A new start for the new year in 2014

New start in 2014

We all promise something for the new year. When the clock hits midnight and the party poppers go off and we all trudge outside to watch the fireworks and the Chinese lanterns fill the night sky, and then we make ourselves little, or large, promises that we will change in this new year. Whatever it may be. It could be something such as quitting smoking or stopping drinking. Perhaps to lose weight or get fitter, eat more healthily etc.

And normally by the second week in January, everything starts to alter and we run out of steam. But some people go a little deeper when they want to challenge themselves. They look at their lives and how they can make their life better, in essence, they look towards better mental health.

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. In fact some would go as far to say that our mental health is far more important than our physical health. But the two are very closely combined. Poor physical health can lead to a deterioration of our mental well being and visa versa.

You may have been suffering from depression or high levels of stress or anxiety for too long, and have now decided to tackle this once and for all. All these conditions can be dealt with and the use of psychotherapy and hypnosis is a very powerful one. For issues such as high anxiety, high stress levels or depression, there is no quick fix. What I mean by this is that it isn’t going to change over night or in one or two sessions. You need to commit to getting yourself well again and I normally set small assignments to carry out in between sessions. Nothing too taxing though, maybe practicing some relaxation techniques, writing down feelings or listening to recording I make for you.

In this country, we still have a long way to go to remove the stigma of mental health problems. How many people suffer with high stress levels, but never tell their employer? How many people suffer alone with depression? How many of you who suffer from high anxiety levels would ever let on that you do?

We feel as if people will not understand, and to a certain extent this may be true, because there isn’t enough information feeding through that if you suffer from depression, anxiety or stress, it doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with you as a person! You are still a human being, it’s just that you are suffering from a condition of the mind and these conditions can be rectified.

We all have something we wish to change about ourselves. Maybe we want more motivation, more drive. Perhaps we want to be more assertive so we can stand up to someone in the workplace or within the family. Maybe we want a pay rise but are too afraid to ask… or perhaps your want to change direction and switch jobs, but lack the empowerment to make that initial change!

Here are some tips to help you make the change in your life.

Check in with your self statements!

1. Be careful using such terms as ‘Must do’, ‘Ought to’ , or ‘Need to’. These always place pressure on you so try to change the terminology to that of “Choose to’.

We all have free choice and when we choose to do something the pressure is greatly reduced. So choose to change! Don’t place demands on yourself, don’t demand that you should be, or must be a certain way. Make that choice and then decide to change!

2. Do a cost benefit analysis. Ask yourself what are the costs of making a positive change? This may be the financial cost of attending some hypnotherapy sessions and also the time you use in making the changes. But then look at the benefits! How will you feel to get back control? How will it feel if one morning you awoke and your problem had gone away?

3. Be specific. I get a lot of clients who come along and really don’t know where to begin. They want to improve self esteem, lose weight, be more assertive and less anxious. Decide what is the most important thing to work on and tackle this first. And in tackling this first thing first, you may actually find that the other areas you wanted to work on, also start to improve.

 

So what ever it is you wish to change in this new year of 2014, know that you can achieve it with the right help and a little work.

Colourful 2014 in fiery sparklers (christmasstockimages.com) / CC BY 3.0

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