What makes you happy

At the start of every day how do you feel when you wake up? I know for me personally i am half asleep, wanting a coffee, and feeling optimistic thinking about what the day is going to bring. It's not always been this way for me. There was a time in my life when i dreaded waking up every day, as i battled with depression. But even when i was going through my darkest times, looking back now i know there was always moments in my day when i would smile, or sometimes laugh.

The point i am trying to make in this blog, is that no matter how low you feel there is always something that will bring on a smile. Whether that's a funny moment you have seen whilst watching the TV, or someone saying something that makes you laugh, maybe just being out in the fresh air with the sun shining can bring on that all important smile.

So, what makes you happy, I mean truly happy?. My happiness comes when i sing, i absolutely love belting out a tune. My family make me happy, they can drive me mad at times, but they also make me laugh really hard. whatever it is that brings about your smile, do it more often. And if you really want to help yourself, keep a journal of all the things that have either made you smile or laugh in your day.

As a society we have got used to so much doom and gloom that we automatically focus on what is negative in our lives. So let's flip that on it's head, and start focussing on the good stuff.

The roof over your head

The body that carry's you from a to b

Your family

And most important your health

Now is the time to start being truly happy, and appreciate the little things in life

New Year Resolution Taking you in a new direction

As we move into 2023 we start to think about the changes that can be made to our lives

Maybe you want to lose weight

Stop Smoking

Become more confident

Beat a fear or phobia

Get rid of the anxiety that has been holding you back in 2022

Beat an addiction

Cut down on your alcohol intake

All of the above intentions are real, but why is it that most of our intentions are gone

by January or February?

Well, humans are creatures of habit, and when the going get's tough

our resolutions are harder to maintain, and so we revert to our old and trusted ways

because that is where our comfort zone is

But it does not have to be like this in 2023, because therapy can give you the focus you need to stick to your goals, and help you to stay on track no matter what your resolutions are.

So this New Year, forget sitting back and only thinking about those changes and resolutions, but take that first step to becoming the best you in 2023

Helping you cool down as the temperature rises

Temperatures are rising in the UK, and all over the world due to climate change

I have seen a spike in clients struggling more with sleep ,and stress since the hot weather kicked in. i noticed even in myself my mood had changed, i have been feeling really agitated, and my clients have been mentioning the same thing.

We are aware of seasonal affective disorder, this is when peoples moods change in the winter due to a lack in serotonin, once the sun comes out your serotonin rises, and our mood gets better. But what about how are moods are affected in the summer? In the summer months our cortisol hormone rises, and in turn causes us to become angry, grumpy, and agitated, and on top of this effects our sleep”.

I started wondering how i could help everyone to cool down in this heat, as a hypnotherapist i know that using your imagination, whilst in a state of induced relaxation by focusing your attention works wonders, so i have introduced a technique to cool everyone down, It is so easy that anyone can do it.

Not only will the recording cool you down in this heat, but it will reduce your stress levels, and help you have a better nights sleep.

To access my free summer cool down recording got to: www.essex-hypnosis.co.uk/downloads

Free Recording

Essex-Hypnosis Blog

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5 May 2021

Fixing Sleep Issues with the Power of Hypnosis

As we come out of the other side of the pandemic

It has affected many of our daily routines, and one of its biggest reported impacts has been that on sleep - sleep becomes more elusive when we are anxious.

Many people are suffering sleep issues for the first time in their lives:

• awake for long periods

• unable to fall asleep at all

• wake up several times during the night

• more intense and emotional dreams

• tired and groggy the next morning

• find it difficult to concentrate or function properly

• feel irritable

But good sleep stratagems will help you sleep well and can limit the negative effects of poor sleep.

Try these FIVE hints for calmer and better sleep.

1 Limit news intake and avoid your mobiles and tablets for at least an hour before bed

Do something to boost your mood before bed - a humorous television programme or an uplifting podcast can help you sleep

2 Have structure to your day

Our brains and bodies love structure. Wake, exercise, eat and sleep at similar times each day

3 Focus on your breathing

Think about resting rather than sleeping. Follow your breathing by silently whispering the words ‘in’ and ‘out’ to induce sleep.

4 Learn to relax

Relaxation can switch off the stress response, physically and mentally. Find something that works for you - mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing or a long hot bath.

5. If you can’t sleep - get out of bed

Your bed should not be a battleground. Instead, try to enjoy the sensation of merely resting.

Hypnosis can help many forms of sleep issues.

If you are not sleeping well, and traditional treatments are not working, hypnosis may be able to help you sleep the way you deserve.

It uses different approaches to induce relaxation, such as focused attention, symptom control and guided imagery.

And, unlike sleep medications, it has no side effects, so it can be an aid for those who can’t or don’t want to take sleeping pills.

It can help overcome bedtime restlessness - ease the worry, tension and anxiety that prevent sleep - and can show the way to the deep, restorative sleep that we all need.

To get started, download this complimentary hypnosis recording. And take the first steps on the road to better sleep!

Click on the link below for your free sleep recording

Press for free recording

Dec 10, 20203 min read

Impact of new covid vaccine

As the new covid vaccine is released, millions will be expected to have the vaccine.

But what about those who have a needle phobia, many of them will be wanting the covid vaccine, but will be too fearful to have it, leaving them potentially open to contracting Coronavirus.

one local mindset change therapist is doing her bit to help people beat their fear.

Canvey Island-based mindset change expert Nova Lewis, from Essex-Hypnosis will be offering a program of free online group sessions to help those struggling overcome their phobia.

Many people fear injections to some extent, but once that fear becomes persistent, excessive and unreasonable, then the fear becomes a phobia. Injection phobia is the fear and avoidance of receiving various types of injections, and/or of having a blood sample withdrawn through venipuncture (pricking a finger). This is a specific phobia and is extremely common yet not very well recognised. It is thought to affect between 3.5 % to 10% of the population, but with the new covid vaccine that percentage will drastically increase.

Nova Lewis said " i have been seeing an influx of clients needing to treat their needle phobia since the news broke that a vaccine was being released. Now that the first patients have had their vaccine's there will be an increase in numbers coming forward for help".

The avoidance, anxiety, or distress caused by needle phobia can significantly interfere with a person’s normal routine, occupational or academic functioning, and social activities or relationships.

Studies have shown that facing fears and phobias is often scarier than facing physical pain.

The human brain is built to cause worry, stress, and to make things worse than they really are, which in turn leads to anxiety.

For all of us, we have never experienced the recent events of covid, this has had an enormous impact on our everyday lives, these are unprecedented times, some people may already suffer with low-level anxiety, fears, and phobias, and have found their symptoms have ramped up recently; others might be feeling new physical and psychological strains for the first time.

I have spent years helping people to cope with, and reduce their fears, and phobias. The techniques I teach my clients, whatever the trigger for their condition, can also be applied successfully in this current pandemic. I encourage anyone who has a fear or phobia of needles to make contact, and join my free group sessions.

To some degree we all have a fear or phobia, but usually we can avoid that fear. With the vaccine, if you want to avoid covid then you have to have the vaccine, or take the chance of not catching it by self isolating. By having to face a fear it causes worry, this is how our brain handles problems or potential problems, Nova explained. But it stops being useful if we become stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts about what is out of our control. We should instead focus on those things within our control, and how we choose to respond to them.

This pandemic has many repercussions beyond the actual virus, now that we are faced with having the vaccine, there is an even bigger potential impact on mental health and wellbeing, as people with a needle phobia are now suffering with anxiety to a greater degree.

If I can help ease that stress of having a needle phobia in just a small way, I believe it’s worthwhile trying.

Nova Lewis is a renowned expert mindset change therapist. She has helped to improve the lives of thousands of people.

Nova is not only trained in mindset change therapy, but also clinical hypnotherapy, but she also is an advanced therapist in psychotherapy, mindfulness therapy, and brain working recursive therapy