Dan’s Blog

Binge Drinking and Alcohol Problems – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jun 23, 2022 | Excessive Drinking and Binge Drinking

Binge Drinking and Alcohol Problems – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

I often work with people who struggle to control their binge drinking or who habitually drink too much. It may be one or two bottles of wine a night, or that struggle to leave a bottle unfinished. It may be that they can’t have alcohol in the house without finding themselves reaching for it and drinking the lot. And for others it may have become part of the end of day ‘wind-down’ ritual or the weekends have become the time to binge drink.

In all these cases and more, someone comes to me for help because they are struggling to control their drinking behaviours. And hypnotherapy is a very effective way of taking back control over your drinking.

Most people would probably agree that drinking alcohol, in the right circumstances, can be a pleasurable experience. Many people enjoy a glass of wine with a meal or a few social drinks with friends. Yet for others their drinking habits may have become problematic. They may rely on alcohol, look forward to it and have urges and cravings to drink. Your drinking may dominate social situations, lead to concern from others and impact upon your well-being. Yet, even the adverse consequences of your drinking may not mean you can stop it or curtail. The habits, patterns, thoughts and feelings around alcohol mean you feel like you are now out of control.

As I cover below, many people use alcohol to try to help them cope with stress, anxiety and depression (and for many, alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic). For others, the habits and behaviours around drinking and binges are the problem. Yet drinking has an impact upon your mental health and well-being and even binge drinking at a moderate overall level of consumption can be problematic.

Could A Social Media Break Help Your Mental Health, Depression and Anxiety? Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jun 21, 2022 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Could A Social Media Break Help Your Mental Health, Depression and Anxiety? Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

Now I don’t know about you, but in our house the most powerful threat of punishment I can call upon with my kids is to threaten to take away their screens and to switch off the wi-fi. There is nothing else that is as guaranteed to bring an expression of horror and fear upon their faces and to get them moving and doing whatever it is they are meant to be doing!

Screen time and social media use are things that have risen massively in recent times. At least in our house, I can usually reliably find my wife and kids engaged in something on their screen and pretty oblivious to the world around them. And, at least in the case of my kids, some of the stuff I’ve seen them watch on Tik Tok and the like just seems to me to be pure mind numbing nonsense (although that may be cause I’m old and out of touch, as they like to often remind me!).

Now, of course, not all online social media use is of this type. There’s much on it that can be informative, amusing and worthwhile. It can help in communicating, understanding, keeping up to date and sharing news. I use social media to find out things, to share work and life posts and photos and to keep in touch with people. It’s a tool for enhancing life, communication and productivity.

Yet it seems clear that, for some people at least, social media can have a detrimental impact upon their well-being and mental health.

Social media can help you with finding support and encouraging talking about how you feel, yet all too often people start to feel their life isn’t as good as others, and that they have less shiny things and fun and happiness and the like. Everyone likes to show the good stuff (real or otherwise) on social media, and those aspects of their lives that aren’t as good get papered over and are kept from view. Negative comparisons, a sense of not being as good, a feeling of lacking and too much unproductive, sedentary time can lead to negative thinking, feeling low, anxiety and have a negative impact upon your well-being and mental health.

With so much time now spent with faces buried in screens, the question moves to whether taking a break from social media could have benefits for your mental health and help with you with the symptoms of anxiety and depression?

Physical Activity and Risk of Depression – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jun 16, 2022 | Depression

Physical Activity and Risk of Depression – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

I’ve written many times before about the mental health benefits of physical activity and exercise. Being active can help with combatting depression and anxiety, as well as lifting your mood and boosting your levels of positivity.

And as you will know from the articles here on my website, exercise is something I routinely make time for in my own life. It helps me to feel better in myself, manage the demands of everyday life and to have (mainly) enjoyable time where all I need to do is focus on the next step or the move in front of me rather than thinking about everything else. When I don’t exercise, I know that I don’t feel quite as good in myself and there are times when I really miss it!

One of the other great benefits of exercise is how you get out of it just as much as you put into it. Through consistency you become fitter and stronger. Only this morning I was at the gym lifting a level of weights that only a few months ago would have been far out of my capability (although don’t be fooled into thinking that it was one of those huge bars with massive weights on that you see in athletics strongman competitions!). There is endless scope for setting and achieving goals, making improvements, getting fitter and feeling better. You can also just take your time and enjoy exercise, such as getting out in nature for a walk (something I’ve covered before as time in nature is also associated with mental health benefits.

The more I write about physical activity for mental health, depression and anxiety, the more I recognise how important it is to include some activity in your daily or weekly routine. On a personal level it’s part of how I seek to manage my own thoughts, feelings and emotions, and beyond that, there is an ever mounting mass of evidence that supports the importance of physical activity for helping with issues such as depression and anxiety.

Hypnotherapy in Ely Video Review – Dan Regan Hypnotherapy

by Dan Regan | May 9, 2022 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Hypnotherapy in Ely Video Review – Dan Regan Hypnotherapy

I always regard it as a massive honour when someone takes the time and trouble to leave some positive feedback about how their hypnotherapy sessions have had a beneficial impact upon their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. They continue to inspire me and I know that it gives many other people the hope and belief that they need to take active steps to seek help for their own mental health, rather than continuing to struggle and battle with how they feel.

Recently, Ian very kindly took a couple of minutes to record his hypnotherapy review following on from our sessions together. You can take a look at what he had to say in his review video further down this page. It really is worth a watch.

And if you want an even greater positivity fix then you can find all of the video hypnotherapy reviews from my clients over on this website page (there are nearly sixty review videos there): Hypnotherapy Review Videos

Or, if you want to have a look at all of the feedback from clients about their hypnotherapy sessions, then take a look at these (nearly three hundred) positive reviews: Hypnotherapy Testimonials

I’m always massively grateful when you take the time and effort to leave a review, so thank you to all of you!

And now, on to my newest feedback review and Ian’s video…

Pregnancy Related Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Apr 19, 2022 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Pregnancy Related Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Life can be funny when you’re a parent. One minute they are on the way, and then they arrive and the life is full of ups and downs, and laughter and telling offs and getting stuff done (and then even more needing to get things done!). In no time at all, old photos are popping up on social media memories and you realise how much has gone on and is still to happen in their lives (and your own too).

Recently my youngest had her birthday and, amongst all the fun, we talked about some of early memories of her. There where the moments when we first met her at the hospital, when her sister excitedly saw her for the first time, the laughs, the chats and the other little quirks that we love so much and that happened along the way. A friend brought her little baby around to our house and you suddenly remember there was actually a time before they could even answer you back!

And pregnancy and babies seems to have been very much the theme at home recently, with my wife currently training to be a doula (which I think she’ll be fab at) so that she can provide guidance and support to new mum’s, especially during those early days when everything goes haywire and the level of demands and challenges massively magnify.

I often work with women during pregnancy where 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!!).

Mental Health and The Positive Impact of Pets…And Meet Frank!

by Dan Regan | Apr 19, 2022 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Mental Health and The Positive Impact of Pets…And Meet Frank!

I’ve written before about the positive mental health impact that can come from having a pet. Naturally you need to have a pet that fits with your own individual circumstances, yet, the companionship, emotional support and need for routine can certainly bring you psychological benefits.

Sadly we lost our lovely rabbit, Nibbles, last year, but now we have a new arrival into the Regan household! So today I’d like to introduce Frank (although I’m not sure if that really is a proper name for a rabbit??!), who will shortly be joined by a companion.

So amongst all the excitement and playing with Frank the major decision right now is what to call his friend when she arrives? My vote goes to Jesse so that we create the namesakes of those famous outlaw brothers (Jesse and Frank James). Or how about Nancy, so that we have the father and daughter Sinatra named rabbits? Although knowing how things generally turn out in our house we’ll probably end up with a rabbit called Sparkles or Sniffer!

So here is the lovely Frank for you to meet…

The Physical Sensations of Stress and Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely

by Dan Regan | Apr 8, 2022 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

The Physical Sensations of Stress and Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Back when I used to struggle with anxiety, it was the anxious feelings that used to really trouble me and that used to quickly escalate to the point when they felt overwhelming and uncontrollable. There were times when I would be low, shaky and uncomfortable to the point that I just wanted to be safely back home and in a place where I felt calmer and safer (and then all the anxious thoughts would arrive to remind me of how useless I was for feeling that way). It can be hard to appreciate just how bad anxious feelings can get unless you’ve experienced it and had it affect your life. The avoidance, the escaping, the gruelling discomfort and the repetition of the unpleasantness can really start to get to you and limit your life.

And it doesn’t matter whether the anxiety is about something specific (like driving, flying or public speaking) or more generalised (where there seems to always be something that the anxiety latches onto). When those bodily sensations and feelings strike and get you, it can feel debilitating and crushing. Things you know you can ordinarily do become impossible to you. Every atom of your being seems to be focused upon how anxious you feel, how bad it makes you feel and how, in situations when you feel anxious, it seems inescapable until you flee to somewhere else and away from it all.

One of the issues that people with anxiety know all too well is how you then start to become anxious about the possibility of becoming anxious. Even when you aren’t in the anxiety-provoking situation or at the event, you can still feel the dread, the sense of approaching doom and you can still be overwhelmed with the worry. When you get there (in the car, on the plane, about to give your presentation etc.), everything becomes massively ramped up and amplified. The anxiety gets more and more linked, associated and embedded with the situation/event/person/place and so the next time a similar thing is looming, the worry, anxiety, stress and dread grow and repeat with ever increasing vengence.

Yet it is very possible to overcome those anxious thoughts and feelings and to take back control over what is going inside of your mind and body. I’ve helped hundreds of people to move on from unnecessary anxiety and to learn how to effectively manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Yet first, it’s important to understand and remove any confusion about exactly what is happening in your mind and body that leads you to experience those physical sensations of stress and anxiety.

Attitudes to Hypnosis and Some Hypnotherapy Misconceptions To Be Aware Of

by Dan Regan | Apr 6, 2022 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Attitudes to Hypnosis and Some Hypnotherapy Misconceptions To Be Aware Of

One of the main reasons I always invite you to come for a free initial consultation is so that we get a chance to chat about what hypnosis and hypnotherapy involve and how it can help you with things such as overcoming anxiety, increasing confidence and taking control over eating habits (and, of course, if we are going to be working together then it’s always great to meet face to face at the outset too).

There can be a lot of mystery, misconceptions and uncertainty about hypnosis, how it works and what it involves, all of which we clear up at the outset so we have solid foundations to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome for you. Some of that confusion and uncertainty comes from portrayals on TV and in film. As I’ve written about before, most of this stuff is pure garbage that generally just helps the plot move along and is far removed from the reality.

Sadly though, a lot of the confusion and mystery is perpetuated by hypnotherapists themselves waffling on about communicating with your subconscious and how change happens at a different level of your conscious awareness and so forth. Little (if any) of this is based upon the scientific evidence and the wealth of knowledge we have about combining hypnosis and psychological processes. Rather than being something done to you, hypnotherapy should always be about helping you to develop your own awareness, ability and control over directing the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that you experience.

Hypnosis is about using psychology to help you to take control over what goes on inside of your own mind. We draw upon your thoughts, feelings, imagination, self-talk, motivations, beliefs and expectations to put you in the driving seat of your life and to help you maintain that even after the sessions are completed and your therapy goals have been achieved.

Rather than being thrown from one thing in life to another and just having to struggle on, you can start to direct your habits and patterns of thinking, feeling, acting and reacting in the kind of ways that will please you in your life.

The Effectiveness of Walking in Nature For Anxiety and Depression – Hypnotherapy in Ely

by Dan Regan | Apr 4, 2022 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

The Effectiveness of Walking in Nature For Anxiety and Depression – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Ah the great British weather! Last week the sun was out and shining bright and, in the warmth, I started to think about whether it was time to dig out my shorts. Then this week it’s been cold and wet and windy and I had to search back in the cupboard for my winter coat before heading out anywhere.

Now, whatever the weather, it’s always great to get outside, whether that is for exercise or just to take a mind clearing walk. Few things top those moments when you are out walking in nature. Recently we’ve been for a family walk through the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds and for an explore on our first trip to Audley End House. On top of that I always enjoy my walk through the quiet fields on my way to and from work (especially now that the clocks have changed and it’s lighter in the evening).

I love those moments when you feel connected to nature as you walk along. There are the trees and the brightly coloured flowers and the green grass. There are the insects buzzing around and often a squirrel or two scampering about. I could watch the sights and listen to the sounds of nature in some secluded spot (on a nice day at least!) for hours. One of the reasons I love my office in Ely so much is because I can look out over the fields and catch sight of the deer, or a bird of prey, and even recently a fox walking through the undergrowth.

I often suggest to clients with anxiety, worry and stress that they start taking a daily walk to get the mental health and well-being benefits of moving and exercise, and as a way of seeking to get some time off from unwanted thinking. And there are even better benefits if that walk is in nature, where you feel a sense of connection to nature, as the mental health research clearly supports.

Award Winner For Service Excellence! Hypnotherapy in Ely

by Dan Regan | Mar 28, 2022 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Award Winner For Service Excellence! Hypnotherapy in Ely

It’s been a tough couple of weeks coming through being rather unwell with Covid and then getting back up to speed with work, exercise and life afterwards.

I know Covid is supposed to be mild but I can tell you that it made me pretty unwell with a fever, sore throat, fatigue and so on (I even lost my voice for two days because my throat was so bad!). Thankfully, our whole household has now come through it and we are all back up and running.

Sadly, Covid meant I missed the Ely Business Awards ceremony….but the good news is that I won something!!

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