When we suffer anxiety or worried thoughts we are either thinking about something upsetting from the past  or projecting forward to something we don't want to happen in the future.

Our brains, as amazingly powerful as they are....and they really are.....cannot tell the difference between something that is happening to us right now and something we are imagining is happening to us.

When we have worried or anxious thoughts we have a subconscious automatic physiological reaction in our body affecting our chemical makeup, producing the stress hormones, adrenalin and cortisol, that create that uncomfortable anxious feeling. If we are able to switch our thought process to a positive and confident thought (even if we are pretending/imagining) we are able to produce the feel good chemicals in our body, endorphins and serotonin, which in turn create the very comforting confident feeling.

In short we go from a "can't do" attitude where we over estimate any perceived danger we are in and under estimate our ability to deal with that danger,  to a "can do" attitude where we naturally reduce our perception of danger and increase our ability to deal with it too! The only thing that has changed about the situation we find ourselves in is our attitude.

1. Become present in the current moment, look around you paying attention to your
   external environment.
2. Focus on what you want and how you would like to feel eg; "I want to go out with my friends and I would like to feel calm and confident".
3. Create 3 affirmations that feel right for you and get you focusing on positive thoughts, always state them in the now eg; "I am Calm, I am Confident, I am In Control".
4. Take 3 deeper breaths; on each breath in imagine you are breathing in relaxation and on each breath out imagine you are letting go of any anxiety saying your affirmation in your mind eg;                                                                                                           Breath 1 ~ Breath in relaxation, breath out any anxiety saying "I am Calm"
   Breath 2 ~ Breath in relaxation, breath out any anxiety saying "I am Confident"       Breath 3 ~ Breath in relaxation, breath out any anxiety saying "I am In Control".
5. Become aware of your internal environment again noticing you feel calmer and more at ease, squeeze your thumb and finger together at the tip on whatever is your dominant hand, to lock in these new feelings, creating an anchor you can use whenever you want to calm and soothe yourself quickly.

I hope you have found these tips helpful and remember, the more you consciously use these strategies the more it will become a subconscious behaviour to feel calm, confident and in control and the less you will notice feelings of anxiety.

Best wishes, Julie@Time2Shine

We are all unique beings and what makes up our beliefs, behaviours and morals has been created by the pathways we have trodden in our lives so far. Some pathways we choose and some are chosen for us. Sometimes we might make choices that lead us in a direction that is not healthy for us and sometimes life will throw us a curve ball that presents us with challenges. Other times we choose well and are rewarded with much success and happiness.

Every pathway we take affects our outlook and we bring our own unique perception to it. Two people could take the same pathway, such as a marriage or relationship but bring a very different perception to it depending on their experiences in life so far, and therefore although treading in the same direction they may experience different outcomes. This is how some relationships break down and other times life long love and partnerships are formed.

In our busy lives we sometimes forget to look ahead to where we are going and blindly follow paths without much thought, simply following the crowd. It is important, however, to stop and look up occasionally to see exactly where we are going, to form a map in our minds of the pathways we want to take; thinking about what excites us, what gives us joy and what we feel passionate about.

By creating a map we give ourselves a direction, a purpose, we know where we want to go and we start to plan how we will get there. When it all clicks into place suddenly that maze of pathways with dead ends and locked gates open up to us with clear sign posts and recognisable landmarks, comfortable places to stop enroute to reflect, renew and refresh and life begins to feel good, life is positive!

Now, not everyone likes to have a map, some people are born ramblers and if that is you, carry on as you are ensuring you have enough resources with you on your eclectic journey through life, but if you find you are lacking direction and happiness in your life, break out the ordinance survey map and be creative with your route! Enjoy your adventure!

Hello there, I am Julie Taylor Hypnotherapy/NLP/TFT Practitioner at Time2Shine Hypnotherapy. I am very excited to be launching my new website and I hope you enjoy looking through the pages.

If any of the information strikes a chord with you and you would like to let go of the past and any unwanted behaviours and beliefs I would be delighted to offer you a free telephone consultation where we can talk about the best way to start you on your pathway back to a happy and fulfilling life.

I am passionate about bringing my therapies to the widest audience possible to let people know they are not alone and change can be easier than you may think. So if you know anyone who may benefit please remember to share my website address with them.
 
I intend to get blogging soon, so please do check back often. Lovely chatting with you today!