I have to admit to sounding a bit 'scrooge' like here, but - now that my boys are many years beyond the age of believing in Father Christmas - I tend not to get so excited about Christmas any more. It all seems to start earlier and earlier each year, and gets more and more stressful, with adverts showing us perfect Christmas families all eating wonderful food, and unwrapping brilliant presents.
Many of us - particularly women - feel a certain pressure to make sure that everything is organised almost in a military fashion, with endless lists, nothing being left to chance, presents bought and wrapped beautifully, home-made cranberry sauce made etc. etc. Where does this pressure come from? To a certain extent it is media-driven, as all the images on TV, in magazines and newspapers can be imprinted onto our subconscious minds, and even if we say to ourselves that we are going to make things easier and simpler this year, there is a little voice in the back of our minds telling us, it is Christmas, so we should be stressed out trying to make sure that everyone else has a good time. Also, it may be from well-organised friends, who tend to 'get everything done' back in September, so we are no doubt starting to panic if December has arrived, and we still have much to do.
I would urge you to make sure that, in the lead up to Christmas, you find time to be still and quiet, perhaps have a five-minute meditation. This can be done quite easily - just sit or lie down, make sure you are nice and warm, and then focus on your breathing, breathing in through the nose for the count of 3 and out for the count of 6. It may be that your mind wanders off, but you can just allow it to this, with practice you will be able to bring it gently back. Perhaps lighting a candle or putting on some nice relaxing music may help. By doing this regularly, you will find that you feel far less stressed or pressured.
Another thing you can do, is keep things as simple and fuss-free as possible - is the world really going to come to an end if you don't make a few mince pies, but instead you buy them? Also try to focus on the really special things at this time of year - if you have little ones, their excitement at seeing Father Christmas is truly wonderful. Look after yourself - light a nice fire, and toast some crumpets, watch an old film, stay away from shopping centres (most things can be ordered on-line these days). If you have difficult family members who are visiting, tell yourself that its not for long, and be as nice to them as you can.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Weight loss for life, not just for Christmas
Many people are tempted at this time of year to go on quite extreme diets in order to get into the LBD (little black dress) for those Christmas parties. Whilst adopting a long-term healthy eating plan is a good idea, I would urge people not to diet strictly in the weeks before Christmas. The reason for this is what tends to happen is that the metabolism will slow down in response to the diet, and then during the holiday time once your guard is let down and the cake, mince pies chocolates etc. that you consume in huge quantities means that the weight (and possibly more) is all put back on again. Losing a lot of weight very quickly is generally not a good idea, as it messes up the metabolism, and as soon as you start eating 'normally' again, the weight piles on very quickly.
I am pleased that a number of high profile women have decided to slim down, such as Jenni Murray, Pauline Quirke, Fern Britton and more recently, Dawn French. They have all had their different ways of doing this, but it seems to me that Dawn French appears to be achieving her new slim figure in the most sensible way, eating healthier smaller portions, whilst taking more exercise.
The others have resorted to the Dukan diet, Gastric banding and Lighterlife, and whilst these methods do seem to have achieved their goal (although Jenni Murray reports to having put back quite a lot of the weight she lost in a recent 5-week holiday), I am convinced that it is not necessary to take such extreme measures in order to lose weight in a healthy, sustained way.
Very often, the clients who I see for weight loss therapy have emotional issues which they feel unable to deal with, and so this results in a tendency to overeat to comfort themselves. By taking a good hard look at their life, and finding ways that they can comfort themselves WITHOUT food very often puts them in such a good state of mind, more controlled, calm and confident, that they no longer feel the need to overeat.
I also stress that food can be better enjoyed much more eaten in smaller quantities, savouring the taste and flavour in each mouthful, experimenting with all sorts of different ingredients, herbs and spices. This, along with a new-found enthusiasm for moving about more (and this does not have to mean joining a gym, but simply walking is as good as anything) can achieve that slimmer, healthier body that you know is in there!
If you feel that you would like to discuss your weight issue with me and find out how hypnotherapy and NLP can help you, please email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk, or call on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429.
I am pleased that a number of high profile women have decided to slim down, such as Jenni Murray, Pauline Quirke, Fern Britton and more recently, Dawn French. They have all had their different ways of doing this, but it seems to me that Dawn French appears to be achieving her new slim figure in the most sensible way, eating healthier smaller portions, whilst taking more exercise.
The others have resorted to the Dukan diet, Gastric banding and Lighterlife, and whilst these methods do seem to have achieved their goal (although Jenni Murray reports to having put back quite a lot of the weight she lost in a recent 5-week holiday), I am convinced that it is not necessary to take such extreme measures in order to lose weight in a healthy, sustained way.
Very often, the clients who I see for weight loss therapy have emotional issues which they feel unable to deal with, and so this results in a tendency to overeat to comfort themselves. By taking a good hard look at their life, and finding ways that they can comfort themselves WITHOUT food very often puts them in such a good state of mind, more controlled, calm and confident, that they no longer feel the need to overeat.
I also stress that food can be better enjoyed much more eaten in smaller quantities, savouring the taste and flavour in each mouthful, experimenting with all sorts of different ingredients, herbs and spices. This, along with a new-found enthusiasm for moving about more (and this does not have to mean joining a gym, but simply walking is as good as anything) can achieve that slimmer, healthier body that you know is in there!
If you feel that you would like to discuss your weight issue with me and find out how hypnotherapy and NLP can help you, please email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk, or call on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429.
Monday, 14 November 2011
Declutter your life
I was reading an article recently about the effect a cluttered home can have on your weight. Unlikely as it might seem, it is claimed that your home can be a reflection of the state of your mind and body. We often hold onto possessions that we have no more use for, and they are stuffed into the cupboard or drawer, because we just cannot bear to throw them out.
To a certain extent, the same can be said for weight and outdated eating habits.
We hold onto weight for all sorts of reasons - fear of change, loss of identity, a desire to be protected - when actually we would feel so much better if we were to slim down. Although our conscious mind knows that the latter is true, our sub-conscious protects us by keeping the weight on. I see many clients who find it difficult to lose weight, and often the problem is that the extra weight and the tendency to eat too much of the wrong foods is often masking a deeper-seated problem which they would actually rather not face.
In a similar way, some people have a tendency to use the clutter around them as a kind of armour against the world, and they actually feel quite uncomfortable about getting rid of things. This can even be taken to extremes, as in the case of the presenter of 'A Place in the Sun' Yasmin Harman's mum, who was a compulsive horder, and her 'illness' meant that Yasmin and her brothers and sisters had to finally step in and help her to gradually get rid of the endless clutter in her house, as there was hardly room to move.
Whether it is too much weight or clutter the person holds onto, it has to be acknowledged that the intention of this type of behaviour is to protect the person concerned. So, if I am working with somebody who has such an issue I normally try to find out - under hypnosis - the root cause of the negative habit, and then negotiate with the part of the mind that is concerned, in order to suggest more appropriate behaviour which would still give comfort, but not result in a destructive and damaging outcome. This can yield extremely positive results, as the client does not feel that they are having something taken away, and can still feel protected yet in a different and much more beneficial way.
If you feel that there is 'stuff' in your life, whether this be too much weight or too many possessions, that you want to be rid of, yet you are unable to let it go, do contact me to find out how hypnotherapy can help you feel so much lighter, in more ways than one. I can be contacted on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or you can email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.
Best wishes,
Wendy x
To a certain extent, the same can be said for weight and outdated eating habits.
We hold onto weight for all sorts of reasons - fear of change, loss of identity, a desire to be protected - when actually we would feel so much better if we were to slim down. Although our conscious mind knows that the latter is true, our sub-conscious protects us by keeping the weight on. I see many clients who find it difficult to lose weight, and often the problem is that the extra weight and the tendency to eat too much of the wrong foods is often masking a deeper-seated problem which they would actually rather not face.
In a similar way, some people have a tendency to use the clutter around them as a kind of armour against the world, and they actually feel quite uncomfortable about getting rid of things. This can even be taken to extremes, as in the case of the presenter of 'A Place in the Sun' Yasmin Harman's mum, who was a compulsive horder, and her 'illness' meant that Yasmin and her brothers and sisters had to finally step in and help her to gradually get rid of the endless clutter in her house, as there was hardly room to move.
Whether it is too much weight or clutter the person holds onto, it has to be acknowledged that the intention of this type of behaviour is to protect the person concerned. So, if I am working with somebody who has such an issue I normally try to find out - under hypnosis - the root cause of the negative habit, and then negotiate with the part of the mind that is concerned, in order to suggest more appropriate behaviour which would still give comfort, but not result in a destructive and damaging outcome. This can yield extremely positive results, as the client does not feel that they are having something taken away, and can still feel protected yet in a different and much more beneficial way.
If you feel that there is 'stuff' in your life, whether this be too much weight or too many possessions, that you want to be rid of, yet you are unable to let it go, do contact me to find out how hypnotherapy can help you feel so much lighter, in more ways than one. I can be contacted on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or you can email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.
Best wishes,
Wendy x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)