The Coronavirus Pandemic has lead to many changes in our lives, and as things change and people start to be able to return to normal, some people are finding that transition hard. Covid-19 has meant that after months of isolation, returning to work, school or social lives can be a stuggle. Some people are now calling it Coronaphobia or FOGO - Fear of Going out.
What is Coronaphobia?
Well, one study found that 54 per cent of people had concerns about returning to work outside the home. Having to travel on trains, buses or other public transport came very high on the list of fears. This is why it is also known as FOGO, fear of going out.
Coronaphobia has its roots in something far more deepseated - a fear of the unknown and loss of control. That loss of control feeling something that we see in fears and phobias, and many other worries all the time. If it is something that is on your mind, you can rest assured you are not alone.
If you have been stuck at home for months, terrified that germs and disease could be everywhere, you could find you have become paralysed by it.
All phobias are an irrational fear. It may be natural to be cautious, but if that feeling overwhelms then it could be time to get some help and take some action. Of course, it is rational to have some fear of getting the Covid-19 virus, it becomes irrational when you can find the worry is taking over your life and stopping you from a return to normal, even when the risks are reducing.
A good start is just to take some time out for yourself to let go and relax.
Why not have a listen to this short meditation below? Just taking some time now, before you are ready to go back to life as normal can really help build a foundation for the future..
Hypnotherapy and Mindfulness working together to help deal with stress and anxiety.
A new study on treatment for stress combining mindfulness with hypnotherapy has shown positive results in a Baylor University pilot study.
What is "mindful hypnotherapy." ?
This latest study was conducted at Baylor University. Researcher Gary Elkins, Ph.D., director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor University said: "Hypnosis involves focusing attention.. it includes mental imagery, relaxation and suggestions for symptom reduction. Mindfulness is a type of meditation that involves focusing attention on present moment awareness. It can help people cope with stress, but can require months of practice and training,"
Working as a practitioner who already uses a combination of techniques, including mindfulness, hypnosis and meditation I already explain to my clients how this combination can help people achieve results faster and easier for them.
The study's basic premise is that using hypnosis to deliver mindfulness goals could have many advantages, Elkins said.
"Combining mindfulness and hypnotherapy in a single session is a novel intervention that may be equal to or better than existing treatments, with the advantage of being more time-effective, less daunting and easier to use. This could be a valuable option for treating anxiety and stress reduction."
Elkins noted that while mindfulness by itself can be an effective treatment for stress and anxiety for some people, it typically is provided in eight weekly sessions that last two hours or more each week and include an all-day retreat of eight or more hours. That amount of time -- more than 24 therapy hours -- may be a burden in cost and time for some people. Also, research has not shown that mindfulness-based treatments are consistently superior to standard cognitive behavioural therapy, he said.
What happened in the study on Mindfulness and Hypnotherapy working together?
For the study of mindfulness and hypnotherapy, the Baylor research team recruited 42 individuals with self-reported high stress. Half took part in an intervention of one-hour weekly individual sessions that included hypnosis inductions and suggestions for greater mindfulness. Participants also were given self-hypnosis audio recordings lasting about 20 minutes, each with suggestions for a hypnotic induction, relaxation and greater mindfulness. The second group did not take part in the intervention.
At study's end, the intervention group reported a large decrease in stress and a significant increase in mindfulness. Most were highly satisfied with the number of sessions, the ease of home practice and the clarity of content, Elkins said. The average participant practiced almost every day, and overall satisfaction with the intervention was 8.9 on a scale of 10.
In comparison, those who did not participate in the intervention reported no significant difference between pre- and post-study stress level.
A limitation of the study was its small sample size, Elkins said. Future studies of a larger number of people could be of value, as well as testing mindful hypnotherapy for such concerns as anxiety, depression or chronic pain, he said.
The good news from this study is that it is helping show that it doesn’t take a huge amount of work to help start to change the way that we think and feel.
I often talk to people about how well these interventions work and when I do this, one of the most important points is about how much people want there to be a change. If you really want to change something then there is really no reason why you should not be able to do that.
You can try a short mindfulness meditation and hypnosis for yourself right here:
