a cigarette on auto-pilot.
Hypnosis is an easy, comfortable, efficient, painless, and enjoyable way to kick the habit of smoking. Many people are able to quit “cold turkey” on their own. For those who aren’t, hypnotherapy can help uncover the roadblocks preventing you from success.
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In a previous post, I discussed how I enjoy doing new year's reflections with my kids. I think this is an excellent went to get your children to being to have a sense of mindfulness and appreciation.
There's lots of opportunities for reflecting on the past year and setting new goals - it doesn't have to be on January 1. The end of the school year is a great time for school aged kids to do this type of reflection.
Here's an example of a year in review template (fun for grown-ups, too!)
There's lots of opportunities for reflecting on the past year and setting new goals - it doesn't have to be on January 1. The end of the school year is a great time for school aged kids to do this type of reflection.
Here's an example of a year in review template (fun for grown-ups, too!)
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Any day is a great day to set new goals, but at the end of the year the whole world seems to be focusing on bringing healthy new habits into their lives.
On January 1, spend some time focusing on all the good things that happened in the previous year. If you’re not already in this habit, try looking through your calendar, the camera roll on your phone, or your social media posts. Chances are, you have some red letter days to reflect on.
Reflecting on your year can help you decide what you want to create more of in your life. Maybe you’d like to spend more family time, or more time working on your hobbies.
It’s easy to find evidence that people don’t stick to their new year’s resolutions. There could be lots of reasons for this. Maybe the goal wasn’t achievable, or maybe you’ve tried and failed so many times that you begin the process already defeated.
To combat this, try focusing on a bigger picture. Rather than small goals like “lose weight” you can focus on a long-term goal such as “live a healthy life” and then chunk it down into manageable pieces:
Live Healthy Life
Journaling and celebrating your victories is an important component of positive reinforcement. I love doing my New Year’s visualizing and planning with my family. My kids all have different goals depending on their ages. My husband and I have goals for our family, our relationship, and we support each other in our personal goals (last year, we both lost 20 lbs). My sister is a great accountability partner because we enjoy sharing Pinterest boards or Goodreads challenges. Creating your best year with a buddy makes planning more enjoyable and builds accountability.
A great technique is to pick your theme for the year. Maybe it’s “The Year of Yes” or “The Year of Less,” but choosing a word to encompass your year (last year my family dubbed it “Our Year For Success) can help you keep your goals at the forefront of your mind - without the stress and pressures of a laundry list of new year’s resolutions.
On January 1, spend some time focusing on all the good things that happened in the previous year. If you’re not already in this habit, try looking through your calendar, the camera roll on your phone, or your social media posts. Chances are, you have some red letter days to reflect on.
Reflecting on your year can help you decide what you want to create more of in your life. Maybe you’d like to spend more family time, or more time working on your hobbies.
It’s easy to find evidence that people don’t stick to their new year’s resolutions. There could be lots of reasons for this. Maybe the goal wasn’t achievable, or maybe you’ve tried and failed so many times that you begin the process already defeated.
To combat this, try focusing on a bigger picture. Rather than small goals like “lose weight” you can focus on a long-term goal such as “live a healthy life” and then chunk it down into manageable pieces:
Live Healthy Life
- Drink more water
- Get to bed by 10 pm
- Go to yoga once a week
Journaling and celebrating your victories is an important component of positive reinforcement. I love doing my New Year’s visualizing and planning with my family. My kids all have different goals depending on their ages. My husband and I have goals for our family, our relationship, and we support each other in our personal goals (last year, we both lost 20 lbs). My sister is a great accountability partner because we enjoy sharing Pinterest boards or Goodreads challenges. Creating your best year with a buddy makes planning more enjoyable and builds accountability.
A great technique is to pick your theme for the year. Maybe it’s “The Year of Yes” or “The Year of Less,” but choosing a word to encompass your year (last year my family dubbed it “Our Year For Success) can help you keep your goals at the forefront of your mind - without the stress and pressures of a laundry list of new year’s resolutions.
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I love making vision boards! I made my first vision board on New Year's Eve 1999. My sister and I had made a solemn vow to ring in the year 2000 together, regardless of anything going on in our lives, and we kept our promise. Many aspects of my vision board came to fruition and I've loved creating vision boards ever since.
I use a Passion Planner, so each month I reflect on the previous month and reassess my goals for the next month. I love working with affirmations every day, both in self hypnosis and in my journal.
I consider the New Year a time to reflect on everything that went on in the previous year as well as a time to visualize all good things for the year ahead. Creating a vision board is a fun and effective way to bring you closer to your dreams. But rather than bog yourself down with resolutions, why not lift yourself up with affirmations?
Without further ado: here are my top 10 inspirational quotes.
I use a Passion Planner, so each month I reflect on the previous month and reassess my goals for the next month. I love working with affirmations every day, both in self hypnosis and in my journal.
I consider the New Year a time to reflect on everything that went on in the previous year as well as a time to visualize all good things for the year ahead. Creating a vision board is a fun and effective way to bring you closer to your dreams. But rather than bog yourself down with resolutions, why not lift yourself up with affirmations?
Without further ado: here are my top 10 inspirational quotes.
I love this quote! You can always, always, start on a new adventure. Some of us find our passion later in life. And that's okay!
A study conducted by Stanford in January 2018 showed that positive attitude can impact learning and academic achievement in children. So there's no harm in trying to have a positive attitude in all situations.
So many of us struggle with perfectionism, or use perfectionism as our excuse not to accomplish our goals. But since perfectionism is not attainable, it's not a worthy goal. Why not strive to do all things with love - a much more noble cause.
I love this quote so much, I put it on my brochures.
Positive psychology is NOT about "fake it till you make it" or pretending you are happy when you're not. Positive psychology is about learning tools to help you deal with challenges and enhance well-being.
This is one of my favorite quotes of all time, by my favorite poet. Sometimes it's hard to step into our true self. We might be breaking rules of our family or breaking out of the box of people's perceptions. It takes courage to be yourself.
This is an excellent affirmation to share with your children and teens.
Don't quit your day dream.
The only person you have control over is yourself. We can't rely on other people to change to make our lives happier or easier. Find that joy within yourself!
Is there something you're not happy with? Maybe it's your weight, your health, your job, or a relationship. Hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool that can help you to reach your goals and increase your happiness. Contact me for a free phone consultation to see if hypnotherapy is a good fit for you.
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When the new year begins, many people begin to think of the positive changes they’d like to create in their lives. But after that initial rush of enthusiasm dies down, we often find ourselves repeating our same unhealthy habits.
Did you know that your conscious mind -- your logic, reason, will power, judgement, and decision making -- is only about 10-12% of your mind? Some studies even state that our subconscious mind - the part responsible for your automatic behaviors, make up as much as 95% of our mind.
When you have goals you're trying to achieve or healthy habits that you'd like to establish, your subconscious behaviors are the ones that prevent you from making positive changes as quickly or permanently as you'd like.
This can seem unfair, but in fact your subconscious mind is always trying to protect you. For example, if your mom gave you a chocolate chip cookie whenever you skinned your knee, you have a positive association with chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies make you feel better. This is not a bad thing! But, when your current goal is to lose 15 pounds, a chocolate chip cookie still makes you feel good, but isn’t fuelling your body in a healthy way for your current goals.
That’s where hypnotherapy comes in. Hypnotherapy helps build new subconscious behaviors. When you’re using hypnotherapy, you’re giving the subconscious mind a new belief system. We really don’t need chocolate chip cookies to help us feel good any more.
This is what makes hypnotherapy such a powerful tool for achieving your goals, reducing pain, improving sleep, and so much more. You’re getting your subconscious mind on board with your conscious goals.
There are countless things hypnotherapy can help with. Just a few new year’s goals that hypnotherapy is perfect for include:
Did you know that your conscious mind -- your logic, reason, will power, judgement, and decision making -- is only about 10-12% of your mind? Some studies even state that our subconscious mind - the part responsible for your automatic behaviors, make up as much as 95% of our mind.
When you have goals you're trying to achieve or healthy habits that you'd like to establish, your subconscious behaviors are the ones that prevent you from making positive changes as quickly or permanently as you'd like.
This can seem unfair, but in fact your subconscious mind is always trying to protect you. For example, if your mom gave you a chocolate chip cookie whenever you skinned your knee, you have a positive association with chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies make you feel better. This is not a bad thing! But, when your current goal is to lose 15 pounds, a chocolate chip cookie still makes you feel good, but isn’t fuelling your body in a healthy way for your current goals.
That’s where hypnotherapy comes in. Hypnotherapy helps build new subconscious behaviors. When you’re using hypnotherapy, you’re giving the subconscious mind a new belief system. We really don’t need chocolate chip cookies to help us feel good any more.
This is what makes hypnotherapy such a powerful tool for achieving your goals, reducing pain, improving sleep, and so much more. You’re getting your subconscious mind on board with your conscious goals.
There are countless things hypnotherapy can help with. Just a few new year’s goals that hypnotherapy is perfect for include:
- Quitting Smoking
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Improving Sleep
- Preparing for labor and childbirth
- Enhancing sports performance
- Decreasing pain
- Treating symptoms of anxiety
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Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I love this time of year, a quiet time for reflection before the holiday rush. At this time of year it's easier than most to turn your thoughts to gratitude.
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin root gratia, meaning grace, graciousness, or gratefulness.
In a (1998) Gallop survey of American teens and adults, over 90% of respondents indicated that expressing gratitude helped them to feel “extremely happy” or “somewhat happy.”
Beginning a gratitude practice can be a powerful tool towards increasing happiness and wellness.
A 2003 study compared participants who kept a weekly list of things they were grateful for to a group who kept a list of irritating or neutral things. The research showed that “a conscious focus on blessings may have emotional and interpersonal benefits.”
I'm hosting a 21 day gratitude challenge to help guide you into creating a gratitude practice. Head over to my Instagram or Facebook starting Saturday, November 10th if you'd like to play along!
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin root gratia, meaning grace, graciousness, or gratefulness.
In a (1998) Gallop survey of American teens and adults, over 90% of respondents indicated that expressing gratitude helped them to feel “extremely happy” or “somewhat happy.”
Beginning a gratitude practice can be a powerful tool towards increasing happiness and wellness.
A 2003 study compared participants who kept a weekly list of things they were grateful for to a group who kept a list of irritating or neutral things. The research showed that “a conscious focus on blessings may have emotional and interpersonal benefits.”
I'm hosting a 21 day gratitude challenge to help guide you into creating a gratitude practice. Head over to my Instagram or Facebook starting Saturday, November 10th if you'd like to play along!
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I had today planned - my first day of working on my private practice as my priority. I had mapped out my timeline and tasks. But as the day arrived, I found myself procrastinating and wanting to do everything EXCEPT the things I had planned to do.
The great thing about being a hypnotist is that you know what this is. The bad part about being a hypnotist is that you know what this is! I'm outside my comfort zone, trying something new, and my subconscious mind is trying to protect me by having me do almost anything else other than the things which will bring me to my goal.
So what did I do? I started by acknowledging what was happening. Then I got dressed (I was still in my jammies at 9am after getting the last kid off to school).
Next, I put on some meditation music, lit some incense, and settled into a comfortable spot to begin self hypnosis. I worked in my journal, reflecting on the past month and setting my goals for the new month ahead.
I booked an appointment with my hypnotherapist.
And then I got started on my tasks I had outlined for the day.
I had accomplished all my goals and eaten lunch by 12:30! And I felt great - so much better than I would have felt had I continued to procrastinate and let the entire day escape me.
The great thing about being a hypnotist is that you know what this is. The bad part about being a hypnotist is that you know what this is! I'm outside my comfort zone, trying something new, and my subconscious mind is trying to protect me by having me do almost anything else other than the things which will bring me to my goal.
So what did I do? I started by acknowledging what was happening. Then I got dressed (I was still in my jammies at 9am after getting the last kid off to school).
Next, I put on some meditation music, lit some incense, and settled into a comfortable spot to begin self hypnosis. I worked in my journal, reflecting on the past month and setting my goals for the new month ahead.
I booked an appointment with my hypnotherapist.
And then I got started on my tasks I had outlined for the day.
I had accomplished all my goals and eaten lunch by 12:30! And I felt great - so much better than I would have felt had I continued to procrastinate and let the entire day escape me.