Well here we are, half way through February 2020 and I thought I’d share my way of thinking regarding New Years, and that old "Resolution" chestnut.  By now, most of those Resolutions will be but a memory - and one you’d rather forget no doubt!
Some years ago, I abandoned making Resolutions.  I believe they are often unrealistic, far too specific, often hard to achieve, and can leave us with a negative feeling about ourselves that’s hard to shake. None of these are good for us.
Instead, I set a ”Theme” for the coming year. Whereas Resolutions are specific and rigid, a Theme is rather a way of being.  An umbrella which encompasses many aspects of a concept, idea or wish. 
As in previous years, I have adopted a "Theme" for 2020.  And I thought I’d share it, so you can find a positive way to direct your hopes and fears for the coming year.  I hope you can use this idea for yourself, and it’s not too late to put one together for your 2020! 
To give you some background and relevance to this idea of Themes, here are a few of mine from previous years
2019 was my FABaR year ( I'll come back to it's meaning in a minute! )
2018 was a FAB year, which stood for;
Finances: (manage and review); 
Activities: (covering my physical health and socialising); and 
Business: (promoting and expanding its base and my knowledge).
Here’s how they went, and what I felt I achieved. 2018 went well, with a huge effort and achievement regarding "Finances". Unfortunately, “Activities “were compromised by a fall in early March which damaged my shoulder and restricted me through mobility and discomfort. Not good.  This had a knock on effect on “Business” as I didn’t put energy into promotion and I had to cease working for a few months, doing only the minimum.  So, I decided that it made sense to adopt FABaR for 2019. 
This one stands for;
Finances (manage and review); 
Activities (covering my physical health and socialising); and 
Business (promoting and expanding its base and my knowledge), and
REPEAT!
With “Themes” there is nothing to stop you rolling the theme over to the next year, or picking it up again.  It’s not specific like “lose weight”, stop drinking etc.  My Themes are more like umbrellas and can shift, change and adapt as my life does.  So, for example, my “Activities” for 2019 embraced exercise, designed specifically at increasing my strength, mobility and reducing discomfort. I also shifted my social activities. For example, I took up a place on a committee serving those with Post Polio, to give back some skills and build up my confidence again as going out had become a bit frightening. I also reinforced my own Hypnotherapy regime, using it to build positivity and pain management. So, as you can see, the same but only different!
So, for 2020, my theme is going to be Stability. I know the obvious angle to this one is physical, as my balance is an issue and so that is very relevant!  However, following on from the last 2 years, I am looking at a broader aspect to this.  My home and its needs.  After 5 years there are repairs and general maintenance to look at. My Yoga practise which helps with the resistance to “catastrophizing”. It’s so easy for any of us to do, and age brings some very real health challenges!  That coupled with the ability to source information easily, can also make this an area of fear and apprehension.  Enjoying my family and engaging with them as much as I can.  You get the idea.  This year is less prescriptive and more about engaging with others in my different areas of life.
My previous years are available to read if you wish. I have been doing them too long now to list them all but happy to share if anyone wants to know the sort of things I’ve adopted in the past. Just ask.
As ever, would love to hear your take on this if you have a Theme, or help you find one if you haven’t yet.  Finally, happy 2020 to you all.

Well, it’s a little later than usual but this has been a festive season that has been quite different from the last few, in that I have been on the go since Christmas Eve and this is the first day I have been able to sit down to attack my "to do" list! 

Anyway, as in previous years I have adopted a "Theme" for 2018. Just to refresh your memory, these are not about specific objectives or tasks, as resolutions are, but rather a way of being.

So, 2018 is to be a FAB year! 

This stands for; 
Finances (manage and review); 
Activities (covering my physical health and socialising); and 
Business (promoting and expanding its base and my knowledge).

Previous years "themes" were:

2014 "Productive and Creative", both of which I adopted when I went about lots of my activities.

2015 Resolution: Purpose: Direction. As I searched for a new home and lifestyle, I think these words became my mantra to keep me going when things got tough or I felt despondent. They also covered lots of other things in my life too.

2016 ACE: Accept; Consolidate; Enjoy. 
Accept covers, physical, emotional and spiritual and not just in relation to me, but that of others, relatives, friends, strangers, clients etc. 
Consolidate is about putting down my roots and building on everything I have worked hard to establish over the last few years. 
Enjoy speaks for itself
As 2017 approached it was really interesting to see how successful I was in incorporating ACE into my life in 2016. It was definitely a challenging year in many ways and ACE certainly kept me focussed!

2017 was FLCR
F is for any Failure and Disappointments - learn from them then let them go!
L was Look Forward - keep my head up, look to the horizon and not at my feet.
C was Change - know that the only certainty in life is it WILL change.
R was Revel - in any successes, and celebrate the joys in my life.
I hope this post wasn't too long for you all and it gives you ideas to shape and keep focussed when "life" gets challenging. My Hypnotherapy is useful in helping me to relax and focus on what I need to do in my life, this compliments it. It works for me!!!
 

I had an unexpected Christmas bonus that really underpinned my celebrations. I got call from the mother of a wee boy of 11 who, from being wet every morning is now dry and is very pleased with himself. And well he should be as he has waited a long time for this control.
​If you think about it, it isn't something he can share with his friends or extended family, so I am fortunate to be trusted with helping him overcome this problem. Two sessions of Hypnotherapy gave everyone in the family the release from the stress caused by his condition.

That's why I say - I love my work.

I've loved working with kids over the years and now I am more committed than ever!  

I recently formalised my working with a Diploma in Paediatric Hypnotherapy and the updating of my disclosure certification from Disclosure Scotland.  This I hope will give the families I work with the reassurance they deserve.  

As for the kids, they do the work themselves but to be able to help them on their journey is brilliant.  I've seen kids, for example, who pulled their hair out, had panic attacks when their parents went out, didn't want to go to school etc and put simply, something had happened or was happening to them and they felt out of control.  Their behaviour was simply a demonstration of that feeling.

After listening to their fears and with a few simple interventions, they have felt back in control and become the happy children they used to be.  

Kids know what is bothering them.  Sometimes they tell me, sometimes they don't but it doesn't matter.  I just take them to a place where they can work on the problem and take back control.

After listening to their fears and with a few simple interventions, they have felt back in control and become the happy children they used to be.  

Such a rewarding profession and I feel very happy to be a member of it. 

I've thought for a while that the addiction to smoking is not helped by switching to "Vaporing". I have seen people at functions and on the street who are inhaling more often than they would on a cigarette.  Now we all know the dangers of smoking but there are a couple of recent articles that prove the point that many of the risks associated with smoking are just replaced by vaporing.  ( I've pasted links to them at the bottom of this )

• It is still addictive and most contain very high amounts of Nicotine.
• Nicotine is addictive and withdrawal can make you grumpy and a bit "down", for a short while.  It's not on the same par as hard drugs.
• The WebMD says:"Some brands contain chemicals including formaldehyde -- often used in building materials -- and another ingredient used in antifreeze that can cause cancer.
  Flavors in e-cigs also raise red flags. Some use a buttery-tasting chemical called diacetyl, which is often added to foods like popcorn. When it's inhaled, it can be dangerous.
  "Diacetyl is a well-known harmful chemical, which, among other things, causes a lung disease called 'popcorn lung,'" says Erika Sward, assistant vice president for national advocacy at the American Lung Association."  
  Thats food for thought! Do you know what's in your Vaporing liquid?
  
• It doesn't help stop it just replaces one harmful habit with a potentially harmful one.
• It is just as expensive.

I know I'm seeing less people coming to get help to quit smoking but I truly believe that Hypnotherapy can stop the habit, without threats to your general health or DNA, causing cancerous changes in cells.  Don't Vape - QUIT. 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28723-vaping-really-isnt-as-harmful-for-your-cells-as-smoking/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/12/e-cigarettes-are-no-safer-than-smoking-tobacco-scientists-warn/

I came across an article in a Sunday supplement ( S Magazine 15 may 2016 ) I thought worth sharing.  It was about the use of Hypnosis and giving birth.  I thought would be of interest to expectant Mums and Dads, prospective parents and not to forget the Grandparents!
 
It was a Q&A of a celebrity and Catherine Tyldseyley was being interviewed. Some of you may recognise her from Coronation Street.  The Question was "The Best Day of My Life, and she answered .... when my son was born, although it wasn't what I'd imagined.  I thought I was going to have a really easy time of it - like you see in films.  But I'd been using        hypno-birthing and despite the long labour, my Mum said when she walked into the room it was like walking into a bubble of serenity. Nobody was speaking and the baby didn't cry - he just started breast-feeding straight away.  It was just perfect and seeing Tom hold him was amazing.  The memory of that day will stay with me for ever."
 
That is the impression so many women and men who use hypno-birthing pass back and on to others.  Even when one of my clients had an emergency section, she said that her hypno work gave both herself and her husband a calm outlook and she wasn't frightened or concerned.  They were able to work with all concerned to see her son born safely.
 

Exciting news hit my email box today, so wanted to share it.  Here is the news for anyone who wants to use Hypnotherapy but through their NHS Board. 
 
Scottish Government updates guidance on complementary and alternative medicine
 
The Scottish Government has updated its guidance about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The revised guidance provides information to all NHS Boards, Special Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships in Scotland about the Professional Standards Authority’s accredited registers programme.
 
The new guidance (DL (2016) 06) was issued to update the earlier Health Department Letter (HDL) (2005) 37 and states: “the Scottish Government recognises that complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) may offer some relief to some people living with a wide variety of long term health conditions.”
 
It also makes clear that use of accredited registers such as CNHC’s: “can have a number of benefits for practitioners, patients, contracting organisations and employers; providing reassurance that professionals are subject to a level of appropriate scrutiny.”  More information about accredited registers is available on the Professional Standards Authority web site at
 
http://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/accredited-registers/about-accredited-registers/faqs
 
The update follows a meeting held in December 2014 between representatives of CNHC and the Scottish Government where the update of the HDL was discussed.
  

Maybe you’ve been struggling with anxiety and panic and you’ve tried everything: medication, progressive relaxation, meditation, exercise, deep breathing, herbs, watching TV till your eyes glaze over—and still you’re feeling nervous, irritable, unable to focus, panicky, and tense.
It could be you are simply suffering from lack of sleep.
Studies show sleep deprivation to be one of the primary contributors to anxiety problems,depression, and other psychiatric disorders. Sleep appears to be very important for emotional regulation and processing.
Experiments with sleep deprivation in humans showed that without sleep, the brain reverts back to more primitive patterns of activity. People then become less able to put emotional events into context and respond appropriately.
The amygdala is the part of the brain that prepares the body to protect itself when it perceives danger. When it senses danger, it sends a message to the prefrontal cortex, which then interprets and assesses the situation and decides whether to activate the fight, flight or freeze response.
Under normal circumstances, the amygdala and prefrontal cortex work together to respond appropriately to danger, while also keeping people from overreacting to emotional experiences. Under conditions of sleep deprivation, subjects’ amygdales and prefrontal cortexes stopped working together. Emotional centers were 60% more active, resulting in slower reflexes, increased irritation, problems with focus and concentration, and higher feelings of anxiety.
Other studies suggest that lack of REM sleep causes or worsens psychological problems. REM sleep, also known as the dreaming phase of sleep, is very important for processing emotions and memories, clearing the mind of the stressful events of the day, and dreaming. During this stage of sleep, the areas of the brain used in learning and developing new skills are stimulated.  About 70 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, the first REM cycle occurs.  Ideally, you will experience three to five REM episodes per night. Getting more and better REM sleep has been shown to boost people’s moods during the day.  Fortunately, improving the quantity and quality of REM sleep you get is relatively easy.
Many experts recommend getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night, although some say that the quality of sleep is more important than quantity. Getting six hours of high-quality, uninterrupted sleep is more beneficial than eight hours of restless, interrupted sleep. You can immediately improve the quality of your sleep by making two important changes: change what you put into your body and what you do with your body, both during the day and when getting ready for sleep.
CHANGE WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR BODY

• Eating, drinking, and medication habits may be disrupting your sleep more than you think. Too much food, especially rich, fatty food, can keep your stomach working overtime to digest, and spicy food can cause heartburn. Too much liquid can cause numerous trips to the bathroom at night. Your first step to better sleep is to limit your intake of rich, fatty, or spicy food, especially during your evening meal. Stop eating and drinking fluids several hours before you go to bed for the night.

• Alcohol and caffeine use can also be very disruptive to your sleep cycle. Although you may feel temporarily relaxed after using alcohol, it causes you to wake up later at night, interrupting deep sleep and REM sleep. Caffeine can disturb sleep for up to ten to twelve hours after ingestion, so cut out the caffeine after lunchtime. Nicotine is another stimulant which disrupts sleep, so cut down or eliminate smoking to improve your sleep—although if you’ve been a smoker for a while, nicotine withdrawal may temporarily make it harder for you to sleep.

CHANGE WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR BODY

• Regular exercise can help you fall asleep easier and achieve better rest. It doesn’t even have to be intense or rigorous: a brisk walk or bike ride is plenty. As little as twenty or thirty minutes per day of moderate exercise can be very helpful, and you can even break your activity up into ten- or fifteen-minute segments if you wish. You will want to schedule your exercise in the morning or early afternoon, because your body needs sufficient cool-down time to sleep well.

• Set up a consistent, relaxing routine before bed. This trains your brain to recognize that it is time to wind down, making it easier for you to fall asleep. For thirty minutes to an hour before bed, find peaceful, quiet things to do to relax your body and mind. You might try things such as reading a light, entertaining book or magazine, listening to soft music or audiobooks, enjoying a hobby such as knitting or doing puzzles, or making simple preparations for the next day. A cup of hot decaffeinated, fruit or herbal tea or a glass of warm milk can also be helpful.

• Although many people use watching TV as a way to relax or fall asleep, television actually stimulates your brain rather than relaxing it. Watching disturbing, violent material on the news or prime-time shows stimulates thinking as well as your physiology. Even if you do manage to fall asleep with the TV on, the continuous flickering of the screen can interfere with your body’s clock, which is sensitive to any light. You will get higher-quality sleep with the TV and computer off. If you have a hard time getting used to sleeping without the television, try turning on soft music, a sleep sound maker, or a fan.

• Avoid napping during the day, which interferes with your body’s clock. Set up your nightly relaxation routine and stick to a consistent sleep schedule, and your quality of sleep will improve.

Getting adequate, quality sleep is extremely important for emotional regulation and processing. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to make changes in this area. If you start today, the effects can be felt almost immediately.