Happy Christmas ?

So.
The countdown has begun.
Has it not ?
Lights are going up in our towns.
Music is alreday filling the air.
Adverts persuade us to buy the lastest.
Looking forward with anticipation ?
or
Looking back with painful memories ?
For some it will be a time of excitement.
For others it just raises anxiety and stress.
In any crowd there is a sense of loneliness.
There will be those for whom Christmas just brings back dark memories.
Perhaps a breakdown in a relationship.
The break up of the family.
The loss of a loved one.
The loss of status.
The loss of a job.
As the time approaches so the anxiety and stresses increase.
The thought of being with relations ... but...
the fall out still remains.
Anxious about getting things ready .. perhaps it will be different this year ?
Perhaps ?
Stressed out because this is meant to be a happy time .
Meant to be ?
But the Christmas story is about a journey.
A journey with unknowns and with uncertainties.
A story about hardship in a crowded town.
About knock downs and rejection.
Trying to make the best of the situation was not easy.
Yet...
The story shows the kindness and compassion....
of a complete stranger
The innkeeper.  who offered all that he had left.....
a safe place ... a shelter..
Perhaps the image of a child shows our own vulnerability in the world.
Our dependence on others.
It reveals aspect of of our human needs ..trust, care, compassion, security, safety, protection and positivity.
As children we come into the world and we are shaped by the world in which we live.
As adults our map of the world may be radically different.
Perhaps we can't trust ... because we've been hurt in the past.
We don't care ... because others don't seem to care for us.
We don't feel safe .. because someone let us down.
We don't feel positive because we are criticised all the time.
But for the rest of the year we muddle through somehow.
And then..
It's Christmastime once again.
So
The old anxieties begin to rise and the stresses increase.
We just allow this to continue again ... and .. again.
WHY?
Perhaps now is the time to reflect on what specifically is the issue which causes that anxiety or stress.
On our journey through life we may need our own innkeeper... a person as yet unknown to us... to help us and to guide us.
So.
Happy Christmas ?
Or not .
Maybe.
Maybe it's time
Maybe it's the right time to talk.... about the specific issue or issues that cause you anxiety and stress.
Maybe it's time to learn new strategies.
You have a choice...
which is good .. is it not?
You can continue as you are
or
do something about it.
A healthier christmas ?
Yes.
It is possible.
But...
Now
That's up to you.

Stress Part 2

This follows on from my previous blog about stress. In recapping then there are certain categories of stress such as inherited from family situations,type A personality, stress from fears,awfulising and 'shoulds' and stress from inescapable pain.
You might experience stress because you repress and refuse to accept your feelings of anger, hurt or sadness.
You deny negative emotions. You do not acknowledge your true feelings. If it remains repressed the stress will become an influential factor of your life.
You experience stress because you are exposed to a specific incident or stimulus that overwhelms your physical, mental and emotional capabilities.
Expectations of you are seen as demands but you are incapable of fulfilling them. It may be part of your job or life that you feel unfulfilled. Or it may be a combination of several causes which become so monumental to cope with.
You may experience stress because of a dietary deficiency.
Certain foods cause our emotions to soar then dip eg sugar,caffeine and alcohol. A lack of vitamin B makes you more irritable. You may have a hit and miss diet from poor eating habits.
If you are female you may experience stress as  part of PMS.
Between 38% and 50% of women aged 18 yrs - 45 yrs experience Premenstrual Syndrome. The physical and emotional symptoms show themselves between 7-14 days prior to the onset of the period. Physical symptoms include sugar cravings, fatigue, headaches,weight gain and bloating. Emotional symptoms include anxiety, confusion, temporary memory loss and mood swings.

How can hypnotherapy help ?

By pinpointing the when, where and why of the stress, you become more aware of your response patterns. Thinking of positive, realistic replacement responses helps the subconscious mind so that it can be reprogrammed. In this way you can manage your stresses in a better more meaningful pattern because you have a far greater understanding of the underlying causes.

I am now offering talks to interested groups.

So if this seems a good idea to you , sounds sense and you feel good about hearing more about the potential benefits of hypnotherapy,psychotherapy and NLP then just contact me.

In the meantime..... take time to .......de - stress ......yourself.,.......... and have a more stress free life.

NLP is great news

I've just completed by training as a Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming with Sugar NLP in Kendal with Ben and Neal. It was a fantastic experience both in terms of personal growth and professional development. I believe that NLP has given me a very powerful box of tools to help prospective clients with a range of issues. The most wonderful thing about using NLP is the speed with which change is possible and using it alongside pyschotherapy and hypnotherapy is a very poweful combination indeed.

I can now offer help and support using NLP within a variety of presenting issues which fall within the following categories:

unwanted behaviours,symptoms or habits
unwanted negative memories
conflict
not knowing what to do next
not being able to use skills in different situations
limiting beliefs
anxiety,fear or phobia
lacking confidence about the future.

So if you or someone you know needs help either now or in the near future just give me  a call on 015395 65893 or email me at info@lakelandandbaytherapy.co.uk