Category: hypnotherapy for Fears and phobias

1. Hypnosis for Coronavirus Anxiety Covid-19

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 4th Mar 2020

   Hypnotherapy to help with stress and anxiety caused by worry about Coronavirus Covid - 19

   

   COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.

   You can't have escaped the news about Coronavirus and how it has spread from China around the world.  For once the news channels are not finding that Donald Trump or Brexit are their top stories. Instead they are focussing on the virus, and how it is spreading. Of course Trump and Brexit can also be responsible for stress, worry and anxiety in people too.

   Where we are...

   At the moment we are in the early months of the Corona Virus and we are still finding out all about it, how it spreads and who could be affected the most.

   I am already starting to hear from people who are worried about what could happen to them or their family if they were to contract this new virus. People are aware that unlike the flu virus there is currently no vaccine available.

   Just having a flu jab works in two ways in helping you with worry. Firstly you have given yourself a really good chance of not getting the flu, that's the physical side of things. The other side, the mental health issue, means that you can tick it off the list of things that you may worry about. That is why people are finding that they are more worried about this and the uncertainty than anything else.

   What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

   The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.

   • a cough
   • a high temperature
   • shortness of breath

   It is important to note that having these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have the illness.

   How is coronavirus is spread?

   Because it's a new illness, we do not know exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person. Similar viruses are spread in cough droplets. It's very unlikely it can be spread through things like packages or food.

   Tips on how to avoid catching or spreading coronavirus

   Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. You can try singing happy birthday so that you know how long to do it for.

    

   Make sure you always wash your hands when you get home or into work, or you can use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.

   If you cough or sneeze make sure that you cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve rather than your hands.

   Always put used tissues in the bin straight away and then wash your hands afterwards.

   If you can do keep away from people who are unwell.

   It is also very important that you do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

   Helping to let go of stress and anxiety with hypnosis

   So, at the moment there are lots of unknowns about what could happen. It is of course natural that we may start to worry about these but we can learn to let go of them. If we do all the things that are suggested above then we will make things easier for ourselves and everyone else too.

   Taking time out to relax... Whatever people come to see me about there is one thing that most people really do not do enough of. That thing is simply to take time out to relax on a daily basis. If you practice meditation, hypnosis and mindfulness things may surprise you by becoming easier. Helping to reduce our stress levels is always a good idea.

   Let's start right now. All you need to do is take a few minutes out to listen to the recording below. It is only one minute long and just taking one minute to help your breathing relax and let go of your worries is a really good start!

    

   If you have a little more time and enjoyed that simple start then here is something a little longer that you can try..

    

   Remember that just taking a few minutes out of your day can start to make a real difference...and also make sure you wash those hands!

    

2. How to stop being afraid of public speaking

   Posted on 11:00am Monday 4th Feb 2019

   What can I do if I am afraid of speaking in Public?

   

   The Guardian recently published an interesting article all about the fear of public speaking with lots of really great links to help and advice. You can read the full Guardian article here if you want to take a deep dive into all the advice. Here's some of the ideas that I think can really help you to look at speaking to a crowd in presentations, or even for something like a wedding speech.

   They make a really good point about how the most important thing is for a crowd to see that you are at ease. Nerves can be infectious, so if you look nervous the audience will pick up on that and become nervous too. It's not really the words that you are saying that is the most important thing. It is rather the way that you say them...

   "as any public speaker knows, the business of presenting to a large audience is a confidence trick: that is, a speaker who seems to be at ease will put their audience at ease. A speaker with a look of sick terror and a tremor in his or her voice will communicate his or her own baleful vibes of unease to the audience, and enter a vicious circle. A bad joke put over with confidence will get a laugh. A good joke put over apologetically will die on its arse."

   
   It is good to remember that in fact your audience are probably on your side! They want to enjoy what you are saying if it is a wedding speech, and if you are teaching them something they probably want to understand and learn something from you.

   The article also reiterates one of the most important things...Know Your Audience!

   "That old wine includes knowing your audience, seeking to project authenticity, using relatable narratives and humanising examples, and giving a speech a robust structure with a grabby opening and a memorable payoff. "

   If you know who you are talking to then you can tailor what you are doing to help you as much as them. You don't need to get hung up on the ins and outs. Write some notes up, maybe just a few cue cards. The last thing you should do is read all your notes out. If you can't read it as well as a presenter on Cbeebies doing the bedtime story, then it just isn't a good way to work.

   Be yourself, but.. “So often, people go to the podium and, for all sorts of reasons, pretend to be something they are not,” says Simon Lancaster (author of Speechwriting: The Expert Guide). “People are wise to this bullshit. Just be yourself (which sounds easier than it really is).” That means being the best version of yourself. Speak with notes (advised) or without them if you’re super-confident. But reading the entire speech from a sheet of paper kills the spontaneity (“Readers can’t be leaders”).

   
   My background is in acting and presenting. I spent many years with a daily BBC Local Radio Show, so if you are looking for some more help you can visit me and learn more about how hypnotherapy and other techniques can mean you can let go of the nerves and really enjoy talking to people.

   Once you learn that you can enjoy it you can find it's a really pleasurable thing to be able to do!

   You can email me on 

   [email protected]