How Was Your Day?

How has your day been at work? Tough? Do you feel unable to cope with the demands being placed on you? Stress, including work related stress, can be a significant cause of illness and is known to be linked with high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover and other issues such as a lack of confidence and self-esteem.

Stress can hit anyone at any level of the business and recent research shows that work related stress is widespread and is not confined to any particular sector, job or industry.

If you are fed up with your lot, you may be looking to change jobs or even change your career. With application forms and CVs submitted, the first hurdle is getting short-listed. When you get that email or letter inviting you to attend an interview you get an adrenalin rush and are on a high. But then you read that, as part of the interview, you have to give a presentation. Perhaps you revel in this. Or perhaps – like many people – you panic at the thought.

You really want this job. And to have a chance of beating off the undoubtedly stiff competition, you know you will have to give a good presentation. But if you’re someone who is lacking in self-confidence, you may be in self-defeating mode even before the interview begins.

I’ve had clients tell me ‘I’m no good at presentations. I know what I want to say but it just doesn’t come out right’.  Or ‘I hate talking to a group of people, particularly people I’ve never met before’. Or ‘I know I can do the job but I’m not sure I can talk the talk’.

Self-doubt takes over. Self-confidence dips. This can affect not only your presentation but your interview particularly if the presentation is at the end of the competency based questions – and the presentation has been on your mind so much you haven’t been able to fully concentrate on the rest of the interview.

So, what can you do to overcome this dilemma?

Hypnotherapy can help. I have been asked to help clients who dread having to give presentations, whether as part of a job interview or in their existing role. Hypnotherapy can increase self-confidence and self-esteem – and it has worked for clients who have approached me in the last year.

So, what is hypnotherapy, I hear you ask? Well, hypnosis is an altered and heightened state of awareness that is sometimes referred to as a trance state. Most of us slip in and out of trance states throughout the day in everyday life. Has anyone ever said to you ‘Hey – you’re away in a dream!’ in an attempt to get your attention? When you day-dream you are at your most relaxed and comfortable. This is often when the best ideas 'pop' into your mind – they certainly do in my case! You may be aware there are two parts to the mind, the conscious and the subconscious. Many therapists use the term 'unconscious' instead of 'subconscious', and many describe the workings of the mind in great detail. My explanation is very simple:  The Conscious You are aware and in the present with your conscious mind. It’s the part of your mind that reasons and makes decisions and choices. It acts as a filter to thoughts and suggestions, deciding whether to keep them in the forefront of your mind, or put them ‘on hold’, or to dismiss them altogether. When a thought or suggestion is put ‘on hold’, it goes straight to the subconscious where it is filed away. The Subconscious The subconscious is a container for your thoughts. Amongst other things, it houses all the information your conscious gives it to store, like memories and things it can't deal with immediately. Hypnotherapy is a skilled verbal communication, used during hypnosis, which helps direct your imagination in such a way as to bring about intended alterations in sensations, perceptions, feelings, thoughts and behaviour. The process begins with an initial consultation meeting during which I will ask questions about your lifestyle. I will also ask about things that make you relaxed such as your favourite place in the world to go; happy memories of a special time in your life; favourite pastimes and generally things that make you feel happy and relaxed. From this initial consultation, I create a bespoke script for use during the hypnosis. We will then decide together on the changes or goals that are desired. Unlike stage show hypnotists, during hypnotherapy you are fully conscious and aware at all times. You will never be asked to do anything you don’t want to do - so there will be no flapping around the room believing you are a chicken! With regards to having to do a presentation, hypnotherapy can help you to: Control feelings of nerves Project your voice Answer questions Deal with tricky situations ·       If you are looking to change your job or career but feel you may struggle with a job interview or presentation, hypnotherapy may be for you. If you are interested in finding out more, please have a look at my website Mind Generating Success. You can phone or text me on 07521353787 (24 hours) to arrange a date and time for an initial consultation or email me at: mike.smith@mgs-hypnotherapy-services.co.uk  It’s not as expensive as you might think – £60 per session. If you’re a public-sector worker and a Premium Benefits member, you’ll get a whopping 20% off every session. Evening and weekend appointments are available if required. Home visits are available by arrangement. We have but one life – so why not try and change your life for the better? Mike Smith Hyp CS Mind Generating Success National Hypnotherapy Society Membership No: HYP14-01935

How Was Your Day?

How has your day been at work? Tough? Do you feel unable to cope with the demands being placed on you? Stress, including work related stress, can be a significant cause of illness and is known to be linked with high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover and other issues such as a lack of confidence and self-esteem.

Stress can hit anyone at any level of the business and recent research shows that work related stress is widespread and is not confined to particular sectors, jobs or industries. That is why a population-wide approach is necessary to tackle it.

Hypnotherapy is one area which is proving successful at alleviating not only work-related stress but stress in general.

If you're experiencing stress, work-related or not, and are interested in finding out what hypnotherapy can do for you, contact me by email at mike.smith@mgs-hypnotherapy-services.co.uk or by phone on 07521 353 787.

https://www.mgs-hypnotherapy-services.co.uk/what-hypnother…/

Is It Time to Change Your Life?

Do you feel your life has got stuck in a rut that you feel you'll never get out of? Are you sick and tired of the same old routine, day in, day out, your life a ceaseless drudgery? Perhaps not. But, if this resonates with you, read on…

Of course, routine can be a good thing and we all need some kind of routine, otherwise life would be chaotic and potentially dangerous. We need some semblance of what is going to happen in order we can plan ahead. But it’s when this routine takes over and begins to make you unhappy that you realise something must change. Have you ever said to yourself or a close friend or partner ‘there must be more to life than this?’

You may have said this if you are in a job that makes you unhappy. You yearn for Friday night but dread Sunday night and the prospect of going to work on Monday. It may be a high-pressure job with its constant demands which cause you stress and undermine your confidence.

You may be in an unhappy relationship but because it has become a way of life you are frightened of changing it. This is particularly so of people who have been in a job or in a relationship for several years but are unhappy. ‘Ach, you’ve just got to get on wi’ it’ is an oft-used phrase. But you don’t. You can make the changes to your life which will improve it and make you happier than you are now.

Too much predictability can cause long-term damage to a person’s thought process. You feel trapped, stuck in a rut, feeling as if there is no escape. You do the same things every day, see the same people every day, stick to the same routine every day. There is nothing to stimulate you, nothing you find challenging. Yet, you dream of a new, different life, one which doesn’t necessarily have to be exciting but which is different to the tedium you are experiencing now.

Okay, I hear you ask, how can you change your life for the better? Well, firstly, you need to decide what it is about your life you want to change. Do you wish you could speak out more at work? Feel the demands of your job are too great but you daren’t say anything to your manager?

Perhaps the stressful nature of your job means you comfort eat. Possibly because you don’t have enough time during the working day to eat properly, you find yourself gorging high-fat, convenient food when you get home. ‘Ach, it’s been a hellish day, I’m going to have a chippy for tea’ I’ve been there myself but now my extra-large tee-shirt lies crumpled in the drawer…

Perhaps you feel stuck in a relationship that has been going nowhere for years but you feel it’s too late to change now so you have to put up with it. There’s the kids, the mortgage and the dog to think about. Fair enough. But perhaps you’re one of those people whose children are now grown up and have flown the nest and you still feel trapped in an unhappy relationship…

Or have you been smoking cigarettes for more years than you care to remember and now feel the effects this has on your health? If you’re like me, a fifty something, and have grandchildren, do you feel you can’t do the physical activities with them like you used to do with your children all those years ago? I don’t smoke but I know several people who do and wish they could stop for the sake of their health, their children and their grandchildren. My father died very suddenly nearly twenty years ago. One day his heart just stopped working and that was that. A year before he died he told me his GP wrote a prescription slip and passed it to him. It read ‘stop smoking’. My father tried but didn’t succeed. He was 58 when he died.

So, what to do?

If you’ve read this far and are nodding in agreement, then good! However, it’s not easy to change your life just like that, especially when you’ve been stuck in the same routine for several years. But there’s a solution. It’s a matter of coming to terms with what you’re doing with your life – and what you would like to do with your life. Change doesn’t come easy. It requires effort. But I can help you make the changes to bring out a happier life. And we could all do with more happiness in these troubled times.

Hypnotherapy can bring about the changes to your life you want – and possibly even need. Hypnotherapy can help you look at your life differently and guide you to think of doing things differently, in a way which will benefit you. Yes, you. Hypnotherapy can help your life take on a new sense of purpose and make it exciting again.

Firstly, you need to know what changes it is you want to make to your life. Once you do you can contact me and together we can discover the tools and techniques that will bring improvement to the quality of your life – and bring happiness and contentment. Life is too short to accept what we’ve got if we’re unhappy with it. Change for the better is all about you. When you discover the tools to make those changes then your hopes for a better life can be fulfilled.

Hypnotherapy can be applied to a wide range of medical, dental and psychological problems. Areas of application include anxiety and stress conditions, weight control and addictive behaviours and self-esteem and confidence issues. It is also used to enhance performance in several areas such as sport and public speaking.

Hypnotherapy gives you time for one of the most important things in your life – you. With relaxing techniques tailored to suit you, you will feel calmer, more relaxed and have a better understanding of your life, needs and aspirations as well as others. 

Contact me today to arrange an appointment. After a no obligation, initial consultation, we can decide together the best way to enable you to achieve your goals. A consultation meeting is just £10 - and if you decide to proceed with hypnotherapy this £10 is deducted from the cost of your first session. 

Sessions cost £60 each. For smoking cessation, it's £95. 

 Mind Generating Success 

Phone or text me on 07521353787 (24 hours) to arrange a date and time for an initial consultation or email me at: mike.smith@mgs-hypnotherapy-services.co.uk

Home visits are available by arrangement.

We have but one life – so why not try and change your life for the better?

Depression Isn't Just Being a Bit Sad

Mental health issues are very much in the news at present. The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has spoken about her government tacking these issues, creating a ‘shared society’ and creating a ‘fairer and stronger Britain’.

Fine words - but the more cynical among us will wonder if anything will really be done to tackle this major issue. After all, old habits die hard.

Mental health issues, including depression, affect nearly a quarter of the population. In Scotland, that is over a million people. That’s a staggering statistic. Yet, for too many employers there remains a stigma attached to mental health. How many times have you heard someone at your work – possibly your manager – sniping that so-and-so isn’t coming into work because they’re ‘depressed’? (sometimes accompanied with a gesture of tapping their fingers in the air in a derogatory fashion)

Depression is often misinterpreted as ‘just feeling a bit low’. But those who experience depression know it’s much more than that. The low mood can feed feelings of anxiety and of everything going wrong. This isn’t just ‘having a bad day’. For those who wake up feeling the same way every day, depression is something which can seem to never go away.

There can be feelings of despair, feelings of helplessness and of feeling worthless. You may recognise some of these phrases:

·         I’m just not good enough.

·         Nothing ever goes right for me.

·         I would be out of my depth.

·         There’s just no point.

·         I’m just not going to bother.

When these feelings occur day in, day out, week in, week out, it can lead to serious mental health problems.

So, what triggers feelings of depression? Everyone is different so depression can affect someone for any number of reasons. It could be due to a trauma such as the death of a loved one, the break-up of a relationship or the loss of a job. It could be an incident or situation from the past which can lie dormant for years but then suddenly rise to the surface. Or it could be feelings of guilt over something someone believes was their fault.

But feelings of depression don’t need to have a trigger. I had a client who told me he can cope better with life when he has a specific worry or concern as this issue focuses his mind and he can concentrate better. He told me it’s when things are generally going okay at work, his relationship with his partner is good and his family are fine that his feelings of depression come – his ‘dark clouds’ to quote him direct.

Then there’s the huge expectation placed on us by the nature of today’s society. In this internet dominated, instant communication, constantly demanding world there are huge expectations placed on many of us. There is huge pressure on people to be successful, to make something of their life, to develop new skills in an ever-changing world. When our phone rings we immediately answer it. We surf the net constantly, we scour social media websites often looking for recognition and approval of status. Sometimes, I think it would be good to travel back in time to a period before mobile phones and the internet, before society demanded so much from us. It seems life was so much simpler then although it probably wasn’t – it just seems that way.

When people find it difficult to cope with these demands they can feel overwhelmed and feel they can’t cope. This can be a breeding ground for depression and other mental health issues. And when they feel they are unable to seek help or perhaps don’t want to seek help for fear of being seen as ‘weak’ this can compound the issue. A feeling of being unable to cope can lead to feeling worthless and feeling fatigued. It’s much much more than being ‘fed up’.

Hypnotherapy can help to change ways of thinking. It can replace negative thoughts and habits with more favourable thoughts and feelings. Negative thinking can be habit-forming - and hypnotherapy can change your unwanted habits. It can strengthen your confidence and, in turn, increase your self-esteem. Your feelings of worthlessness will recede and gradually you will have a new view of your life.

Hypnotherapy can take away unwanted feelings and help you run your life the way you want to. Through carefully created, bespoke scripts devised by a fully qualified hypnotherapist, it can replace your negative habits with positive ones. You are not ‘put to sleep’ like hypnosis stage shows. You are awake and fully aware at all times. You are in control and you will never do anything you don’t want to do.

If you are experiencing any of the above feelings and are looking for a holistic approach to resolving your unwanted habits, please contact me on the contact details below to arrange a consultation meeting. I will answer any questions you may have and you can then decide if hypnotherapy is for you. Many people have contacted me and have changed their lives for the better.

You can too!

tel: 0752 135 3787 (24 hours)

email: mike.smith@mgs-hypnotherapy-services.co.uk 

twitter: @smith_mgs 

Mind Generating Success