Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Suppressing Negative Thoughts To Improve Mental Health

by Dan Regan | Oct 2, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Suppressing Negative Thoughts To Improve Mental Health – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

One of the most challenging things about negative thoughts, particularly when they are linked to anxiety, worry and low self esteem, is how they can start to become more habitual, enduring and seemingly automatic. You can start to find yourself being more and more negative about anything and everything.

If you are used to thinking the worst, catastrophising, dwelling and being self critical, then very soon you can find that you just do it without even always realising. You start to focus on the negative and what could go wrong. You put yourself down and start to feel worse in yourself. Even though you know it;’s unhelpful and makes you feel bad, you may feel out of control of your own thinking and of what goes on inside your own head.

And the more you focus on the negative thoughts, and the more you invest in them, let them run and invest belief in them, the more you can feel low, bad, down and anxious. And those negative emotions and feelings just drive even more negative thoughts into your mind. Our brain filters things through how we feel and will unhelpfully remind you of previous mistakes and regrets and future worst case scenarios and catastrophies just waiting to happen to you.

Very soon it becomes ongoing, self supporting cycle of negative thinking and negative feelings. It can impact upon how you feel in yourself and your self esteem. And it can affect relationships, work, study, friendships and other areas of your life. You may dread things and avoid things. And even when you crack on with things you may carry with you a sense of doom and gloom.

Cambridge Independent SME Awards 2023 – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Sep 18, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Cambridge Independent SME Awards 2023 – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

As I write this there are under two weeks to go until the final of the Cambridge Independent SME Awards 2023.

I’m super excited to be representing hypnotherapy in Ely at these awards, that cover the whole of Cambridgeshire. There are lots and lots of amazing businesses shortlisted for the final so it’s a huge honour just to be up for contention and on that finals list.

Whilst I wanted to share my excitement with you in this article, I also wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has sent me positive wishes and good luck messages for the awards night. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. And I want to also say a massive thank you

Putting Anxious Thoughts on Trial – Hypnotherapy Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Sep 15, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Putting Anxious Thoughts on Trial – Hypnotherapy Ely and Newmarket

If you struggle with anxiety, then all of those anxious thoughts that go around and around your mind can seem like an endless, frustrating, fearful cycle of dread and worry. Your anxious thoughts drive your anxious feelings and then, feeling worse, your mind fills with even more worst case scenarios and catastrophic outcomes.

The more anxious you feel, the more those fearful thoughts seem to spin faster and become more habitual and entrenched. And the more you think those anxious thoughts, the more you feel all the physical symptoms of anxiety. You’re filled with worry, fear and dread and you stop doing things and try to avoid any things that are linked to your anxiety.

And all the while, that cycle of thoughts, feelings and behaviours becomes seemingly more automatic and habitual. You feel less and less in control of your own thoughts and feelings and you can struggle to find any respite from anxiety within your own head.

Even though you know that most of your anxious thoughts aren’t logical or rational, they keep spinning and racing around your thinking. Maybe you can distract yourself from them for a while, yet they just keep coming back again and again. Now, of course you know they you are thinking those anxious thoughts and they are happening inside your own imagination and focus. So rather than responding to them or engaging with them, it’s time to start challenging your own thoughts and putting your own anxious thoughts on trial.

The Anxiety and Sleep Cycle – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jul 2, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

The Anxiety and Sleep Cycle – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

We’ve all experienced it. There’s something from your day that is causing anxiety, stress or worry and that has been on your mind. You might feel shattered and exhausted from thinking about it and trying to handle it. And then you go to bed and that little voice in your head, and the troublesome scenarios, just keep going around and around inside of your mind. You just want to switch off and sleep yet it’s like your brain has other ideas.

If you are just dealing with something that will get sorted the next day, like an upcoming important meeting or interview, then your night time restlessness may be short lived. You struggle to sleep well for a night or two, the situation or event passes, and things return back to your normal sleep pattern.

And of course, your anxiety and sleep disturbance may stop you getting to sleep easily when you first close your eyes, or it may be that you wake in the night (from anxiety or from something like needing the loo, the kids disturbing you or you other half snoring) and then in an instant your brain is whirring away and you start thinking all sorts of negative things. At night those thoughts can often be very negatively distorted and things can seem a lot worse than they actually are. The whole time you lie there awake and thinking and you may be very conscious of time passing, your opportunity for some sleep reducing and the growing likelihood of needing to cope with the next day whilst feeling exhausted.

And that’s all just where there is something short term and specific to deal with. When you struggle with more persistent and enduring anxiety or insomnia, you can quickly get drawn into a cycle where your tiredness exacerbates your anxious thoughts and feelings, and your anxiety strengthens your sleep issues.

Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jun 30, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Most men at some point in their lives are likely to suffer with erectile dysfunction and/or premature ejaculation. Yet it isn’t the sort of thing you are necessarily likely to bring up in conversation with your work colleagues and friends, and perhaps you don’t even feel comfortable enough discussing it with your partner.

Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation ruin those intimate moments because things just don’t happen or they happen way too quickly. Sometimes, if it is just a one off you may be able to shrug it off and forget about it happening. You carry on and the next intimate encounter goes swimmingly fine.

Yet, all too often when I help men with these issues, one or more experiences of not being able to get or keep an erection, or of finishing way too soon, start to play on your mind. You might find yourself worrying about it all, feeling anxious about what might happen the next time you need to ‘perform’ or maybe your self-esteem takes a big step backwards. The more you worry about it happening again, the more likely it is to happen again, and so you get stuck in a cycle of embarrassment, disappointment and perceived failure. Either that or you simply try and avoid all of that stuff altogether to save yourself from the stress.

Now, assuming that all is well physically (and it may be worth a trip to your GP, although the people I’ve helped normally find that when they are on their own things work just fine for them), erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation are more of a psychological issue. You feel under pressure to perform, you get tense and anxious about it happening again and you can’t just relax and enjoy the moment with someone. You need to learn to relax again, to take your time and to enjoy the experience.

Sleep and Insomnia Issues – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jun 16, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks, Insomnia and Sleep Disorders

Sleep and Insomnia Issues – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

We all know the importance of getting enough quality sleep each night. It’s right up there in how we can actively support our own physical and mental health, alongside drinking enough water and eating healthily.

Yet perhaps one of the most interesting things about our sleep is that, even now, we aren’t entirely sure why we sleep. There are lots of theories and persuasive reasons that can be put out there, yet none where we can be certain of the function of sleep. We know it is important, even if sometimes we don’t give it the priority it deserves or sometimes we even actively avoid it or put it off in favour of doing something else during our waking hours so we don’t ‘waste’ time on sleeping.

And, of course, if you are struggling to sleep or battling with insomnia, then rather than putting off sleep, you would probably give just about anything to be able to sleep better. Sleep deprivation causes all sorts of psychological and physical headaches, and for those who struggle to get to sleep and stay asleep, night time can be a waking nightmare of frustration, stress and anxiety.

Given the importance of sleep it is funny how when we are younger we often try and avoid bedtime and want to stay up later. I’m pretty certain if my children, who that bit older now, had access to the internet all night then they’d be up until the early hours at every conceivable possibility. We might know we should go to bed yet decide instead to watch some more TV or stay out late or do whatever else with out dwindling waking hours. We can engage in unhelpful behaviours (as far as sleep is concerned) like relying on caffeine to stay awake and alcohol to nod off. And given how problematic sleep deprivation can be, if you are going without enough sleep or have insomnia, then every aspect of your life can be adversely impacted upon.

Overcoming Social Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

by Dan Regan | May 30, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Overcoming Social Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

As someone who used to struggle with social anxiety, nothing beats that feeling when a client tells me how good they feel after their hypnotherapy sessions when that anxiety around others no longer limits them.

Social anxiety can stop you doing the things you want to do and leave you trapped in a never ending cycle of negative rumination and self-criticism. You want to go out and do things and so you make plans with others, only to get so anxious that you cancel just before the event. You feel anxious and worried before going to an event to the point where if you go then you don’t really enjoy it because you are so tense and worried about messing up or being judged by others. After being around others you hyper analyse every word you said, action you took and how you perceive others responded to you. You beat yourself up (maybe for days) and feel like you aren’t good enough and that no one will ever want to spend time with you again.

Social anxiety can make you feel like there is something wrong with you, that you can’t feel comfortable and do what other people seemingly do with ease, and that you will never fit in. All of this is made worse because there are times when you are totally relaxed in yourself and can just enjoy being yourself, perhaps around those you are especially close to. Yet factors such as new people, bigger crowds or where you may feel under the spotlight a bit can exacerbate your social anxiety to levels where you are just lost in your own head, can’t think straight and just want to get away to somewhere you feel more safe.

Yet, just as with any anxiety, social anxiety is a bunch of learnt thoughts, feelings and behaviours that at some point you developed, then repeated, then inadvertently got good at and then you found it all became seemingly automatic and habitual. You know you can talk to others, you know you can go places and do things and that you are capable and a decent person, yet the anxious emotions, beliefs and thoughts cloud everything and drag you back into that mass of worry.

Kindness, Happiness and Mental Health – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

by Dan Regan | May 19, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Kindness, Happiness and Mental Health – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

In a world where you can be anything, be kind, as the saying goes (I think it might be hanging up on a sign in our downstairs toilet at home!).

Yet, it’s kind of true isn’t it? I mean it must be because random acts of kindness even have their own day in the calender each year. And who hasn’t seen a video on TikTok or Facebook where someone shares their happiness after receiving some small unexpected act or token of kindness from someone else.

We all know that the receiver of an act of kindness generally gets a boost of positivity and happiness (and as a side note it’s my birthday soon, just saying!). Yet all to often it can seem that everyone you encounter has forgotten, or is yet to realise, the psychological benefits that can come from carrying out acts of kindness.

Most days I would say it’s fifty:fifty whether someone even acknowledges it if you hold a door open for them, lifts a hand and smiles if you give way in the car or nods their head and returns your ‘good morning’ when you walk past them. But hey, that’s their thing and not yours so you can just let it slide because the research tells us that giving acts of kindness can have a boost for your levels of happiness, your well-being and your mental health.

IBS Help – Irritable Bowel Syndrome Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Apr 19, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

IBS is a very common gastrointestinal disorder which is usually characterised by abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. When it strikes you may need to get to the toilet very quickly, or find yourself in pain and discomfort on the toilet for a prolonged time. What you can eat, what you feel comfortable doing when out, and the time spent on the toilet and near a toilet can start to impact upon your life.

Whilst certain foods and drinks can trigger it, it can be a frustrating condition to live with as you can have an IBS episode at any time and sometimes without knowing what has triggered it. Perhaps one of the biggest causes of IBS anxiety is not knowing when it may affect you or what even causes it. You may find yourself avoiding certain places and situations, such as eating out or travelling long distances, in case something happens, or you have an episode, or through the worry about the struggle to find a clean toilet you can use in a hurry should you need to.

Even if you have sought medical advice and have had all the available medical investigations, you may still be left with just trying to avoid food and drink that you know triggers it and with just needing to try and live with it, no matter how much it affects your enjoyment of your every day life. I’ve known people who only go out to the same places where they are comfortable there is a toilet, or who eat the same safe foods whenever they are out, or even who avoid eating out completely and wait until they are safely home before consuming anything just in case something happens.

Anxiety and stress are certainly well recognised contributors to IBS symptoms. There is the lingering concern, worry and dread that your IBS will affect you when you are out, or that you will have to cancel plans at the last moment due to your symptoms. The lurking anxiety and stress that IBS may impact, and the fear about not finding a toilet in time or being embarrassed in front of others, can add to your uncomfortable stomach issues and just make your IBS more impactful as well as more likely to affect you.

Anxiety Patterns – Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 26, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Anxiety Patterns – Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

So many people that I meet who are struggling with anxiety think that they are somehow broken, or that there is something wrong with them in some way. They feel that they should somehow be able to just stop feeling anxious and to not find their mind being overrun with endless overthinking about things that they know are little things or unlikely to even happen.

And so, on top of the problematic and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings of anxiety, they start to label themselves and criticise themselves about their perceived shortcomings, which only adds to their levels of worry and stress and that overall sense of feeling rubbish.

If anxiety has become a problem for you, then all that really means is that at some point along the way in your life, you learnt some unhelpful patterns of thinking and feeling. You then repeated these over and over until it seemed that these habitual anxious experiences had become automatic and a part of who you are and what you do. As creatures of habit, pattern and repetition, you generally just get better at the things you do over and over until you expect to think and feel a certain way, then you experience it and then that confirms to you that you are an anxious person as you reflect negatively and dwell over things.

Of course, everyone experiences anxiety and worry at certain times or about certain things. It’s a normal human response when faced with some sort of perceived threat or danger. With anxiety, those problematic patterns have just become seemingly more automatic, more present, more persistent and more troublesome.

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