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National No Smoking Day – why bother?

 General Ramblings, Stopping Smoking  No Responses »
Mar 142012
 

Who invents these days?
What is their purpose?

Normally it’s something like ‘National sibling’s day’, or ‘National pet guinea pig’s day’ or any other reason to buy a greetings card specially made for the occasion.

Can you imagine getting a Happy National No Smoking Day card?

Ok – for those of us who used to smoke and probably for many who still do, it may seem like just another reason for society to have a go, for aquaintances and family to tell you yet again that you really ‘shouldn’t’ be doing this.

But, no matter how much we hear about the dangers, how anti-social it is and how everything is bad about it – what makes us hang on to the habit? Why do we dig our heels in and say “I know the risks and I choose to do it anyway”?

The thing is, that the reason we hold on to this so tightly and find it so hard to become free of the smoking is our ‘unconscious’ mind. This is the part of us that gives the craving for cigarettes, the real ‘must have’ feeling that we get, and this is because it really believes that the smoking is giving you something essential for survival!

The unconscious mind is there to help keep us safe, motivating us to behaviours that either give us reward, or keep us away from danger, and this whole, completely natural, mechanism has been hijacked by the smoking and the nicotine.

So – you can stop beating yourself up about this right now – It is not your fault!!! It is your unconscious mind behaving completely as it was designed to, all the while being tricked by the nicotine.

The really good news is that we have brilliant and fast ways to un-trick the mind, so that, quicker than you might imagine, those cravings and desire for the smoking can melt away until they are just a distant memory, and you will be able to look back and smile, to know that you are, at last, completely FREE of the smoking!!

It is possible – I can attest to that. Since I stopped, I have not once had or even vaguely wanted a cigarette. My unconscious mind knows that it is not giving me anything positive and, therefore, I never will have any of those feelings again…. and it feels…. amazing!!!

Give yourself the reward you deserve – freedom from smoking, and you can send yourself a ‘Happy – Freedom from Smoking Day’ Card.

http://www.thesmokingclinic.com

 Posted by admin at 4:54 pm

Six years ago today…

 General Ramblings, Stopping Smoking  No Responses »
Nov 292011
 

Six years ago today… I stubbed out my last ever cigarette.  It was at 10:15 in the morning as I walked down to the tube station to go to Harley Street and see a hypnotherapist.

It was a strange feeling. I was really aware that I hadn’t noticed that cigarette quite as much as I should have. Should I have savoured it more, shouldn’t it have lasted longer? Why didn’t I notice smoking it – after all, I may never have the chance again!

Something in me was scared. I’m not sure whether I was more scared of succeeding than failing. Strange emotions indeed. I was torn. Part of me wanted to stop the disgusting habit and yet, there was still a part of me that hung onto it fondly – how would life be without my constant companion? This must sound strange to anyone who has never smoked, and probably quite familiar to everyone else.

Outside no 1, Harley Street I debated whether to have another one before going in and decided against it. I couldn’t go in stinking of cigarettes, could I?

I had been here before. Not Harley Street, but I had seen a couple of hypnotherapists in the past. Somehow I still held the belief that this was going to be the only way that I could stop for good and I had heard a few things about this ‘NLP’ stuff that this guy used too. Thankfully, my previous failed attempts had not put me off and I had been willing to put myself on a 3 month waiting list. Maybe this time… this could be it!

After winding my way through wood panelled corridors and peculiar staircases, I arrived in the room and sat down nervously behind the desk. This guy had done his homework. He had read the answers on the questionnaire that I had sent months ago, and we talked for a while about my ‘favourite’ cigarettes and various other aspects of my smoking. How refreshing to find someone who realised that I was an individual. Maybe this time really would be different.

I have to admit the rest of the session was a bit of a blur, from sitting in a lovely reclining chair to opening my eyes some time later, not really sure about everything that was said, but feeling that somehow, something had changed and with some excitement and a bit of trepidation I left.

I’ll never forget walking down Wigmore Street that day, as I looked around, strangely aware of everything around me, the busses, the traffic lights – somehow I just knew that the smoking was a thing of the past – I really was free of it. It was no longer part of me, just something I used to do.

That was six years ago and I can quite honestly say that from that point on I knew I would never have another one – and I haven’t. I haven’t even wanted one, not a tiny little bit. What an amazing feeling! … and what an amazing six years. Who would have known then that my curiosity about hypnosis and NLP would lead to a complete change of direction? How so much of my life has changed as a result and how great it’s been.

I look back at that day and smile… and smile some more.

CLICK HERE FOR AN AMAZING OFFER – FREE SMOKING CESSATION FOR A VERY LIMITED TIME

 Posted by admin at 1:02 pm

Hypnotherapy – brain massage? Jack Dee thinks so

 General Ramblings  No Responses »
Apr 282011
 

It is always great to read about people in the public eye who have benefited from hypnotherapy. It all helps to counteract some of the presumptions that people may understandably hold. We have all seen the sensational storylines in TV detective programmes, where the villain hypnotises some poor unsuspecting member of the public to commit some dastardly crime, or seen the stage shows where people do unspeakable things as they are ‘controlled’ by the hypnotist.

So – how refreshing to see this interview with Jack Dee in Monday’s Daily Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/comedy/8466032/Jack-Dee-interview-The-little-ray-of-sleet-who-gives-way-to-a-smile.html

In Bryony Gordon’s article, Jack describes how he had suffered from depression and how after having been on various anti-depressants, he had found “another way” – that being hypnotherapy.

Jack says in the article “I always think of it as being a bit of a brain massage. It just sort of resets you. Sometimes you have to switch off and turn it back on again….”.

Those of us who are practitioners are also very aware of how hypnotherapy benefits us too.  Sometimes, as we become aware of our own obstacles or limiting beliefs, and when we realise we are not performing at our best, there is nothing better than seeing a colleague for a bit of a ‘reset’!

cathy@cathysimmons.co.uk. Full contact details on http://www.cathysimmons.co.uk

 Posted by admin at 5:03 pm

Rudeness at work can lead to mistakes

 General Ramblings  No Responses »
Jul 072010
 

Have a look at this article seen on Yahoo News:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20100706/thl-rudeness-increases-mistakes-risk-d831572.html

Studies are indicating that our performance in various tasks is impaired if someone has been rude to us beforehand, even mildly rude. What’s more, even witnessing this rudeness to someone else can impair our performance!

Interesting.

The article goes on to say ‘ “This reaction is probably caused by the emotional arousal caused by the rudeness, which resulted in a switchover of cognitive capacity to deal with the required emotional processing, or it may, more simply, be caused by distraction,” Prof Flin said. ‘

This completely rings true. We have a saying that ‘Strong emotion makes us stupid’, and this is because once the emotional brain becomes aroused, the connections to the rational, cognitive part of our brain are obstructed. So how often, for example, do we go into an interview or exam and completely forget everything we know, and we know that we know!

Our minds are pattern matching machines. For some of us the act of walking into an exam or interview is matched to ‘danger’ by our emotional brain, initiating the ‘fight or flight’ response that we are all aware of, switching off our cognitive capacity.

So what can we do?

There are a couple of little tricks that can really help in these situations.

Firstly, did you know that just by going into peripheral vision, we can no longer panic? Try it! Pick a spot to look at on the wall. Remain looking at the spot and start to see how much more either side of the spot you can see, as your eyes de-focus.

Secondly, try a technique called 7/11 breathing. Breathe slowly and deeply from the diaphragm (which means keeping your shoulders and chest still, while your tummy goes in and out). Take a long breath in (for a count of 7), followed by an even longer breath out (for a count of 11), really drawing out that breath out. This causes a physiological response which, after just a few minutes, cannot help but relax you.

I hope you try these out.

For more information on how to get rid of these fears for good, you can email me on

cathy@cathysimmons.co.uk. Full contact details on http://www.cathysimmons.co.uk

 Posted by admin at 5:02 pm

Can dementia be preventable?

 General Ramblings  No Responses »
Feb 072010
 

I have just seen this article on Patrick Holford’s website, explaining the link between high levels of homocysteine and the risk of developing forms of dementia. The implication is that we can reduce our risk by increasing our daily intake of B vitamins and folic acid.

I would be interested in other people’s opinion of this.

http://www.patrickholford.com/index.php/blog/blogarticle/674/?utm_source=Eletter+news+5+Feb&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=E+news+4+Feb+to+all&utm_content=jrhoward188%40gmail.com

 Posted by admin at 5:01 pm

Tackle work stress – employers told by NHS advisors

 General Ramblings  No Responses »
Nov 052009
 

As I turned on Breakfast News this morning as usual, I was struck by an item about the extent of stress and stress related illness in the workplace. According to NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), 13 million working days are lost a year because of work related stress, anxiety and depression. (I assume this figure applies to the UK, but this wasn’t clear).

Other figures were thrown in regarding the cost to employers, apparently hitting £28.3 billion per year and NICE suggests that £250,000 per year could be saved in a firm of 1,000 staff by tackling this issue.

See the article on BBC News website here

In reality, most of us probably think that this type of issue has been around as long as workplaces have,  but maybe it has not been quantified in this way, or even given the label of ‘work-related stress’ until recently.  Indeed, a certain and appropriate amount of stress is a good thing, depending on the circumstances – some people perform better under a bit of pressure, helping to motivate and drive them. Those of us who are sole traders can’t really blame anyone else for the very real stresses and pressures that running your own business can bring, but however these can be highly motivating factors (and some of us need a kick up the behind every now and then!)

Employers are being given further guidelines about how to improve the workplace, putting the emphasis on training managers and giving positive feedback, as, it seems, that the attitude of managers has been suggested as the biggest culprit.

So – it seems to all be a lot about control. We all find ourselves in situations that we have no control over, the attitude of a bullying manager, perhaps, imposed deadlines and budgets, redundancies, having to deal with people who can seem impossible at times – all these things can lead to stress, anxiety, rumination, negative thinking, and eventually to depression and physical illness.

We may not have any control over these factors, but there is one thing we can always take control over – our attitude to them! Wouldn’t it be great if we could stop being the victims and begin to get control of the way we feel, regardless of those things that we cannot control.

Someone recently said to me “Holding bitterness against someone is like letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head” How true!! Don’t let these external factors dictate how you feel inside.

Easier said than done? Maybe – but with modern NLP techniques and hypnotherapy it can become a real possibility to change the way you react to circumstances, and start behaving and feeling the way you want to, able to cope and stay calm when the world throws you all those challenges – an end to other people and circumstances dictating the way we feel and the beginning of being in charge of our own well-being.

Cathy Simmons

http://www.cathysimmons.co.uk

 Posted by admin at 5:00 pm

What’s going on in the placebo effect?

 General Ramblings  No Responses »
Oct 232009
 

“From 2002 to 2006, the number of drugs that were axed after Phase-II clinical trials (volunteer trials) increased by 20% because the drugs couldn’t beat the placebos they were compared against. More recently, in 2008, a new gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease failed against the placebo. Similarly, in March 2009, Eli Lilly withdrew a new drug for schizophrenia because the placebo effect was double that expected. Also in March 2009, Osiris Therapeutics’ new drug for Crohn’s disease was also withdrawn due to a high placebo effect.
What is going on? ” – David R Hamilton PhD – October 2009

You can read the whole article from David’s October newsletter here.

If you like this, then I would stongly recommend his books. Backed by cited research he gives a real insight into the workings of the mind and the mind-body link.

How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body
It’s the Thought That Counts: Why Mind Over Matter Really Works

Both are a great read

http://www.cathysimmons.co.uk

 Posted by admin at 4:59 pm

Pregnant smoking ‘psychosis link’

 General Ramblings, Stopping Smoking  No Responses »
Oct 032009
 

This is a quite disturbing article from the BBC about how mothers who smoke whilst pregnant can put their children at greater risk of psychotic symptoms.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8283723.stm

Get help at:

http://www.hampsteadsmokingclinic.com

 Posted by admin at 4:58 pm

I’m convinced dieting can make you fatter

 General Ramblings  No Responses »
Oct 012009
 

A recent article in the Daily Express tells the story of a lady who has been dieting since the age of 12. Pressures from teachers and family at that young age instilled the idea that she needed to be thinner leading to a lifetime of dieting, guilt and worry about weight.

Read the article here

The whole cycle of yo-yo dieting that is so easy to get into, ends up doing far more harm than good. By constantly restricting foods (maybe the overall amount or maybe just certain types of food) your body and mind are tricked into thinking that food is scarce and therefore kicks your body into ‘fat storage’ mode.

How many of us have fallen into that trap?
Are we a little bit afraid to stop dieting because we think we might put on even more weight?

But it is the dieting that causes us to gain weight!
If we turn this around it is actually good news, because it mean that it is possible to
stop dieting and lose weight!

By applying a straight forward approach to eating, understanding more about our relationship to food and learning some simple techniques for helping  when we are tempted to eat more than we should, techniques that can help with cravings and motivation to exercise, for example, then it becomes easy to change our approach to eating (without dieting), allowing us to gently and naturally achieve the weight loss that we want and to maintain it.

If you would like to know more you can contact Cathy on 07792 312 465, http://www.cathysimmons.co.uk/LoseWeight.html

 Posted by admin at 4:56 pm

Smoking ban cut heart attacks

 General Ramblings, Stopping Smoking  No Responses »
Sep 222009
 

The latest studies indicate a reduction of up to 26% per year in heart attack rates resulting in smoking bans in public places. This is much more than was anticipated.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8267523.stm

Most smokers (and I was one for a long time) don’t really want to look at articles like this and can easily feel ‘picked on’ by the rest of the world about their smoking. However most also know, really, that it is hugely damaging to smoke – quite aware of the risks they are taking with their own lives.

So why is this? How can we carry on doing something that we know is so harmful and justify it with “I enjoy it” or “it helps me relax”.?  What if you “enjoy” salmon sandwiches but have a fish allergy, would you continue to eat salmon purely because you enjoy it? Probably not. So what is different about smoking? Why can’t we easily quit smoking?

Nicotine has tricked your mind! Over time our minds have started to associate cigarettes with the relief of stress, with the relief of that feeling that we may call withdrawal, which is the feeling caused as nicotine from the previous cigarette starts to leave the body. Your mind has also generalised this feeling – and by that I mean that it starts to think that nicotine can help relieve other similar feelings like fear, anxiety, stress, etc…. This is one big con! If you are stressed by something, then all the nicotine does is temporarily relieve the part of that feeling that was caused by the cigarette in the first place! The rest of the worry is still there.

The crazy thing is that the cigarette causes stress in the first place. Every time you have one, it is like injecting pure adrenalin, the stress hormone. Your body is constantly living with higher than normal levels of the stress hormone, caused by smoking. No wonder we feel anxious and on edge so much of the time. However, in the back of our minds (the unconscious part of your mind), you only think that the cigarette relieves the stress, and therefore the unconscious part of your mind will continue to motivate you to smoke.

All we are doing when we say “I  enjoy it” or “It helps me through difficult times” is coming up with a consicous justification of our unconsciously driven behaviour  – which is entirely natural.

So, how on earth can we get out of this cycle? This is where hypnotherapy comes in. It is a way of accessing the unconscious part of your mind to re-train it, so that it no longer motivates you to smoke. Without that deep down motivation it become so easy to stop smoking. The niggling feelings you get in the couple of days afterwards will be so small that they can easily be beaten, and after that… Freedom for Good and a new life of better health!!!

 Posted by admin at 4:51 pm
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