Dan’s Blog

Dan Regan Hypnotherapy in Ely Standard

by Dan Regan | May 25, 2024 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Dan Regan Hypnotherapy in Ely Standard

I recently wrote all about my exciting news from the SME Ely Business Awards. In case you missed it, I was honoured to win the gold award for Business Person of the Year! I’m still gobsmacked!

You can read all about it here: Ely Business Person of the Year!!!

Thank you so much to all of you who have sent me messages of congratulations and who have said well done. I’m still catching up with all the emails and positive comments on social media. I was overwhelmed to win the award and I’m so grateful that so many of you think I’m such a worthy winner. Thank you so much!

I also won the silver award for innovation and so now all five of my Ely Business Awards that I’m accumulated are sitting very happily in my office (I’ve covered previous awards elsewhere).

And this week Dan Regan Hypnotherapy is in the Ely Standard. I’m very grateful to the paper for covering the awards.

Ely Business Person of the Year!!!

by Dan Regan | May 22, 2024 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Ely Business Person of the Year!!!

Wow! What a night and I’m blown away by the results of this year’s Ely Business Awards!

The Ely Business Awards finals celebration that took place last night was an awesome affair. There was great food and entertainment and it’s always great to get to mingle with the cream of businesses from here in Ely. There really is a wealth of talent in the area.

I was delighted to come away with two business awards this year! First up it was the silver award for business innovation, the award that goes to a business that is doing something new, different, smarter or better that makes a positive difference.

And then came perhaps the proudest moment of my fourteen years as a full time hypnotherapist professional. I won the gold award for Ely Business Person of the Year! I could scarcely believe it!

It is such an honour to win this title which is awarded to the business person who shows outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in their business, as well as sound management practices. Wow! I now go through to the National Business Awards in London at the end of year.

A massive thank you to the dozens and dozens of you who sent me good luck messages beforehand and congratulations messages afterwards (my wife was keeping everyone updated on socials throughout the evening!). I really do appreciate all of your support and positive reviews that help me to help more people to overcome issues such as anxiety, panic, low self-esteem, fears and more. Thanks so much!

Dental Anxiety

by Dan Regan | May 21, 2024 | Phobias and Fears

Dental Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Do you struggle with dental anxiety and fear about the dentist?

This morning I headed over to my six monthly check up and hygienist appointment at my dentist. I can remember as a kid hating the dentist. It meant pain and discomfort and misery. Surely no one can forget the sound the drill used to make. I’d be sat there in the waiting room listening to the drill being applied to someone else and getting increasingly tense and worried that it would soon be my turn. I know it’s meant to help with relaxation but sitting there watching the goldfish in the waiting room had no effect. I would sit there listening to the drill while it created a mass of dental anxiety for me.

Of course, things have moved on masses since then. These days treatment is way more advanced and much more comfortable, certainly where I go anyway. Yet, if you struggle with dental anxiety then you may not have been along to the dentist for a long time. You likely still associate dental treatment with those old days and unpleasant experiences when much younger. With your anxiety, your fear will lead to avoidance. Then at some point you have dental issues and avoidance no longer works. You know you need to go to the dentist to get your discomfort looked at and to get it sorted. Yet the very thought of it leaves you anxious, worried and filled with dread.

Avoidance is the main strategy for dealing with anxiety. That may be ignoring the issue for as long as possible. It may mean living with avoidable pain and discomfort in your mouth. It can even mean that when you finally build up the courage to make an appointment you cancel last minute. Or, as some of my former clients have described, you may even get through the anxiety and panic and get to the dentist only to flee from the chair before you are even asked to open your mouth.

We know that regular visits to the dentist are important for your health. Yet dental anxiety leads to side stepping any sort of regular dentist visits and that can lead to all sorts of problems with your mouth, teeth and gums that will require a lot more treatment later.

Mental Health Week Drop In Sessions – Thank You!

by Dan Regan | May 19, 2024 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Mental Health Week Drop In Sessions – Thank You!

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who came along to a mental health week drop in session last week. And a massive thanks to Grovemere Property Services at Lancaster Way for hosting me.

This past week has been Mental Health Awareness Week and so I teamed up with Grovemere to run some drop in sessions for anyone on the business estate who wanted to chat about aspects of mental health. It was great to speak to you all about issues such as anxiety and stress that can have such a limiting effect upon your life.

Issues such as anxiety, stress and depression can create an ongoing pattern of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Your mind can be overtaken with a lot of noise and your thoughts spiral out of control. You feel worse and worse and want to do less and less. You dread certain situations or find yourself worried about how bad you are going to feel.

It doesn’t matter whether the anxiety, stress and worry you struggle with is work related or from something outside work. Mental health issues have a tendency to seep from one area of your life into another. You worry about what might happen and things going badly for you. You then either avoid situations or feel bad, low and uncomfortable as you force your way through them. Afterwards, you dwell, focus upon the negative and then turn your attention to the next perceived challenge. It’s all consuming, limiting and exhausting.

Your mental health and sense of well-being can impact upon your performance and focus at work, as well as upon all the other aspects of your life.

That’s why it was such a joy to meet so many of you, answer your mental health questions and, where possible, provide some constructive and practical steps you can take towards moving forwards.

Working with Grovemere for Mental Health Week

by Dan Regan | May 12, 2024 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Working with Grovemere for Mental Health Week

This Mental Health Awareness Week I’m delighted to be working with Grovemere Property Services, based at Lancaster Way in Ely. Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 13th to 19th May (I talked about it here: Mental Health Awareness Week).

Grovemere and I have joined together this year to help raise awareness of mental health in the workplace. I’ll be running drop in mental health sessions for those on the Lancaster Way Business Estate on Wednesday 15th May. Anyone who would like a confidential chat can contact me to book in for a chat.

More and more people are struggling with their mental health and, in particular, issues such as anxiety, stress, depression and worry.

These issues, and the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that come with them, can impact upon all aspects of your life. We all know that your mental health and sense of well-being can impact upon your performance and focus at work, as well as upon other aspects of your life.

I’m delighted to be working with Grovemere this Mental Health Week to help anyone on site to help you start the journey towards feeling better in yourself. If you are based on Lancaster Way, you can book in and come along and have a free and confidential chat about any aspects of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours that you may be currently struggling with.

Mental Health Awareness Week

by Dan Regan | May 11, 2024 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 takes place from 13th to 19th May. The theme this year is about movement and moving more for your mental health.

There is a mass of evidence about the benefits of exercise to support your mental health. Exercise and movement can help with reducing anxiety, depression and stress symptoms. It can also support boosting your mental health and well-being to help you stay feeling good. Moving helps support both your mental health and your physical health.

Movement and exercise have long formed part of how I manage my own thoughts and feelings. From running on my own I get to set and accomplish goals, think about everything or think about nothing and to enjoy the sights of nature (and time in nature is also good for your mental health). And from bootcamps there is the opportunity to mix with others, to do the exercises I probably wouldn’t do if left to my own devices and often there is no time to think about anything except what I am doing in the moment.

I also love biking to and from work. It sets me up nicely for the day and creates a positive separation from after work and before I arrive home.

If you are struggling with anxiety, stress or lowness then moving can help you to feel better. Whether its a walk, run or something else, moving can help release tension and restless feelings and switch your mental focus outside of your own head (rather than the spiral of overthinking within it).

When out running I get to see all sorts of wonderful views and sights in nature, such as in this recent image:

Emetophobia and Fear of Vomiting – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Apr 30, 2024 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks, Phobias and Fears

Emetophobia and Fear of Vomiting – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Emetophobia and the fear of vomiting are a much more common anxiety issue than many people realise. Only recently I was talking to an anxiety client who mentioned in passing that she also has a fear of being sick. It’s one of those irrational fears that rarely gets talked about and can be hidden quite well and so many sufferers feel pretty alone with their worry.

Emetophobia is a fear of vomiting or of seeing other people being sick. Although it can be hidden quite well by avoidance, the anxious thoughts and feelings can creep into all sorts of situations, can dominate your planning before you do anything and can have a limiting impact upon your life. As with most anxiety and fear, you fear being out of control in a situation whether either you or someone else is, or could be, sick. Yet, in trying to control for the possibility of it happening, you actually feel less and less in control.

You may worry that you will be sick and so you pay attention to every physical sensation you have, especially in your stomach or throat. Many people with emetophobia that I work with may not have actually been sick for a long time. As a result, they can become convinced that every physical sensation is a sign that this is the time it is going to happen, that this time is different and that you are going to vomit. Of course, that anxiety causes more physical sensations and so your anxiety and fear spiral upwards higher and higher.

Some people with a fear of vomiting are only worried about being sick themselves. For many, there is also the fear of seeing others being sick (which could bring the increased risk that you will also then be sick). You may avoid some situations around others, or activities you associate with an increased risk of people being unwell. You may even struggle watching if an actor on TV is sick. Certain sounds, such as coughing or burping, may place you on edge. And if you know someone has been unwell then you probably try to avoid them, even if they are now better again. Rather than being supportive and empathetic, if someone says they feel sick then your first instinct is to get away.

Being sick or around someone being sick is an unpleasant experience. Most people get through it, forget about it and move on if it happens. With emetophobia, the fear and anxiety lurks and influences your decisions before you do anything. You can be on high alert in public places. And if something was to happen, it already feels like it would be the worst possible thing that could ever happen to you.

Pets and Anxiety: National Pet Month

by Dan Regan | Apr 29, 2024 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Pets and Anxiety: National Pet Month

It’s National Pet Month and an opportunity to celebrate responsible pet ownership as well as the many benefits of having a pet as your companion. To be honest I didn’t actually know it was national pet month until I had an email trying to sell me pet insurance to cover my dog or cat (I don’t have a dog or a cat). Yet having a pet is something I have covered before because of the potential mental health benefits that come with having a little companion in your life.

We have two lovely rabbits at home and with the weather improving it’s my favourite time with them. Now that the weather is generally drier, we can let the two of them run out and about all around our garden. They eat the grass, sniff everything, hide behind plant pots and generally just seem to have a lovely time. During the fun times, the rabbits belong to all of us in the house and then as soon as they need clearing out they become my daughters responsibility! It is lovely thought to see them munching and running their way around the garden for hours at a time.

As well as the general enjoyment of pet ownership, pets can have a positive impact upon your mental health and sense of well-being too. With regard to pets and anxiety, your pet can bring you companionship and a focus outside your own thinking. Being responsible for your pet means you have to keep busy and get stuff done (such as exercise, cleaning, feeding, checking, sharing time and so on). The connection and emotional bond you have with your pet can help you to manages aspects of your anxiety and can support your mental health.

Exam Stress Hypnosis in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Apr 23, 2024 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Exam Stress Hypnosis in Ely and Newmarket

Exam season is upon us and that means revision and focus. It can also mean exam stress and anxiety.

I can well remember the revision season back when I was at school and university. Day one of revision was drawing up a nicely coloured timetable to make sure everything would get covered. Then, armed with my very pretty timetable, it was head down and going everything all over again. The first wave was always reading, making sure I understood the content and getting my notes written up. These notes were then what I would religiously review, learn and memorise the day before the exam. I would go over and over them, covering them up and testing myself, until I could almost recite the information word for word.

With all the information going through my head and feeling a bit stressed, I would always struggle to sleep the night before. There were just so many bits of information going around and around my head when I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. On the morning of the exam I would usually avoid talking about it with others, especially that person who is always there before an exam who claims to have done no revision (which seems plain daft, particularly as you could normally see they had a bag full of revision notes with them). Then it was into the exam room, take my seat and then block out everything else until that moment where we were allowed to turn over the exam paper and begin. I would do my best to leave all the information into my exam answers and then to leave and forget all about it. It was then onto the next exam subject and repeat.

The period around your exams can be intense and stressful. I’ve been watching my daughter as she prepares for her GCSE exams this year. It’s all perhaps a little harder now with so much information only accessible online and so many other distractions waiting for you every time you look at the screen. All I had to distract me around exam time was my ZX Spectrum or watching something on one of the four available channels on television. I’ve been very proud of the way my daughter has been applying herself to her revision. As an added bonus she is doing catering so I got to enjoy a freshly made scone with home made blueberry jam yesterday as she did a run through for her practical exam.

We all know that a little bit of exam stress can be helpful. It gives you motivation and focus to revise and then perform to your best in the exam room. However, too much stress and your ability to function gets compromised. You can feel restless, tense, agitated and on edge. You can struggle to eat and sleep. And you may struggle to think clearly, focus on what you need to and to remember what you have learnt. It can diminish the success of your revision and can leave you anxious and unable to perform in the exam room.

However, there is a solution that can support you with doing your best in the exam room. Exam stress hypnosis can help you to manage your thoughts and feelings so that you can capably revise and learn before putting into practice in your exam so that you perform calmly and confidently on the day.

What Triggers A Panic Attack?

by Dan Regan | Apr 21, 2024 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

What Triggers A Panic Attack?

The wave of fear races through you. You feel cold and hot at the same time. You’re frozen to the spot yet also have a restless urge to move. Your heart pounds in your chest and you can feel it beating in your ears. You breathe faster and faster yet still feel like you can’t breathe or get enough air. Your mind races, you can’t think straight, you may feel sick and you feel desperate. If it’s your first panic attack you probably have no idea what is going on and you might well call for an ambulance thinking it’s a heart attack or stroke.

If you’ve ever had a panic attack then you very likely remember it. You may be able to very vividly go back to that time in your mind and certain details will stick out clearly. It may be what you saw, what you heard, the feeling of panic or even a smell that was there at the time. The fear, discomfort and anxiety can loom large in your mind. Some people can recall panic attack details clearly yet don’t have any of the old feeling when they think back. For others, just thinking back on it is like going back in time and experiencing again some of the fear and panic.

I can vividly recall the panic attacks that I used to experience. The wave of panic and cold fear, the frantic feelings and struggle to function normally. There were times I was in tears as the panic took hold and I struggled to even leave the house.

Having experienced a panic attack you can then live in fear and dread of another one happening. It can lead to an ongoing sense of anxiety and worry that can filter into other aspects of your life. You feel anxious that you may have a panic attack, you struggle when one happens and then you feel drained and exhausted afterwards.

Having experienced one panic attack, you may get others that seem to come out of nowhere. This just adds to the uncertainty and fear as you can never be sure what might happen and when. So what triggers a panic attack?

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