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It's the Simple Things

My "Theme" for 2021

Theme for 2021
 
Last year, about the 8th January, I posted my theme for 2020. Little did I know how the year would pan out when I was contemplating what would be useful and relative to my getting through the year. None of us truly knew what was coming down the line.
As I’ve explained in previous years, I don’t do Resolutions. They are far too specific and often hard ( if not impossible) to achieve.  Rather my theme is a way of being.
However, Stability (2020’s theme) served me in ways I hadn’t expected and I adapted it to my needs at any given time.  For example, I was shielding and decided that the garden was a good place to be. However, given my balance etc, I decided working on the various areas could only be done from the grass.  I fashioned a portable, waterproof cushion and got cracking.  I’d never have done the work if Covid hadn’t “clipped my wings”. It was slow, but the rewards were big. So, everything was done and the garden did look good when I’d finished.
Anyway, this year I was truly struggling to find a theme. I thought I had one but it was tilted towards the negative, so I abandoned it. Instead I decided to go for something simple, but positive.
My theme for this year is Thankfulness. And even if I’m struggling, as we all do, I have to find something to be thankful for.
When I’m grumpy, or tired, or in pain, I look for 1 thing to be grateful for. I usually find it faster than I had thought.  Don’t always feel inclined to find it, but its good medicine and it definitely has an effect on my mood!
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 and whether you have a Theme.  Finally, and most importantly, happy 2021 to you all.
 

SLEEP AND IT’S PART IN CONTROLLING FEELINGS OF ANXIETY AND PANIC

4/21/2016

2 Comments

 
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.


2 Comments
Marilyn link
4/23/2019 03:17:15 am

Is hypnotherapy really safe?

Reply
Shonagh Terry link
4/29/2019 03:26:42 pm

Yes, is the short answer Marilyn. It is a totally natural thing. You are neither asleep not awake, just very relaxed. You are able to move, get up leave at any time if you want to. The process allows the part of your brain that is called the "unconscious" to work out whatever is troubling you. I also use counselling to reinforce the Hypnotherapy. Does this help?

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    Shonagh Terry

    Hypnotherapist

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