Christmas is coming

Unbelievably it's only a month away - just over 4 weeks - where has the year gone?  I recently downloaded a new app on my phone called "Timehop" which shows your "Day in History 1, 2 or 3 years ago. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I find myself looking at it and saying OMG that happened a year ago, I thought it was only 6 months ago!  Does that mean I'm getting old?
Back to Christmas though, everyone I speak to has bought and wrapped their presents!  Me?  No, I  have done a large chunk of it, but I haven't finished and haven't even thought about wrapping any of it yet!  In fact I still need to get up in the loft and bring down my box of cards and wrapping paper to see if I need to buy any or not.  I'm not feeling at all organised or remotely ready.  But thankfully I'm not feeling stressed about it all at the moment either.  So for anyone out there, feeling the stress of Christmas upon them, or for those of you dreading the up-and-coming festivities and another year of feeling anxious and even depressed, there's still time to do something about it!  Look up your local Solution Focused Hypnotherapist at www.afsfh.co.uk and book up an Initial Consultation today.  My Initials Consultations are free!  So if you feel it's time to change, if you want work with someone who is committed to helping you to start taking positive steps forward, if you want to start making these changes so you can cope with Christmas this year, contact me at www.julieshowering-hypnotherapy.co.uk or your local AfSFH Hypnotherapist today and change your world for the better.

The Power of Visualisation

Visualisation is a powerful way to help you turn your dreams into reality.  That's quite a statement to make, but there's a lot of evidence out there to support it.

Actor Jim Carrey, for instance, is famous for parking his car on Muholland Drive (a very famous road in LA which is featured in innumerable movies, songs, and novels. David Lynch, once said that one can feel "the history of Hollywood" on it) every night before anybody knew about him, and visualizing becoming the Hollywood star that he inevitably became. He even wrote himself a ten million dollar check for a movie deal, and dated it five years from that very day. Can you guess what eventually happened? Not long before that date came along, he secured ten million dollars to star in the movie Dumb and Dumber.

It's not just Actors who have realised the power of visualisation, but the elite and successful people in every field: professional athletes, business CEO’s, speakers, singers, and performers.  Simply by replaying over and over again the mental images of where or who you would like to be is the key to turning your vision from a day-dream into reality!

Between the 1950s to the 1980's the Russians dominated the Olympics.  Why?  Because part of their Olympic Team included a number of Hypnotists who helped their athletes develop mental clarity through visualisation! 

Muhammad Ali used visualisation to help him win boxing fights.  Andre Agassi repeatedly imagined himself winning the Wimbledon long before he actually won it in 1992 and even Jack Nicklaus, Golfer, would never hit a shot without having a sharp, focused picture of it in his mind first.

Need more evidence?  Science has demonstrated that your brain cannot tell the difference between a visualized image and reality. A Harvard study taught two groups a simple 5-fingered piano melody; one group physically practiced the melody for 2 hours a day over 5 days. The other group merely visualized playing the melody. As you can probably guess, the new neurological wiring that took place were almost identical between the two groups.

 So whatever goal you have, try using visualisation to help you to achieve it!

PTSD

Each November our thoughts turn to those who fought and died to protect us and ultimately our way of life.  Just as importantly we should show our gratitude to those who are still fighting for us and our freedom, their bravery and dedication knows no bounds.

But what I really want to talk about are those who continue to suffer long after they have served their country and are struggling to lead a normal life.  They are the ones suffering with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  It’s difficult to find any figures on the numbers currently affected, but Combat Stress Charity states that “mental ill-health affects ex-Service men and women of all ages, and right now, they are supporting over 5,400 Veterans aged from 19 to 97!” And they’ve never been busier!

But, of course, it’s not just our Veterans who can suffer from PTSD, anyone who has been involved or witnessed, a serious trauma such as a life-threatening assault, a severe accident, rape, torture or seeing someone killed is just as likely to suffer too.  And if you are victim of rape, you have a 50% more chance of developing PTSD!  According to Patient.co.uk, it is estimated that 3 in a 100 people may develop PTSD at some stage in their life.  Which I think is quite a shocking statistic!

Symptoms can often include flash-backs, nightmares, panic attacks, depression, avoidance, substance abuse, relationship issues, anger issues, OCD, and in the most serious of cases, some sufferers have even resorted to suicide.

Thankfully Solution Focused Hypnotherapists are finding that their work with clients suffering from PTSD is having such a positive effect on them.  By helping their clients to let go of past events and enable them to start moving forwards in a positive way which helps them cope so much better with life. And better still, generally, we don’t need to know what caused your PTSD in order to help you overcome it, which means that you don’t have to discuss it and you don’t have to re-live it when you come for treatment.

It's Almost Movember

I love supporting Movember, it's such a great way to draw attention to men's health and, more importantly, get men talking about their health.
Surprisingly, men have a 14% higher risk of developing cancer than women and a 37% higher risk of dying from it!  Some of the reason for the poor state of men’s health are the lack of awareness and understanding of the health issues men face.  Men don't openly discuss their health and how they’re feeling and very often there's a reluctance to take action when they don’t feel physical or mentally well.  And, of course there's still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health.

Thankfully the Movember Foundation are trying to change that by funding programs which will improve the lives of men around the world.  So hopefully we can move towards a reduced mortality from prostate, testicular cancer and men’s suicide and  men and boys understanding how to be mentally healthy and taking action when they experience mental health problems.
So whether your a girl who wants to support the men in her life by becoming a MoSista, or a man who wants to have a bit of fun and raise some money,  sign up to Movember today at  www.uk.movember.com  and start growing your Mo from the 1st November.

SAD it's Winter

Well it’s official, autumn is upon us and winter is coming.  In fact, it must be true, my heating popped on just for a few seconds in the early hours of this morning!

I actually love the autumn and winter months, fresh crisp mornings and wrapping up warm and it’s a chance to drink hot chocolate – like you need an excuse!  Although I do hate the fact that I can’t wear flip-flops anymore!

It’s at this time of year when it’s more important than ever to keep seeing the positives in everything. It’s easy to let the cold months get the better of you and this can eventually leaving you feeling depressed and often in pain as the arthritis kicks in, and if you suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) the symptoms can be even worse.

So make sure that you have plenty of things to keep you occupied this winter.  Get out for a walk when it’s dry, visit a friend when it’s wet.  Bring out your creative side and have a go at making jewellery, or cards etc.  Have a coffee morning and ask everyone to bring something – it doesn’t have to be cake, it could be healthy alternatives!

But winter isn’t all about the cold and rain, it’s really a time for celebration, festivities, family get-together s and parties.  There are plenty of positive things going on all around that can make us feel happier.

More importantly, it’s about how you choose to think.  If you decide in advance that winter is going to be dull, boring and depressing then that’s how you are going to feel.  But if you start thinking of all the joy and happiness that comes with festivals such as Christmas, then that’s how you’re going feel! It’s true isn’t it – how you feel is what you become and you can choose to enjoy the wonders of this coming winter.

Did you know it's World Psoriasis Day today?

Did you know it's World Psoriasis Day today? You probably didn't even know there was a World Psoriasis Day! So what's it all about?

According to their website, yes, there is even a website! http://www.worldpsoriasisday.com

"World Psoriasis Day is an annual day specially dedicated to people with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis. Conceived by patients for patients, World Psoriasis Day is a truly global event that sets out to give an international voice to the more than125 million people with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis around the world. Formed by a global consortium of patient associations from around the world, World Psoriasis Day aims to raise the profile of a condition which needs to be taken more seriously by national and international authorities."

By raising awareness of this devastating skin disease they hope to improve access to treatment and increase understanding.

"Nearly three percent of the world's population, men, women, and children, even newborn babies, endure the symptoms of psoriasis". That's an incredible statistic, that 3 out of every 100 people suffer with this!

But what, exactly is it?  As we know, our skin is constantly growing new cells and shedding the old cells as they die and this process usually takes 28 to 30 days. Unfortunately with psoriasis, this process only takes 7 days with the old cells not shedding and therefore creating a build-up of scaly skin which can sometimes be painful, itchy and even crack and bleed.

It is quite common for someone suffering with psoriasis to feel that they are not good enough, or that they are disgusting and ugly, even useless or worthless and they often feel that they will never get rid of it! It really creates a lot of negativity for the sufferer.

However, there is help out there. Hypnotherapy is a great way to help sufferers deal with these feelings and to create a much more positive outlook on life, it can even help them feel much more relaxed about their psoriasis and even help them love themselves more.

If you're able to cope with all the stress and anxiety that life throws at you in a much more relaxed and calm way, they you become much more relaxed about your psoriasis and for some people, that's enough for it clear up completely.

To find a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist near you, go to the following website page AfSFH Hypnotherapists and enter your postcode.

With Autumn Comes Change

I went up to Westonbirt Arboretum yesterday.  I love going up there and walking around all those beautiful trees and shrubs.  It always makes me laugh, seeing some people with all their hiking gear on like they are off on an expedition to the Outer Hebrides or somewhere equally remote, when in reality you're only 20mins away from the car park!  And then there's me, in my flip-flops!  I love my flip-flops and I really do where them everywhere!
Seeing all the trees starting to change into those wonderful Autumnal colours, those bright oranges, golds and reds. It's such a beautiful time of the year with crisp cold mornings and evenings and, if we're lucky, warm afternoons, and you're never sure quite what to wear!
Change - something we are all capable of, and yet many of us don't - we always think it's someone else who needs to change - how could it possibly be me who needs to change?
Well, if you are unhappy in your life, if life isn't going the way you want it to go, who else can change it but you?  You created it - you can change it!
It's the same for those clients who come to see me and say they have been on anti-depressants for years.  As soon as they come off of them, they're straight back on them again, and it's really easy to see why.  The life you are living is, for whatever reason, making you depressed, so the Doctor gives you anti-depressants and you feel a bit better so you come off them, but you're still living the exact same life you were living that made you depressed, so you end up back on the anti-depressants and so the cycle begins again.
So how can you get out of this cycle?  There is only one way - make changes in your life!
It doesn't have to be massive changes, just something really simple to start with - change the way you do something or start taking on other people's problems or simply start looking at the positive things in your life - you may not realise it, but we all have lots to be thankful for.
What we think is what we become - so if you're wallowing in negativity, then you will become negative, but if you think positive, you will act more positive, be seen to be more positive and therefore you will be more positive - it's as easy as that.
Then, the next time you come off anti-depressants, because you've started to make all the necessary changes in your life, you will have more chance of staying off the anti-depressants and leading a better and more positive life.

Life always throws a curveball ....

It was never my intention to use this platform to slag off companies, but unfortunately I feel compelled to at this moment in time!
I have been a loyal Orange customer for many years - more than I can remember, and when my phone came up for renewal a year or so ago, I spoke to the good people at Orange who said I'd be better off on a sim only monthly contract - which I did - and its been costing me more and more each month, as picking up answerphone messages isn't included - so instead of my monthly bill being just £13 its costing me approx £37.  So I decided to go back to a contract with a new phone.  But the lovely people of Tesco said I couldn't do that, I would have to go onto a pay as you go scheme for 1 month and then I could upgrade!  Strange I thought, so I went to the now EE shop and they confirmed that this was indeed the case.
There was no other option, but to go to a new network - so I sought out the good people of Carphone Warehouse who sold me a contract with O2.
I duly contacted Orange and they kindly gave me my PAC number which I duly passed on to O2 - my phone should be transferred by 6pm.
No it wasn't - in some cases it can take up to 24 hours, so phone back at 8am the next day.
No it wasn't - in extraordinary cases it can take up to 48 hours - phone back tomorrow.
No it wasn't - we didn't mean 24 hours from 8am its from when the call ended - call back after 9am.
So I phoned back at 10 and they said ......... I can't actually remember now - I really have lost the will to live!
And I phoned back at 2pm and spoke to a really nice man who was very, very helpful - he didn't want to fob me off - perfect - he phoned orange and eventually discovered that Orange have not released the number fully which means that I make calls and send texts, but no-one and I mean no-one can call or text me - all they get is a message saying "You have dialled incorrectly".
Thankfully this really amused the very helpful young man at O2 - I was talking to him on my mobile and then when he rang me he was expecting it to go straight to my answerphone, but instead got "You have dialled incorrectly" - how can that be when his system says I'm calling from that number.
Still, it should be fixed by Monday now - so nearly a week to get my mobile number changed from one network to another.
That said, I can't thank the last person at O2 I spoke to, he really did go above and beyond.
You'd think, however, that this day and age it would be such a simple thing to do.
So the moral of this story - Never, ever, ever change from an Orange Mobile Network, they will mess with your head and possibly even your livelihood.
So I still have no mobile phone :(
Rant over ......... until Monday .......
#Orange #O2

Mindfulness Meditation

You're probably hearing this word a lot lately, but what is Mindfulness?

We live in such a fast paced world these days trying to juggle work, kids, home and social lives that it can be all a bit overwhelming at times.  When was the last time you actually sat down and did nothing but relax, I mean really relax?  Not very often or far worse than that, maybe never! And if you're not getting a decent night’s sleep, then odds are, you’re starting to feel the pressure and your mind just doesn't stop!  Sound familiar?

We all need to admit that sometimes we find it hard to let go of our worries, our fears and all those negatives thoughts running around in our heads.  Of course it’s no wonder when the minute our anxiety starts to go up, we start to drop into our negative brain, and it’s all too easy to stay there!

Staying in the positive part of our brain, and focusing on the positives in our lives isn't easy, but the results can be outstanding.  Enabling us to lower our stress and cope so much better with anything that life throws at us.  Mindfulness isn't just about being positive; it’s about being present in the moment too.

Meditation is the best way to help you cope with stress and to help you de-clutter your mind and this can start with a simple slow breathing exercise, out for the count of 4 and then in for the count of 4.

Breathing out negativity and breathing in positivity.

Breathing out stress and breathing in calm.

Breathing out your worries, breathing in love.

Breathing out pain, breathing in healing.

Once you find this easy take it up a notch and go for a count of 5, then 6 or 7.

You can even take it step further and include some colour breathing.

Imagine negativity as a colour and as you breathe out see or feel that colour leaving your body taking all your negatives thoughts with it.

Now imagine a colour that makes you feel happy and breathe in that colour so that it penetrates every part of your body, filling you with that colour.

Colour breathing is a very effective way of helping you distress and let go of all those negativities and hopefully it will leave you feeling a little bit more positive and able to cope with life just a little bit better.