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.

Life's Ups and Downs

Well, here I am on a Monday lunchtime wondering what on earth to say in this blog. Just sitting here waiting for inspiration, when I started to think about a party I went to on Friday night. I met this amazing lady there and we started to talk about our journeys and how we both got to where we are now.
Life is an amazing journey. Sometimes we're going along quite smoothly, other times things seem so very tough and we don't know how we're going to cope, and then there are the times when we are on a high and everything is so wonderful.  We all have our ups and downs in life.  The only difference is how we cope with those ups and downs.  This is something that I talk about constantly to my clients and even when a client comes to me and says "There's been absolutely nothing good about the week", I can always find something positive and it usually about how they dealt with something or coped with something.  In there eyes it had been an awful week but in mine, they'd overcome their problems so much better than they had before, they'd coped with their problems in a much more positive way than they'd thought.  Our conversations usually end with them saying "Oh yes, I hadn't thought about it in that way".
This is what I love about the work I do - changing people's perceptions.  I always tell my clients "I can't stop sh*t happening in your life, but what I can do is help you cope with it in a much more positive way"
I suppose that's become my philosophy of life.

The Subtleties of Change

One of my clients last week said to me "I don't think this is working" meaning, of course, that Hypnotherapy wasn't working for her.
"Oh" I said, "Isn't it, well lets discuss that in a moment, first, tell me what's been good about your week". "Well" she said "my kids have been a lot calmer this week".
"That great, why do you think that is?" I asked.
"I suppose I've been a lot calmer as well"
"That's good, what else"
"I suppose I've managed to get on with things this last week, like housework and washing "
"Great, what else?"
"I've been able to get out and about and went to a friends for coffee, which was nice"
"Excellent. What else?"
"That's it really, actually it's been a really good week, I've achieved quite a lot"
"So you still think this isn't working?"
"Oh, well when you put it that way, I suppose it is"
I love the fact that for some clients change is so subtle they don't actually realise its happening. Then when you point it out they have a real lightbulb moment.

Blogging is Essential - Apparently!

Well, this is my first blog!  I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing!  Nothing is explained as you go through the stages to create your first blog.  I don't even know what I'm going talk about. But apparently, blogging is essential if I want to reach out and find more clients.  But how many people will this blog actually reach? One person or several hundred or no-one?  Who knows, but it will be interesting to find out.  So I'm actually looking forward to the journey of becoming a Blogger and sharing my world with you.