Dan’s Blog

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.

Hypnosis During Pregnancy and Childbirth – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

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

Hypnosis During Pregnancy and Childbirth – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

With my eldest just turning fifteen and with both of my kids now at college, the pregnancy and childbirth for both of them should feel like a long time ago (they grow up so fast as we like to say!). Yet, I can still remember the entire experience of pregnancy and childbirth like it was just a few days ago.

There was the worry, anxiety, stress and hope that all would be ok and that they would be born healthy and well (especially as we had sadly suffered a miscarriage along our journey to parenthood). There was the whole birthing process and the tiredness and anticipation of waiting for the little one to come along. And then the turmoil as you try and work out what to do with a new baby in the house and how to try and stay on top of everything as you build new routines and try to cope with interrupted sleep, feeding and nappies whilst also managing work and life at the same time.

I often work with women during pregnancy and through childbirth and throughout the adjustment to parenthood stages. They may be struggling with anxiety and a sense of overwhelm. There may be anxiety 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!!). And, of course, the change in roles and routines can equally have an impact upon fathers too as they also need to adjust through the pregnancy process and into being a new father.

Being Self-Critical – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 3, 2023 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Being Self-Critical – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Do you have a tendency to be self-critical in your thinking?

Whether it’s a component and linked to anxiety, low confidence, low self esteem, depression or just struggling to cope with things, being self-critical is often there contributing and exacerbating how bad you feel. You may generally be negative towards yourself, who you and what you do. Or you may find that when faced with an adversity or challenge, you go back to putting yourself down, blaming yourself and believing that you are at the cause of all of your struggles.

Being self critical can contribute to all sorts of mental health problems, as well as being a generally uncomfortable and unpleasant way to go around living inside of your own head. You can put yourself down, be harsh towards yourself, blame yourself and talk yourself out of doing things that you want to do.

Yet you may find that your thinking and mindset is very different towards those you are close to. It may be that you encourage and believe in loved ones, considering them to be capable and wanting the best for them.

And if a stranger walked up to that loved one and starting putting them down, telling them they weren’t good enough and they were a waste of space, would you just idly stand by and let that happen? Or would you tell them to do one and then reassure your close other that those things were nonsense? And if you wouldn’t let a stranger be critical towards a loved one, why on earth would you put up with being that negative and critical to yourself in your own head all of the time?

Is Impostor Syndrome Holding You Back? Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jan 3, 2023 | Confidence and Self Esteem

Is Imposter Syndrome Holding You Back? Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

Many years ago, I can remember being in my then manager’s office just causally chatting about some work related things, when all of a sudden they turned towards me, with a look of fear upon their face, and they said ‘I hope I don’t get found out as a fraud.’ This was my first real exposure to imposter syndrome and how it can affect anyone, even those you least suspect.

This manager had always seemed competent and confident at work. Apart from the usual little grumbles that most staff have towards their boss, I’d not heard anything except positive things and respect from other people in the office. Yet on the inside, this person was struggling with that fear of being exposed as incompetent, of being shown to be a fraud and not up to the job. Underneath their outer facade of confidence, they were anxious, fearful and vulnerable like so many others.

In fact, imposter syndrome, and the lack of confidence and fear of exposure that goes with it, is surprisingly common. That inner anxiety and fear affects and limits many, many people, even those whom you may least suspect. It might even be something that holds you back and troubles you in your daily life, leading to self-doubt, catastrophising, fear, regret and anxiety. You lack confidence in yourself, worry about being found out and being exposed, and you belittle your achievements, skills and capabilities.

If you get positive feedback or compliments then you’ll struggle to just accept them and enjoy them, and if you get negative feedback you may feel angry, threatened and useless.

More and more people have come to me for help with overcoming imposter syndrome and the unhelpful thoughts and feelings that come with it because they are tired and fed up of the constant sense of inner struggle and negative mind chatter. And because it is something that is all about your own internal thoughts, feelings and beliefs, it is something that you certainly take positive action to overcome.

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