Welcome to May and Junes blog.
I’m combining the two months of May and June as it’s been extra busy and I guess you may have been too. Taking advantage of the better weather being outdoors gardening, walking the dog or family outings, half term, getting healthier and fitter, maybe holidays to prepare for and of course the long weekend this week for the Queens Platinum Jubilee. I’m hoping the weather will be good as it will be our first camping trip this year!
I’m celebrating this month too. It is with pleasure that I can let you know I have now successfully completed all the requirements for the Advanced Hypnotherapy Diploma, the highest available qualification in Hypnotherapy, a Level 5, and yes I’m feeling pretty proud of this, its taken me just over two years and it will enable me to support my clients more in their journeys with me.
So lets talk positive action and goals ! According to research at Harvard University, if someone says something out loud it’s ten times more powerful than if they think it, and negativity is four to six times more powerful than positivity. Therefore, if we say something negative out loud, it’s forty to sixty times more likely to cause us problems rather than if we just didn’t say anything (Trevor Moawab).
We can often focus on the things that we are struggling with, the things that aren’t going well. By doing this, we are perpetuating and predicting what we don’t want to happen. Such negative self-talk can lead to self-sabotage, and we are more likely to give up.
However, we can create an alternative way of thinking. Becoming aware of our thoughts and negative self-talk gives us an opportunity to decide whether we ‘buy into them’ not, giving us a chance to challenge them and replace them with much more helpful thoughts.
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” ― Abraham Lincoln
Reframing unhelpful thoughts can help us move away from a fixed mindset: ‘I will never change,’ to a growth mindset: ‘How can I change?’ When we acknowledge our wins and progress this can help us to recognize that our efforts can influence our world, which can be extremely motivating. Language is key and by reframing ‘I’ve GOT to …’ to ‘I GET to…’ can really help, reframe ‘I can’t do this’ to something like, ‘I am up for the challenge or I’ve totally got this.’ We can train our mind, just as you would train your body.
Try not to compare ourselves to others, and to be mindful of what we consume (not just food, but what we watch and listen to, and the people with who we surround ourselves). It’s easy to scroll through social media and compare ourselves to others, and then negative thinking kicks in. This releases cortisol which can have a negative impact on mind and body, reducing motivation. Instead, identify what has gone well, what has been better how you’ve coped with and celebrate the positive steps and progress , every small step counts towards those bigger challenges. Think and tell ourselves how we want things to be rather than how we don’t want to be will be very beneficial. Give it a try.
For now I’m going to wish you a Happy June and enjoy the Jubilee Weekend,
Keep well, stay strong, you can do it,
Best wishes, Louise