Posts Tagged ‘Hypnosis’

50. Don’t multitask!

49. Sing in the shower. Go ahead, no-one’s listening.

48. Look in the mirror and smile. Don’t laugh though or you might hurt your feelings.

47. Whenever you feel stressed about a situation ask yourself, “Will this matter in a years time?”. The answer is probably no.

46. Pet your pet. It’s what you got them for!

45. Play some relaxing music in the background.

44. Have one day a month where you avoid electronics. Phones, TVs and computers can over-stimulate the mind. This will also give you a full day of quality “me time”.

43. Stretch your muscles out for five minutes. This will leave you feeling calm, loose and relaxed.

42. If you’re having a difficult time talk to a friend about it. A problem shared is a problem halved.

41. Spend a night wrapped up on the coach watching your favorite TV show or DVD.

40. Ask your partner to give you a back massage. If you’re single you could treat yourself and go to a spa with friends.

39. Go for a walk and get some fresh air.

38. Before you go to bed have a warm drink, this will help you drift off to sleep.

37. Turn off anything that makes a noise and appreciate the silence.

36. Think about things in your life that make you happy and resolve to do them more often.

35. Dance around the house to some upbeat songs.

34. Don’t watch the news before going to bed. It causes anxiety and can disrupt your sleep.

33. Take the time to put your feet up and relax with a cup of tea or coffee.

32. If you’re busy at home turn off the phones so you won’t get interrupted and the work will be finished quicker.

31. Whenever you feel tense step back and take ten slow, deep breaths.

30. Light a scented candle and enjoy the relaxing aroma.

29. Writing is therapeutic so try starting a journal. Write about whatever you want but try to end it on a positive note.

28. Take a nap. Not only will this refresh you but people who nap tend to have a better memory than those who don’t.

27. Learn a new skill. This will invigorate your mind and give you a new sense of energy.

26. Cut out any activities in your life that you don’t enjoy and aren’t necessary.

25. Buy yourself a stress ball or Chinese worry balls and go to town on them.

24. Lie down in the sun, but don’t forget to protect yourself with sun block.

23. Consciously relax your face muscles and allow your shoulders to drop.

22. Hit something. Note I said “something” not “someone”!

21. Look up at the sky and allow yourself to daydream.

20. Go somewhere new. It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 minute or 10 hours away.

19. Wear comfortable clothes. If you have a 40inch waist don’t wear 38 inch jeans because of a vague sense of vanity.

18. Tense all the muscles in your body and then let them go limp.

17. Hydrate yourself properly with a glass of water.

16. Find a spare moment to tell yourself “I am a calm, relaxed individual” over and over in your head.

15. On nice days leave the office and eat your lunch outside.

14. If you want to cry, CRY! Releasing emotions this way will make you feel much better afterwards.

13. Take your children or dog to the park.

12. Have a soak in a nice, hot bath.

11. Open up a few windows and let the fresh air energize you.

10. If you take sugar in tea or coffee start to slowly cutback. Go from two teaspoons to one, then once you’re used to that from one to none. Sugar causes hyperactivity and anxiety.

9. Constantly change up your daily routine. A change is as good as a rest.

8. Before you start a big task jot down exactly what needs to be done in order. This will focus your mind and help you to avoid stress.

7. Cut down on meat and processed foods and replace them with fruit, vegetables and nuts.

6. Visit the local library. It’s guaranteed to be quiet and you might just find a book that you can relax with while reading.

5. The hypnotic state is an extremely relaxing one. So why not download the free Deep Relaxation Hypnosis MP3 here on Relaxation Haven or…

4. Buy a relaxing hypnosis session from a reputable online resource such as HypnoBusters.

3. Start participating in a yoga class. You’ll improve your fitness and flexibility plus get to meet new people.

2. Take 10 minutes in the morning to meditate.

1. Come to Relaxation Haven and we will teach you about methods of relaxation as well as provide great videos and audio.

The following instruction article has been kindly provided for us by Jon Rhodes of HypnoBusters.Com.

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Hypnotherapy is increasingly being regarded as a legitimate tool for therapeutic change.  In 2001, the Professional Affairs Board of the British Psychological Society concluded that “Enough studies have now accumulated to suggest that the inclusion of hypnotic procedures may be beneficial in the management and treatment of a wide range of conditions and problems encountered in the practice of medicine, psychiatry and psychotherapy.”   In other words hypnotherapy has been proven in many studies to help with many mental and physical problems.

Hypnotherapy can help with almost any aspect of our lives.  It can help with issues such as stress, relaxation, anxiety, phobias, addictions, weight loss, and confidence issues.  It is a wonderful resource for relaxation.  Even when I am treating patients for issues such as smoking cessation, they often report what a wonderfully relaxing experience they had.

Hypnosis can be expensive, and a good hypnotherapist can sometimes be difficult to find for people in some areas.  There are many professional and well trained hypnotherapists around, but unfortunately there are also a few charlatans that are inadequately trained.  If you want to relax, then why should you stress yourself out trying to find a competent hypnotherapist?  My good friend Kurt here doesn’t like doing anything more than he has to, so why should you?

Finding a competent hypnotherapist need not be a problem because it is entirely possible to hypnotise yourself.  You do not actually need a hypnotherapist.  A hypnotherapist does not hypnotise you on their own.  They guide you, they help you to go into a hypnotic trance.  However it is up to you to actually go into a trance, it’s you that ultimately makes it happen.  It is perfectly possible to guide yourself into a hypnotic trance, and I will show you how.

First let’s discuss what a hypnotic trance is.  The best way of describing it is like daydreaming.  When you daydream you are actually going into a hypnotic trance.  A hypnotic trance is a perfectly natural and normal state of mind that most of us slip into several times a day.  We slip into a trance when we are engrossed in a book or TV, where people try to talk to us, or significant things happen around us that we remain blissfully unaware of because we are so deeply absorbed.

There is also the phenomena of ‘highway hypnosis’.  This is where we slip into a hypnotic trance when driving.  This is actually not as dangerous as it sounds.  In fact we are probably better drivers when we are in this state of mind as it accesses our powerful subconscious mind.  This is similar to the mindset that sportspeople often experience when they are ‘in the zone’.  Have you ever driven a journey and daydreamed to the point of not being able to remember a significant portion of the route?  If you have, then you will have slipped into a hypnotic trance.  It is actually quite common, and perfectly safe.

With practice your skills of going into trance should increase.  With a little patience and persistence you should soon be able to go into a hypnotic trance quickly and effortlessly.

Quick Tips

It is important to make sure that you will not be disturbed for about an hour.  Turn off all phones, and tell family and friends not to bother you.  If you don’t do this, then the possibility of you being disturbed may prey on your mind.  Find a comfortable place.  Subdue the lighting if this helps.  You can be seated, or led down, whichever you prefer.  Make sure that your legs are not crossed, as you could end up going numb after some time.

Now take your time, and follow these 5 simple steps.

1. Relax and close your eyes.

2. Take 5 slow deep breaths in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Say to yourself the word ‘Relax’ on each out breath.

3. Imagine yourself at the top of 10 steps with a door at the bottom.  With every slow step you take down, feel yourself becoming deeper and deeper relaxed, until you finally reach the door.

4. When you reach the bottom open the door to your ideal place of relaxation.  It could be a beach, a garden, anywhere you want.  It could be somewhere real, or imagined – your own unique special relaxing haven.

5. Use as many of the senses as you can.  Take a good look around.  Pause and listen to any sounds.  Perhaps you can hear the call of a bird, or the breeze gently blowing.  Maybe you can smell the sweet scent of flowers, or the salt from the sea?  Touch objects and make the experience as real as you can.
Explore your personal relaxation haven, and enjoy it for as long as you wish.

This is a great technique to help relaxation, and your ability to relax will improve the more you do this.  Most of us do not relax anywhere near enough, and this can damage our health in many ways.

If you are struggling with this technique, persevere.  Getting into a hypnotic state is a skill that will improve over time.  Don’t expect too much.  Hypnosis is not the ‘magical state’ that the media often portrays at as being.  You will probably still be aware of what is going on around you, and may well think ‘is this it?’.  However you will notice the difference when you wake up.  It may be worthwhile visiting a clinical hypnotherapist, or buying a recording at least once, in order to experience the feeling of a trance.  When you have experienced a trance a few times, you will be more informed as to what the state of mind is that you are seeking.

Enjoy!

Since my overview of meditation article proved to be popular I thought I’d follow the same formula only this time discussing hypnosis.

For many the first image that the term hypnosis conjures up is of a slightly sinister man making someone believe they are a chicken. That image is actually known as stage or street hypnosis and while entertaining it is quite different from using hypnosis for therapeutic means (hypnotherapy).

What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a heightened state of focus in which a person becomes less aware of their surroundings. Once in a hypnotic state suggestions can be made to help you quit smoking, lose weight or simply just to relax.

Everyone experiences hypnosis in their own way. Many are surprised at the fact that they can remember what went on during a session of hypnosis, but this is in fact common. When you are under hypnosis you are not asleep or unconscious your conscious mind is merely quietened so you will more than likely be aware of everything that happens around you.

It is also a completely safe practice. It is impossible to be “stuck” in a state of hypnosis and you also can’t be made to do anything you don’t want to do. This is because even if you’re entering hypnosis guided by a hypnotherapist you are in control at all times.

The Relaxing Effects of Hypnosis

While hypnosis is not a form of sleep it shares many of the same beneficial properties. This is partly due to the drop in heart rate you will experience. A hypnosis session also typically contains a portion where you are instructed to loosen your muscles, this combined with the above mentioned reduction of mental chatter leaves both your body and mind feeling refreshed and well rested.

Try Hypnosis For Yourself

If you’d like to try hypnosis for yourself then I have found an excellent script that you can use as part of a self hypnosis session. This particular script has been written by clinical hypnotherapist Jon Rhodes who is a personal friend of mine. It will aid you in both relaxation and happiness. Visit the link below to get the script for yourself.

Relaxation and Happiness Hypnosis Script

I have exchanged emails with Jon recently and he told me he’d be glad to write an article for Relaxation Haven on how to perform self hypnosis so look forward to that being added to the site within the next few days. If possible I’ll also try to scout out a free MP3 session.