Dan’s Blog

Comparing Yourself To Others – Confidence and Self-Esteem Hypnotherapy

by Dan Regan | Jan 26, 2023 | Confidence and Self Esteem

Comparing Yourself To Others On Social Media – Confidence and Self-Esteem Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Do you have a tendency to negatively compare yourself to others online?

Maybe you’re feeling a bit anxious, low or down on yourself and as you scroll through your social media feeds it just seems that everyone else is having a better time of things than you are. They are all happy, smiley and seemingly having a great time doing great things with great people. In your head you just start thinking how their lives are so much better than yours and how that means you aren’t good enough or are failing in some way.

And as you mindlessly scroll on and on, perhaps pausing every so often to look at their photos, you start dwelling, being hard on yourself and you feel that you and your life are lacking and just not as good as everyone else’s. It probably all feeds into your anxiety, social anxiety, low self-esteem and low mood. You might even carry around all of the negativity with you for the rest of the day, feeling low and down, lacking in motivation and wanting to just hide from the world (while you just keep scrolling to try and distract yourself from your thoughts and feelings but continuing to feel bad).

Whatever your relationship with social media, and however much (or maybe little) you engage with it, there is no doubt that it can exacerbate any tendencies to negatively compare yourself and your life with others. You look at what they are saying and doing and compare it to how things are for you right now and to how you feel in yourself and about yourself. It’s very easy to start feeling worse as a result and yet to, paradoxically, scroll and spend even more time looking at the posts and photos from others that appear in your feed.

The Negative Impact of Political News on Mental Health – Anxiety and Stress Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 24, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

The Negative Impact of Political News on Mental Health – Anxiety and Stress Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

It’s been a tumultuous few years in politics here in the UK, from Brexit through to Partygate and with all the other scandals, leaks and ministerial changes that have been happening. What happens in politics impacts upon us all, with the ripples from Westminster flowing into everything from employment, the economy, health, education and pretty much everything else in-between. There is no escaping it and it impacts upon all of us in some way or another.

With everything that has been going on, and the way it can have positive or adverse impacts upon us all, it can be very easy to start watching more and more news on TV and engaging in more and more political content through the many media channels out there. And aside from sport, there are very few other topics aside from politics that can cause such a level of debate, argument, falling out and disagreement between people.

And, of course, the ever changing news and constant flow of information can make politics almost addictive as you try and keep abreast of what is happening and the latest news. It can be the first thing you tune into when you get up in the morning, and the last thing you watch, read or listen to before sleep (and for some, it can even be something they check if they wake up in the middle of the night).

With all the negativity in politics and the general news, I’ve often advised clients who are struggling with anxiety, stress and worry to cut back for a bit. When your anxiety levels are heightened, it isn’t helpful to start or end your day with a dose of negativity and potential threat, usually about things you have no control over.

And now, some research has investigated the daily impact of politics upon your mental health and well-being.

Using Hypnosis To Manage Rumination – Depression and Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 13, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Using Hypnosis To Manage Rumination – Depression and Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

If you have a tendency to ruminate or dwell then you’ll already know how it can become an habitual, perhaps even seemingly automatic, way of thinking. You can find yourself going over and over negative events and outcomes and other situations where things didn’t turn out well or where you consider yourself to have failed in some way.

The more you imagine, focus upon and engage in these repetitive negative thoughts, the more they can lead to you feeling anxious, down, low or angry. And as those negative feelings increase, you get caught in the internal thinking spiral that leads to more and more overthinking and ruminating.

Whether you ruminate for a few minutes at a time, or for hours, it can seem like you are lost in a sort of trance of negativity that you can’t always bring yourself out of. Your head seems to be always busy and noisy and stressed.

Rumination is a thinking pattern characterised by negative and repetitive thoughts that are often linked to a sense of loss or failure. It is a common thinking pattern that contributes to common mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. You may find yourself struggling with anticipatory anxiety where you worry ‘what if’ something bad happens and other anxiety provoking worst case scenarios. You may find yourself wishing that things could have been different to how they are (thoughts that are about ‘if only…’) or you can find yourself being negative and critical in your assessment of yourself and your capabilities, such as telling yourself you are a failure or not good enough and so on. As you repeat these thoughts and thinking patterns, you feel more and more down, low, anxious and stressed (which can then have a ripple effect into the rest of your life and your relationships with others).

Rumination, and the negative feelings that it generates and that persist, thrives on receiving focus, belief, engagement and having time and space to run on and on through your mind. Yet as a learned pattern of thinking, and because what goes on inside your own head is something you can certainly learn to manage and orchestrate, it is a style of thinking that can be modified reduced, diffused and changed in a variety of ways that will lead to you feeling more in control and feeling better in yourself (rather than repeating the same old ongoing spiral of negative thoughts that go on and on).

The Use of Hypnosis during the Perinatal Period – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 13, 2023 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

The Use of Hypnosis during the Perinatal Period – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

I often work with women during pregnancy, through childbirth and then throughout the adjustment to parenthood stages. They may be struggling with anxiety, worry and a sense of overwhelm. There can be anxiety and fear about health, about being in hospital and coping with the birthing process, and about how well they think they will cope with having the responsibility of a new born to look after. There is no doubt that there are a lot of demands, challenges and things to learn through pregnancy and into parenthood (as well as a lot of love, happiness and joy, of course!!).

Pregnancy related anxiety can lead to fear, worry and dread about any and all of the specific issues, demands, challenges, events and changes that surround each stage of pregnancy and child-birth. There can be issues around health (your own and the baby’s), hospital visits and the process of childbirth. There may also be social, relationship or financial issues, concerns about fulfilling the role of parent and about your physical appearance and the impact upon your body and the physical changes from pregnancy.

There is growing evidence about the symptoms of anxiety and depression experienced by many women during pregnancy, alongside growing evidence that these psychological symptoms contribute to the pain experienced during the delivery process.

Hypnosis can help you with managing and reducing your fear, anxiety, with pain management, and with strengthening your sense of confidence. Alongside the existing supportive literature, a systematic review has now reviewed current protocols involving the use of hypnosis during the perinatal period and examined the effects of hypnosis on mothers’ well-being.

Hypnosis As A Support in Cancer Treatment – Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 12, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Hypnosis As A Support in Cancer Treatment – Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Cancer is a terrible condition that sadly is likely to have affected many people that you know. There’s the worry, anxiety and fear around the condition, your treatment and your prognosis, that can cause concern for you and your loved ones. And the condition and treatment can entail pain, fatigue, insomnia and anxiety.

A significant number of cancer patients experience anxiety or suffer with depression. There can be symptoms such as muscle fatigue, insomnia, poor sleep quality, and chronic and acute pain.

Recently a close family member went through chemotherapy for his cancer. Before his diagnosis was confirmed he was very poorly, and throughout his treatment there were challenges such as fatigue and sleep problems. Thankfully recent scans show that the treatment has been very successful. Yet as with all cancer patients, there is always the lurking anxiety about health and the worry of the cancer returning.

At every stage of the cancer journey there can be mental distress, anxiety worry and fear. There can also be the impacts of treatment on your mental and physical well-being. And whilst hypnotherapy and hypnosis can’t cure cancer (in fact it is illegal for anyone to claim they can), the research and evidence demonstrates that, alongside your medical treatment, there are many ways that hypnotherapy can help with the things that come with it, from cancer treatments or symptoms, such as anxiety, nausea, distress and so on.

Five Minute Rule For Changing Habits – Dan Regan Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 12, 2023 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Five Minute Rule For Changing Habits – Dan Regan Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Changing habits can often feel tough and like some sort of difficult challenge to achieve. Your existing patterns of behaviour, thinking and reacting may seem so long standing and ingrained that they seem immovable.

Yet we are all able of learning, adapting and making changes to what we currently do.

However, often we try to change too much too soon and struggle to maintain it. Or, making the changes you want to achieve may seem too overwhelming and so you procrastinate and delay and don’t make the progress you would like. Even if you get going with changing habits you may find that in no time at all your motivation and willpower has faded over time and with the busyness of life, and you are back where you started, doing what you’ve always done.

So if you want to start making consistent, progressive change and to build up some positive momentum in changing habits and behaviours then you need to tackle it step by step.

Changing Eating Habits With Hypnosis – Weight Loss Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 10, 2023 | Weight Loss

Changing Eating Habits With Hypnosis – Weight Loss Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

One of the main challenges you may face when trying to lose weight are all of those established habits and behaviours that you’ve been repeating over and over for so long.

You may have been able to change your behaviours around food for a while, yet those unhelpful and unhealthy habits seem to just creep back in. And so you find yourself eating when you aren’t hungry, snacking, comfort eating, craving sugar or just eating more than you need. Despite all of your good intentions, habits can be difficult to change with just willpower and persistence.

Your weight continues to bother you, you don’t feel as good as you know you could, and every setback makes the next attempt to change eating habits even more of a struggle.

As creatures of habit, pattern and repetition we all find ourselves repeating the same sorts of things over and over in similar situations. Those patterns, from your past experiences and behaviours, lead to certain thoughts, feelings and behaviours around food and eating. Just trying to consciously change these patterns and eating habits can feel like a struggle where you are battling with yourself to make the kind of healthy decisions that you want to make.

And that’s where weight loss hypnotherapy and the psychological approaches that go with it can help. Rather than being stuck in a constant yo-yo struggle with yourself, you can learn how to take back control over your eating habits and to develop the kind of positive, healthy relationship with food that will bring you the positive results that you’re looking for.

How Nature Helps With Anxiety, Stress and Depression – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 10, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

How Nature Helps With Anxiety, Stress and Depression – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

I don’t know about you and your family, but we quite like to watch Richard Osman’s House of Games on TV together. I really like some of the rounds and the way they are put together, and it’s one of those shows that, no matter what your age, you can join in with and play along at home. Only no shouting out the answer please because that just leads to arguments!

The other day, after a particularly engaging play along at home episode, a show came on the TV which was all about groups of strangers getting together and hiking in areas around the country. In the show, five walkers compete against each other with their favourite walks to win a voucher or something at the end of the week. It’s like a strange hiking based reality competition show.

As the show aired, we were shown some absolutely fabulous areas of nature in Yorkshire, and we became particularly interested when they walked in and around Robin Hood’s Bay, a place we’ve visited on many occasions and which we always enjoy going to when we are in that part of the world. They showed some areas nearby that we’ve never explored, or even been aware of, on our previous visits.

Now the reason I mention this is not because I now work for the Yorkshire tourist board, but more because of some of the comments made by the walkers about their love of hiking and what got them into it, along with what they continue to get from their endeavours.

Several of the hikers mentioned how walking, and particularly walking in nature, had helped them with their mental health. From overcoming fears to anxiety and lowness, they had found a method and a passion that helped them. Part of this may have been having a sense of purpose and part of it may have been from being in an environment where it can be a bit easier to discuss mental health issues safely. Yet certainly a large aspect of the mental health boost they talked about came from getting out and spending time in nature.

Now, if you are an avid follower of my articles here on my website then this perhaps wasn’t really news to you. Research upon research has shown that spending time in nature and walking in nature can have immensely positive impacts upon anxiety, stress, depression and your mental health and well-being.

Weight Loss – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 6, 2023 | Weight Loss

Weight Loss – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

If you have been struggling to make successful progress towards your weight loss goals, then it is likely that there are psychological, behavioural and emotional factors that keep hindering you.

Whenever I help someone with weight loss, they will tell me about how they use food to manage their emotions, such as stress, sadness, boredom, happiness and for a perceived sense of comfort from food. There will be unhelpful behaviours involving unhealthy food choices, such as overeating or snacking in front of the TV. And there can be a host of other thoughts, patterns and habits that keep the unhealthy eating patterns going and that make it hard to just take back control over your eating habits without help.

You probably have a reasonably good idea of what constitutes a healthy or unhealthy food, and about what you should be eating if you want to feel healthier and happier. Yet the habits, emotions and associations that have built up over time mean that making good decisions is easier in theory than in practice. Yet, whether you learnt your behaviours around food at an early age, or they just crept in at some point along the way, it is certainly very possible to take back control over your eating habits, to enjoy eating just the right amount for you and to build the focus, motivation and determination you need to achieve your weight loss goals.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Anxiety Disorders – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 5, 2023 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Anxiety Disorders – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

The level of anxiety disorders that are recognised and diagnosed seems to continue to rise and rise. More and more people are sadly struggling with anxiety, and within the plethora of possible treatments and ways forward, it can be tough to be sure that you are making the best decision that you can. Luckily, we have an increasing body of scientific research and evidence that can point you in the direction of the most effective treatments for anxiety disorders.

Rather than having to endure all of those never ending anxious thoughts that race through your mind, and having to struggle with all of those uncomfortable anxious feelings, it is possible to learn how to take back control over your thoughts, feelings, action and reactions. In fact, you can come out of the other side of your treatment even better equipped with tools, strategies and the self-belief you need to handle, deal and cope with any future challenges you may face too.

Cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnosis grew out of a shared therapeutic background so it is unsurprising if I call upon aspects of each when helping people with their anxiety. By drawing up the most helpful approaches that are tailored to your own needs, you can move forwards past anxiety and start feeling better again.

As I describe below, hypnotherapy has strong evidence to support its effectiveness as a treatment for anxiety, and adding hypnosis to your cognitive behavioural therapy has been demonstrated to increase positive outcomes.

And here I’m taking a quick look at research into the long term effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety related disorders.

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