Dan’s Blog

Mindfulness For Anxiety, Stress and Promoting Mental Health

by Dan Regan | Jan 18, 2021 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Mindfulness For Anxiety, Stress and Promoting Mental Health

Mindfulness for anxiety, stress and other mental health issues has grown as a therapeutic approach and self-help technique over recent years. I’ve incorporated some beneficial aspects of mindfulness into several aspects of my work.

When we talk about mindfulness we are generally talking about being present, or in the present moment. People eat mindfully, exercise mindfully and use purposeful mindfulness strategies to support positive personal goals. Certainly one of the reasons I enjoy learning the guitar so much is because, by its very nature, I have to pay full attention to what I am doing (with variable results but that’s besides the point!!).

When you are engaged in the present moment, there is only right now and so worries about the future, or things from the past, are not at the front of your awareness (paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally).

Anxiety levels have been rising in the UK for many years so there is an ongoing need to understand and help people to use effective, scientifically supported, treatments. The latest data from the Office For National Statistics suggests that, at the time I am writing this (during Covid-19 lockdown 3), levels of anxiety are higher than they have been since the start of the pandemic. Over 40% of adults reported high levels of anxiety.

So let’s have a look at some of the recent evidence about mindfulness for anxiety, stress and for your mental health.

Could Horror Films Make You More Psychologically Resilient To The Covid-19 Pandemic?

by Dan Regan | Jan 14, 2021 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Could Horror Films Make You More Psychologically Resilient To The Covid-19 Pandemic?

Out of all the research into the mental health impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, there comes something a little bit quirkier this time. Could horror films help you to be more psychologically resilient to the pandemic? And before any temptation to treat this as being something perhaps a little frivolous about something serious, do have a read about what the research says and how it links to psychological resilience and being able to deal with the mental health challenges of the pandemic.

Watching horror films is all about be becoming scared or fearful for your own entertainment. Although I have less opportunity to watch them now (due to the kids), over the years I’ve seen many horror films, some much better than others. I can remember way back as a teenager how me and my friends couldn’t wait to watch Nightmare on Elm Street, almost in the hope of being scared witless! And films such as Saw are both horrific, tense, scary and clever in equal measure. Alongside these you can get more comedic films like Shaun of the Dead and the like.

Watching horror films and those that portray other frightening, threatening or dangerous situations (such as zombie films, apocalyptic or alien invasion movies) involves intentionally exposing yourself to, and engaging in, fearful simulated situations and experiences. So can watching these sorts of films bring you psychological benefits and increased resilience when faced with real world threatening experiences, such as the current Covid-19 pandemic?

Covid-19 Anxiety, Stress and Trauma in Healthcare Workers

by Dan Regan | Jan 14, 2021 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Covid-19 Anxiety, Stress and Trauma in Healthcare Workers:

There’s been a lot in the news and media about the impact of the current wave of Covid-19 on hospitals and the healthcare system. Hospitals are busier than during the first peak, non Covid-19 procedures are being postponed and there are increasing delays with being able to access NHS help.

It certainly supports the message that we should all be staying at home and reducing contact with others as much as we are able to. It’s not just to help reduce the number of people getting ill and dying from Covid-19, it’s not just to try and help those who are suffering with other issues that need treatment, it’s not even only to support our wonderful NHS. We should all take action to support each and every individual doctor, nurse and healthcare professional who is giving their all right now (the very same people who are there for us and our loved ones when we need them).

When I talk to my clients who are healthcare workers, they all tell me of the harrowing scenes and challenges throughout this pandemic. There was everything we all saw and heard about way back in the first wave, and for many of these doctors, nurses and healthcare staff, there has been no let up in the demands upon them week after week, and month after month, during this pandemic.

All of the research and evidence shows that the mental health of healthcare workers is being impacted upon and that they now not only need mental health resources and support to be made available effectively, they also need the rest of us to do all we can so that they can continue helping people now and into the coming months.

Why Now Really Is the Time To Quit Smoking

by Dan Regan | Jan 14, 2021 | Quit Smoking Hypnosis

Why Now Really Is the Time To Quit Smoking

I’ve been helping people to quit smoking for over a decade. Whilst there can be many motivations and reasons for quitting, health usually features pretty highly. That could be due to an existing health issue that smoking exacerbates, worry over getting ill in the future, or fears, worries and hopes around wanting a longer life for you and to be there for your loved ones. Naturally there can be several other reasons and motivations yet not wanting to risk further damage to your health, or a shorter life than you could have, are pretty powerful reasons to quit smoking.

I mention further on, that research has now strongly suggested that being a smoker can increase the risk that you get Covid-19, and that if you do get the disease, that you will get more severe symptoms (increasing the risk of hospitalisation). If ever there was a time to quit, during the pandemic could therefore well be that time.

As it happens, I’m just about to start reading a novel that involves a lead character having hypnotherapy to stop smoking (Smoking Kills by Antoine Laurain). I’m hoping that hypnotherapy is accurately represented because often all I ever see in films and read in books is a load of mumbo-jumbo that isn’t based on anything remotely like reality. According to the blurb on the back of the book the hypnotherapy is successful but overwhelming stress leads to lighting up again (incidentally, one of the reasons I cover in my stop smoking sessions, strategies for handling stress once you’ve quit). However, he finds that smoking doesn’t give any sense of release from the stress like it once did (perhaps because nicotine is a stressor and smoking doesn’t help you relax at all). He then stumbles upon some criminal way to recapture that nicotine joy…(although there really is little joy from nicotine and smoking and turning to crime is certainly not recommended!). I’ll let you know how I get on with it once I’ve read it.

And so back to the research about the association between being a smoker and Covid-19 risk.

Effectiveness of Online Hypnotherapy – Dan Regan Hypnotherapy Zoom and Skype

by Dan Regan | Jan 11, 2021 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Effectiveness of Online Hypnotherapy - Dan Regan Hypnotherapy Zoom and Skype Although I've worked online with people for many years, this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions,...

Supporting Your Mental Health During Lockdown Three

by Dan Regan | Jan 8, 2021 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Supporting Your Mental Health During Lockdown Three

The third national lockdown is upon us, and with it comes the potential and risk of increased stress, worry, anxiety and the negative impact upon your mental health and well-being.

There are mental health impacts from the ongoing restrictions and limitations, on employment and jobs, financially and from things like home schooling. And whether you are not working, working from home or still need to work as usual, all of the evidence shows that our mental health has been impacted during the various stages of this pandemic.

I’ve been working from home (as all therapists should be), and getting a lot done despite all of the distractions that come from being at home (including the kids and home schooling!). On the plus side there is still exercise to enjoy and I’m continuing to make time to learn the guitar. I’ve written before about how online hypnotherapy is as effective as face to face hypnotherapy, so if you are struggling then do get in touch.

As this lockdown continues, and the pandemic endures, it’s now more important than ever that you take a proactive approach to supporting your mental health. Whether it helps you cope and deal with things completely, simply mitigates any adverse mental health impacts, or allows you to function and get through things so you are in the best place you can be after all of this, you need to do stuff. Below I’ve covered what I suggest you do to support your mental health during this lockdown three.

Hypnotherapy Supervision: The Benefits and Importance of Supervision for Hypnotherapists

by Dan Regan | Jan 7, 2021 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Hypnotherapy Supervision: The Benefits and Importance of Supervision for Hypnotherapists

Effective hypnotherapy supervision is one of the most important resources available to help you, as a hypnotherapist, improve and succeed in your work and business.

The therapy market is a crowded place these days. Pretty much anyone can set up and call themselves a therapist, even if they’ve only ever done a cursory online weekend course (something the BBC reported on in 2020 was about how anyone can call themselves a therapist and start working with clients to help them with psychological and mental health issues). And, of course, more and more ‘new approaches’ continue to spring up weekly offering miracle results, and that we professionals know lack the science and evidence to support them.

That means that for those of us who are qualified and ethical hypnotherapists, we have to continually improve our knowledge and skills and get better at what we do to help our clients even further. We want to aim for excellence at what we do.

I can well remember my early days as a therapist, over a decade ago, when I qualified and set up my hypnotherapy business. It can be a pretty daunting affair to find yourself first working with clients. And as you gain more experience, there are still challenges to face, improvements to be made and a level of support needed. That’s where hypnotherapy supervision is a real benefit. Rather than being alone in your work and having to figure it all out yourself in your head, the support of a good supervisor will help you get better at making therapeutic decisions, at building upon your knowledge and resources, and improving in the work you love so much.

Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket: Lockdown Three Update

by Dan Regan | Dec 30, 2020 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket: Lockdown Three Update

I hope that you had a good Christmas and have been able to enter the New Year in positive spirits. Things were certainly different this festive season but I hope you and your loved ones are all healthy and well.

Christmas in our household, like many others I am sure, was fairly low key with plenty of time for exercise, guitar playing, games and a few good movies.

As no doubt you’ll have seen, just before Christmas it was announced that several areas, including Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, were being moved to Tier 4 Covid-19 restrictions (at that time, the most stringent of the tiers). In fact, this was going to be a Tier 4 update on my hypnotherapy sessions. However, events have moved apace and this is now a Covid-19 lockdown three update instead.

Lockdown restrictions mean that I am only able to offer online hypnotherapy sessions until the lockdown ends. This covers my hypnotherapy sessions in Ely and Newmarket, and it means that once again all of my sessions are back being delivered online through Skype and Zoom.

This is the same arrangement that needed to be put in place during the two lockdowns last year. It worked very well during those weeks and I was still able to help many, many people with issues such as anxiety, worry, fear and stress (whether pandemic-related or otherwise).

I’ve been getting great feedback from clients who have worked online with me, even if some may have preferred something more face to face had the option been possible. Over the last decade, and as supported by the research and evidence, online hypnotherapy sessions can produce results similar to face to face sessions.

So for the time being everything is back online to keep us all safe, yet fingers crossed we can all soon enjoy once again meeting in person.

Rediscover and Find Your Running Motivation

by Dan Regan | Dec 27, 2020 | Sports Improvement

Rediscover and Find Your Running Motivation

I come across a lot of runners who seem to have lost their running motivation. They are going through a dip and can’t seem to get their grasp back upon their motivation, purpose and reasons for getting out and running.

Essentially motivation means having enthusiasm, a need or a reason for doing something. If your need or reason is strong enough then I’m not sure you have to be too enthusiastic, you just do it regardless.

Most runners experience dips in their running motivation from time to time, as well as enjoying the motivation highs that come along too. As we continue to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, I think that dips in running motivation have become a bit more common. Whether it’s stress and anxiety caused by aspects of the pandemic, a sense of lethargy from how long it’s been impacting (with still more to go), the loss of usual activities and routines, the lack of running and racing with others in the usual way, or something else, running motivation can often suffer.

When an area of our life doesn’t seem to be going great, it can be easy to engage in those negative thoughts and feelings, and that leads to feeling worse and even less enthusiastic to get running or to run well. Certainly I think not being able to train and interact with others (in training and racing) can leave a big hole in your motivation and joy of exercise.

Yet, sometimes the best runs are those where you initially didn’t really feel like it. Sometimes it can be useful to think about the reasons you run, the physical and mental health benefits, and how much better you’ll feel if you do it (and how much worse you’ll feel for not doing it). I often get myself out of bed by reminding myself how much better I’ll feel for having done my run.

Other times I try not to think about it at all. You can’t always trust your thoughts and feelings to guide you. So I don’t engage with them too much: I just get out of bed and start getting ready and if it’s a run day then I run. It becomes a habit to run on the days you run and like any habit, it just starts and seems to happen whether you like it or not.

The Three Pillars of Mental Health

by Dan Regan | Dec 19, 2020 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

The Three Pillars of Mental Health:

Hello and Happy New Year! I hope that you had a wonderful festive period and that you are all set to have a positive and productive 2021.

The Covid-19 pandemic is still with us, of course, and it has certainly had a detrimental impact on mental health, with anxiety levels continuing to escalate. Many of you may well be suffering with anxiety, depression, stress and worry as a result of the pandemic (things I wrote about a lot last year if you scroll through my blog pages).

There are many things you can proactively do to support your mental health and to reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. It certainly is possible to deal with those unwanted thoughts and feelings so that you feel better and happier. The research evidence I’ve mentioned below certainly l suggests that our mental health has been impacted.

In this article, I’m talking about the three pillars of mental health that were published in a research paper at the end of last year.

Sadly, one of the actions for improving your mental health doesn’t include chatting with kangaroos! You may have missed the news at the end of last year that animals that have never been domesticated, such as kangaroos, can intentionally communicate with humans (McElligott, O’Keeffe, & Green, 2020). I think that is pretty incredible stuff (almost out of the Scooby-do cartoons that my daughter keeps watching). I think talking with kangaroos would certainly boost my sense of well-being, although personally I’d rather have a penguin as a pal (and keep in mind that there is scientific evidence for the mental health benefits of pets, as I’ve covered before).

I like the idea of communicating with animals, although that’s got nothing to do with this article about the impact of the pandemic and the three pillars of good mental health.

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