There has been much discussion over the years as to what exactly the subconscious mind is, as opposed to the conscious mind. There are even those who argue that there is no such thing as consciousness at all.

The analogy that I use, with my clients, is the computer. To me the subconscious comprises of the thousands of programs & files that mostly lie dormant, or are doing activities in the background. The conscious mind is the desktop, where you call up one or more programs to work on. It has a limited capacity, which varies from computer to computer, so that if you get to too many open programs the computer jams up. I guess that the ladies’ claim to be able to multi-task more effectively is based on an assumed greater quantity of memory chips (RAM).

Most of the problems I deal with are where there is some conflict between the two. For example, with a phobia, a client typically will say; ‘its so stupid that I’m frightened of something so small, but as soon as the client sees a mouse, something in the subconscious is triggered, which is identified as being a threat and the flight or fight response kicks in. Another example is comfort-eating. Clients will describe eating chocolate/cakes/biscuits, even when they are not hungry. Continuing my analogy, I would say that this is represented as being a corruption of a program(s) in the subconscious. It is also important for the client to understand that (a) there is a good chance that it can be fixed and (b) fundamentally, the computer (i.e. the client) is ok.

It is said that the subconscious governs 90% of our actions and is infinitely more powerful than the conscious. This is the reason that many people cannot simply will themselves to give up smoking, overcome a phobia, get rid of anxiety etc.

A simple technique that is used to improve performance is visualisation. So, when you are next confronted with a perceived threatening situation, such as an interview, or a race, try mentally rehearsing the scene, over and over again and in great detail; each time with a positive outcome. Just like dreaming, the brain can easily be fooled into thinking ‘was that real, or did I imagine it?’

Hypnosis is based on by-passing the conscious mind and working at subconscious level. In fact one of the recognised forms of induction is to overload the conscious (desktop) with so much information that it freezes, allowing the subconscious to be accessed.

I believe that the reason that Hypnotherapy can be so effective is that it works with the subconscious where the problems exist. The clever bit is for the therapist to provide treatments that correct the ‘corrupted programs’, in the subconscious, so that the problem(s) no longer exists.

There has been extensive scientific research detailing the positive effects of kindness on our health – both psychological and physiological.

Performing an act of kindness – in particular one that involves a positive social interaction such as eye contact, bonding, or making a connection with someone – causes our body to release the hormone oxytocin.  Oxytocin has been credited with numerous body-and-mind benefits, including: giving us healthier hearts; improving our relationships with other people; making us feel happier; and slowing down the ageing process.

Kindness is also contagious.  Being kind to another person often has a far-reaching and extensive ripple effect – the person on the receiving end of the kindness feels better, which in turn positively alters their behaviour towards others, which makes those people feel better, and so on…  So actually, every single act of kindness that you perform makes the world a better place a little bit at a time.

Everyone’s idea of ‘kindness’ is different, and being kind doesn’t necessarily have to be a grand gesture.  Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.  Here are some ideas you could try:

• Let someone in front of you when you are standing waiting in a queue
• Buy a lottery ticket and leave it taped to a pay and display machine in a public car park
• Give someone a hug
• Buy  a sandwich and a hot drink for a homeless person
• Pay someone a compliment
• When you buy a coffee from a coffee shop, pay for the person behind you as well
• Smile at someone
• Help  an elderly person across the road
• Volunteer  an hour of your time at a charity or local school
• Do a small favour for someone that means a lot to them (give them a lift somewhere, pick up their shopping etc)

In my work as a Cognitive Hypnotherapist, I regularly give clients the task of performing daily random acts of kindness for many; it takes their focus off of themselves and how they’ve been feeling up until now, and by directing their attention outwards towards other people, it helps them to realise that they do have an important role to play in the world, that they are worthwhile, and that they are good people.  It also gives them a much-needed dose of all the hormones necessary to lift their moods and enables them to begin to look at life in a more positive way.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Obstetrics and Gynecology, April 1988 ====

An article in The Independent in 2007 summarised some research in Australia:

Research at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, where hypnosis is used for women in labour, shows it is highly effective. A study showed that women taught self-hypnosis reduced their need for analgesia by half, epidurals by 70 per cent, and were more than twice as likely to be satisfied with their pain management in labour compared with other women.

Some other research:

In Toronto, a city-wide retrospective survey compared low risk first-time mothers, who had had four 2.5-hour hypnosis sessions, with similar mothers (controls) who hadn’t prepared in this way. Variations per hospital noted for the controls.

• epidural rates : 40-95% (depending on hospital) for those with no hypnosis training compared with 18% for hypnotised group
• Caesarean rates : 20-25% of the mothers who hadn’t prepared with hypnosis had a Caesarean, compared with 6.7% of the hypnosis Mums.
• Average length of labour for non-hypnotised women having first baby=12 hours. Hypnosis women averaged 5.5 hours.

Some Florida research was published as follows:

A.A. Martin, P.G. Schauble, The effects of hypnosis on the labour process and birth outcomes of pregnant adolescents , The Journal of Family Practice, May 2001, Vol.50, No5.

In this Florida-based study, 47 pregnant teenagers were randomly assigned either to supportive counselling or to hypnosis. They received 4x1hr sessions at 2-week intervals. No hypnotherapist was present during labour and results were entered by unaware obstetrics staff.

• medical intervention (including induction, forceps, ventouse, Caesarean): 60% of control group, i.e. 12 of the 20 patients / none of hypnotised group of 22 patients
• hospital stay of 2+ days: 40% (i.e. 8) of control group / 4.5% (1) of hypnosis group

MIND AND BODY TOGETHER FOR CONFIDENT CHILDBIRTH

Say the word “childbirth” and what immediately comes to your mind? I’ve asked this question of many groups of expectant parents, and there are no prizes for guessing what ninety per cent of them say. “Pain”. Isn’t this sad? Mightn’t joy, happiness or achievement be preferable?

Women are very good at swapping birth horror stories and our culture perpetuates the idea that suffering in childbirth is a woman’s lot. This means that most mothers approach labour and delivery in a state of fear and anxiety. This in turn tenses up the body and lowers the pain threshold, while at the same time inhibiting the body’s natural process in labour which is to relax open the way for the baby.

Athletes and other sports people are well aware of the mind’s influence on the body’s performance. They use sports psychology to train their minds to work with rather than against their body.

For childbirth, hypnotherapy is recognised by several research studies as a way for women to have shorter labour, less need of medication, less medical intervention (such as forceps, epidural, Caesarean), a more satisfying experience and a baby born in better shape (as measured by the Apgar score). It can also reduce instances of post-natal depression.

The use of hypnosis in pain relief has a long history. Internationally-recognised surgeons such as Jack Gibson and Angel Escudero have carried out hundreds of operations under hypnosis alone. Doctors know that hypnosis is the only known no-risk pain reliever. I’m a cognitive hypnotherapist and when I did a specialised training to work in the field of childbirth, one of the doctors conducting the training told us how she had induced her own hypnotic anaesthesia and then had a comfortable two-hour back operation.

Relaxation releases the body’s own natural painkillers: endorphins and enkephalins. Women who use hypnotherapy to learn relaxing self-hypnosis for childbirth store up all kinds of positive mental tricks and techniques that make labour and delivery fear-free, manageable and positive.

For example, Sue had had a “dreadful” first birth that left her terrified of reliving the same experience. Key to a new approach for her was to learn to find a “safe place” in her mind, in her case, a gorgeous Jacuzzi. She said birth number two was:

“A million times better than the last – quick and natural, using only gas and air. I got to 7cm dilated at home in the space of 2 hours, and even then had no plans to go into hospital yet except that the contractions were only a minute apart and my husband phoned the hospital. The pain was manageable despite the baby being the wrong way round and having to turn during labour. In my mind I just went off to my Jacuzzi with its aromas and warm bubbles and visualised the end result.”

Vicky was having her first baby. Rather than using the techniques deliberately, what happened for her was that labour and delivery simply went in the way that she had visualised them happening.

“It was very fast. The safe place that I had always imagined in my mind was on my sofa watching TV – and that was what actually happened. For the first five hours of my labour I was at home, watching TV, talking to friends on the phone, vaguely aware of strange sensations in my tummy, but not even feeling them enough to mention them to anyone. When my husband came home, I was more interested in getting our meal ready than thinking about the funny pains. He suggested we go to the hospital.

“That’s when it accelerated, just like the opening up that I had visualised. I was 3cm dilated when I arrived. The midwife said not to worry; it takes roughly an hour per centimetre of dilation. Oh really? In 45 minutes I was at 9cm, and when it came to second stage, my son was born in 3 pushes.

“One great thing was that I wasn’t tired at all. Overall I had by far the easiest birth in my NCT group.”

Sue and Vicky achieved these results through four hour-long hypnosis sessions and by practising guided relaxation and visualisation for themselves in between. The practice gives expectant mothers a really positive excuse to take time out, relax and think positive thoughts. And then later, with a new baby around, the skill of going calm inside is a terrific one to have up your sleeve!

Please contact me to discuss how the Confident Childbirth approach can benefit you

Its thought that between 10-20% of people experience IBS at some point in their lives (NHS Choices web site). Although this illness is not fatal it is, nevertheless painful and embarrassing for those who suffer.

People with IBS tend to fall into sub groups and experience a variety of symptoms including abdominal pain, constipation and/or diarrhoea, abdominal bloating and excessive wind.

Many patients find their pain is worse when constipated, and it may be relieved by opening the bowels or passing wind. In women there may be a pattern associated with their periods. Nausea can occur but vomiting is not usually a feature of IBS.

Bowel habits vary enormously between individuals, though most people have their own pattern. The change in bowel habit may be in the frequency of action, the form of the motions, or associated with urgency.

Anxiety and IBS

Regardless of whether they have IBS, people with anxiety tend to worry greatly about issues such as health, money, or careers, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Other symptoms include stomach upset, trembling, muscle aches, insomnia, dizziness, and irritability.

There are several theories about the connection between IBS and stress and anxiety:

• Although psychological problems such as anxiety do not cause IBS, people with IBS may be more sensitive to emotional troubles.
• Stress and anxiety may make the mind more aware of spasms in the colon.
• IBS may be triggered by the immune system, which is affected by stress.

Studies at The University of Gothenberg in Sweden showed that Hypnotherapy alleviated the symptoms of IBS in 40 % of the people tested – and that the results were long term.

 Cognitive Hypnotherapy can help control the symptoms through deep relaxation and individual hypnotic suggestions. Clients can also be taught how to use these techniques in their everyday lives.

 There have been plenty of studies done* that indicate that stress and the general state of mind of IBS sufferers can have a profound effect on the severity of their symptoms. Therefore it seems obvious that relieving stress and anxiety could help and enable people to be in control of their IBS.

Learning how to relax and control anxiety can be of benefit to everybody, so if you would like some more information on how Cognitive Hypnotherapy works then please contact me

*Journal of clinical excellence/American Physiological Society to name just a few.

It’s surprising how many people wish for a better life but don’t actually don’t take any steps to make their life any different so come the next New Year they find themselves wishing for a better year again. There is no escaping the fact that a better, more fulfilling life awaits us all BUT people have to make the changes themselves. And that’s where most of us get stuck. There is no magic wand, no magic beans BUT there are opportunities; seeing them and acting upon them can bring about the changes which leads to the improvements in our life.

So what changes can we put into place which will help us make our new year wishes come true?

One of the biggest changes we can make is to stress less because if feel less stressed about things that affect our lives it will give us the foundation to create other changes. Being less stressed can give us more control over our life, help us to feel uplifted and generally more positive.

Tips on becoming less stressed.

1. learn how to recognise what it is that causes you stress. It will be different for everyone. We are so reactive to what’s happening  we rarely take time to take stock of our thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

2. learn to understand what feelings are connected to your stressor. For example, you may feel stressed when driving in town but ask yourself why. It may be a case of feeling insecure, out of control, intimidated, threatened or frustration. Whatever it is you are feeling, identify it and begin to acknowledge the real reason for your stress.

3. Challenge your stressful thoughts

• Is this thought a fact, or just a thought?
• What am I reacting to? What meaning am I giving this situation?
• Is there another way of looking at it?
• What would someone else make of it? It’s often helpful to think about a particular person who you respect, and imagine what they would think about that thought, what meaning they would give it, and how they would react to it.
• What advice would I give someone else (with this thought in this situation)?
• Is this one of those Unhelpful Thinking Habits?
• Is my reaction  in proportion to the actual event?
• How important is  this really? How important will it be in a year’s time?
• How am I reacting? When I think of that Playground Bully, am I like Victim 1 (believing and getting upset), or can I be like Victim 2 and challenge the  bully?
• What if I tried to see this situation as an outside observer. How would that look? Would things be likely to have a different meaning?
• What evidence is there that this thought is true?
• What evidence is there that this thought isn’t true (partly or totally)?
• What would be a more balanced way of looking at it?
• What is the bigger picture?

4. learn coping techniques to interrupt the pattern of stress. Techniques such as NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) or Mindfulness are methods proven to cognitively interrupt the negative thoughts and feelings and help people attain fuller and richer lives.

5. Find a therapist. If you are unsure how to begin to tackle your stress issues book some sessions with a therapist. Getting professional support is a great way to help you work your way through your problems. Your therapist will guide you and teach you techniques to help you deal with stress.

A three hour therapeutic workshop packed with information and techniques to help you manage and reframe your stressors.This is a 3 hour interactive workshop, using insights from various psychology models and incorporating a powerful and proven combination of NLP, Hypnotherapy and Mindfullnes

What you can expect from an stress managment workshop

• The session will start with  refreshments, followed by introductions from me and my colleague
• I will talk about cognitive hypnotherapy,  how and why it works. I will answer any questions or concerns that you may have  about hypnotherapy.
• We can then discuss how stress affects us (this part of the session is  not obligatory – only those people who wish to talk about need participate) to gain an understanding of ‘how you do  your’ problem.
• We then will have a lovely 10 minutes of  hypnotic relaxation.
• I will then explain how your mind has developed a protection for you which has resulted in feeling stress.
• We will teach you how to identify your stressors, how to feel differently and react differently.
• I will then teach you NLP  techniques so you can use these to get you through moments of stress.
• We finish the morning with a Mindfullness  session to help focus your subconscious on being postive

Extras

• free handouts.
• a free NLP technique sheet reminding you of  the new skills you have learnt in the session
• a download of the hypnotic guided visualisation  and word weaving used in the session

click here to read more about dealing with stress