With all the distractions that we have in our day to day lives, it's no wonder we have a hard time concentrating on even the smallest tasks. We're constantly being bombarded by people, sounds, and thoughts.
What if I told you there was a way that you could improve your focus and concentration. Hypnosis can give you the ability to concentrate on something just with a snap of a finger. It can teach you to drown out all the distractions around you and help you really focus in on the task at hand.
There are so many parts of our lives that require us to concentrate on something. Whether at work, at school, or driving, concentration is an important part of our day. Concentration helps us remember things and retain them for retrieval at some point in the future.
I'm sure you know someone or perhaps you are a person who has a lot of drama in your life. Whether it's work drama, family drama, relationship drama, or friendship drama, it can take a toll on you mentally and physically.
The important thing to keep in mind is to remind yourself to step back when you feel drama entering your life. Realize that you can remove yourself from many situations. Don't let people put you in the middle of things and make sure you keep out of other people's business.
Lead a drama-free life is the way to go. Drama creates stress and we all want to reduce the amount of stress we have in our lives. If you describe yourself as a drama magnet, then I encourage you to take time out of your day for yourself. It is important for you focus on the peace within you instead of focusing on the drama around you.
Have you ever heard of "either/or" thinking? It's a dangerous, but common, mistake many of us have been conditioned to make.
"Either/or" thinking, or black and white thinking as it is sometimes called, is basically just what it sounds like. Either/or thinkers don't see shades of gray. They want easy answers to difficult questions, so they see life in terms of winners and losers, good guys and bad guys, success or failure, right and wrong.
But they fail to realize that right and wrong often depend on time, place, culture and purpose, among other things. They also fail to understand that no one is all good, or all bad, and that success and failure necessarily depend on how you define them, just like winning and losing do. It is a one-dimensional way of looking at the world.
"Either/or" thinkers don't see the degrees of difference that stretch between most opposites, because if they did, it would require more complex thinking skills and a willingness to deal with subtle differences. Now, I mean it when I say they don't see these things. They build scotomas, or blind spots, to this information, because it threatens their either/or belief system. So, even if the information is true, it doesn't get through.
Do you ever catch yourself doing either/or thinking? Most of us do, from time to time, and it drastically limits our options. Deliberate self-awareness is essential - and a strong desire to keep your mind open to the full range of possibilities that will keep you from getting locked in a one-dimension world.
Movie star EWAN MCGREGOR has a better quality of life now he has quit smoking because he no longer has to hunt for cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters before he can sit and relax.
EWAN MCGREGOR , the Scottish actor quit just over a year ago with the help of hypnotherapy and now he can't believe he had so many problems giving up in the past.He says, "The idea of life without cigarettes is terrifying but it's so much better... and it's so easy - you just don't smoke."I found the most annoying thing about cigarettes - apart from the fact that they give you emphysema and cancer and it makes you stink and not have any money, and you have to stand outside in the snow, and all of those things - is that you couldn't do anything without them."I couldn't stand the fact that I couldn't just sit down - I'd have to go and find my cigarettes and, 'Where's my ashtray and my lighter?' I'd always be looking for things... Now I can just sit down."And MCGregor insists that, if he can quit, anyone can: "I did it as a second profession; I used to act and smoke."
HYPNOSIS HELPS TO STOP SMOKING, LOSE WEIGHT, REDUCE STRESS
by Cara Gallucci, M.A., C.Ht., Certified Hypnotist
Imagine you have, on a kitchen counter in front of you, a bright yellow lemon. Now, picture cutting the lemon in half. Lift one piece to your nose and sniff. Do you notice how the acrid scent makes your nostrils tingle? Now imagine biting into the cut surface of the lemon. If you are like most people, by now your lips have puckered and your mouth has filled with saliva simply from imagining the tart juice. Congratulations! You have just hypnotized yourself.
This classic exercise shows just how easy—and powerful—hypnosis can be. It produces physical and emotional effects, so the applications are extensive. My practice focuses on helping people to lose weight, stop smoking, relieve stress and pain, and enhance performance in athletics, test-taking, or other demanding situations.
Addressing stress is a big part of many hypnosis programs. Why do we hold onto bad habits like smoking? Why do we continue to eat foods we know are not right for us? It almost always comes down to stress relief. There is some sort of emotional comfort or feeling of release we get. Some clients tell me that they are afraid to quit or that they don’t want to be disappointed by yet another weight loss program. Yet these same people marvel at the feeling of relaxation and self-confidence they experience with hypnosis. When Cathi Doherty quit smoking, she said, “I feel extremely in control and determined in a very relaxed way. I would recommend hypnosis for anyone that really would like to get rid of this demon.” Clients learn to develop new resources so that it becomes easier to behave differently. As another former smoker, Gary Rousey, shared: “I feel really at peace inside. Truth is, I would have spent $1,000 to feel this good!”
Hypnosis is a natural, enjoyable state of mind. We experience hypnosis daily, even with our eyes open—while driving, watching TV, daydreaming. Hypnotists emphasize that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. The person being hypnotized chooses to cooperate with the process. It’s a myth that a hypnotist can take over a person’s will. Instead, hypnosis is a powerful way to strengthen a decision to change, empowering you to do what you are willing to do.
If all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, why bother with a hypnotist? For one thing, a good hypnotist is like your favorite coach, helping you develop the skills you need to achieve peak results. Although hypnosis is a natural state, it must be properly directed. In daily life, people can be hypnotized into negative behavior by fear, shame, and other painful emotions. Context and intention make the difference in benefiting from this natural tendency of the mind to go into hypnosis.
For another thing, here’s a fascinating secret to the science of mind power: 1 + 1 does NOT equal 2. It’s actually 1 + 1 = 22 or 4. Having someone help you hold and direct the energy of your intentions intensifies that energy to fuel change. When you work with a skilled hypnotist, you amplify the power of your own abilities.
You feel terrible about it. You've tried to quite 300 times, and you feel like a total failure.
You know all the reasons you need to stop smoking. You've been lectured by your doctor. You can't walk up a flight of stairs without getting breathless. Your spouse complains about your bad breath, and your car and your clothes smell bad--okay, they stink--although you're fastidious about cleanliness.
And if that's not enough, you've read about smoking and aging. Leathery skin, yellow teeth, thin bones, are bad enough. Lung cancer and strokes are unthinkable.
When I was much younger, I worked in a hospital. It's hard to imagine a time when smoking was allowed in health care facilities, but there I was, sitting back comfortably in the break room, enjoying a mid-afternoon cigarette with a friend.
A young intern approached me. He was an affable fellow, and we worked well together, but today his brow was furrowed. His message was terse. He bent down and whispered: "Cigarettes kill."
What a card. What a kidder. I loved bantering with the guy. But the urgency in his voice stayed with me. His comment was no laughing matter.
I'm a healthy woman today. At 58, I exercise hard five times per week. Mid-afternoon breaks are still a deep pleasure, but cigarettes are happily absent.
How did it happen? I could tell you my story, but your story is the only one that matters.
It's commonly known that nicotine is one of the most addictive of substances. But here's the good news: Your body, your psyche, your whole being, craves health more than you crave cigarettes. Breaking through the craving crisis into a healthy, relaxed way of life, is no picnic, but it's possible. For anyone. For you.
What's hypnosis? Myths abound. Smoking, overeating, yelling at your kids, and heavy drinking supposedly go away like magic. Well, I'm here to tell you that hypnosis does work--and that no magic is needed.
You've probably experienced hypnosis already. If you've ever gotten absorbed in a good novel, missed your exit on the interstate, or lost track of time in a daydream, you're "suggestible." Hypnosis simply means settling down and entering into a state of deep relaxation in which you're profoundly open to new information and insight. It means being curious, and accessing a part of yourself that knows your innate right to be healthy.
So, if it's that simple, why go to a therapist? Good question. A quick answer is this: Cigarettes have likely been a source of great comfort, or you wouldn't be fighting the urge. A skilled hypnotherapist can companion and train you in learning better, more healthy, real sources of comfort. The journey into wellness is a journey into your deeper self--the self beneath the habits of thought and behavior that sabotage your best intentions.
Research shows that the human voice is more soothing than music. When you're flailing about trying to change your habits, a human voice can ease you through anxiety and pain. At one level, hypnosis provides the simple presence of a trustworthy voice, to help you through the rough times and replace the negative self-talk in your head.
But hypnosis is about other things. In each conversation, each statement that we make, there's usually a subtle embedded message. Behavioral therapists, for example, advise parents to focus on positive statements. "Be sure and remember your lunch box," is more powerful than "Don't forget your lunch box." Why? Because the unconscious loves encouragement. The unconscious loves positive messages so much that our children skip over the "Don't" part--and go straight to the "Forget your lunch box!" part.
So here's a start. Starting now, begin to say to yourself, "I'm a person who smokes." Not, "I'm a smoker. Try saying, "I've practiced quitting all kinds of times, on the road to learning to succeed." All kinds of self-judgment begin to torment us when we over- identify ourselves with our problems. And the unconscious hates judgment. Like your kid with the lunch-box, your psyche resists being labeled.
The unconscious hates to be bullied, but it loves a good bargain. Hypnosis is a way of learning to make bargains with yourself It's a way of patiently, step-by-step, learning to love yourself more deeply. And, if you're basically sane, you don't want to abuse anyone you love--especially yourself. (If you do want to abuse anyone, skip this article and get yourself to an Emergency Room. Hypnosis is not for you!)
We usually treat smoking in one to three sessions. Some people require more, and some require less. Why is it possible to change habits with short treatment? Again, there's no magic. But a good therapist can resonate with a healthy, soothing part of yourself that you might usually reserve for small children.
The small child within you deserves to breathe free. To be comforted in good healthy ways. To grow in your ability to feel strong and whole.
You deserve to--and you will-- look back fondly on the day when you first accepted the promise. Better health is yours for the asking. Hypnosis can help you to claim it.
By Michael Smith, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. October 23, 2007
MedPage Today Action Points
Explain to interested patients that this small study provides some data, previously lacking, on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy as a smoking cessation tool.
Note that this study suggests that hypnotherapy, combined with intensive counseling and frequent reinforcement, can result in about half of participants remaining smoke-free after six months.
This study was published as an abstract and presented orally at a conference. The data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed publication.
Review CHICAGO, Oct. 23 -- Smokers who've been hospitalized are more likely to quit if they're treated with hypnotherapy after discharge than with other smoking cessation methods, a researcher said here.
In a small study of patients hospitalized with a cardiopulmonary diagnosis, half of those given a hypnotherapy session after discharge remained smoke-free after six months, according to Faysal Hasan, M.D., of North Shore Medical Center in Salem, Mass.
In contrast, only one in four of those who preferred the cold turkey route stayed off tobacco and only 15.78% of those getting nicotine replacement therapy did, Dr. Hasan told attendees at CHEST 2007, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Those in the fourth arm of the 67-patient study got both hypnotherapy and nicotine replacement therapy and half of them managed to stay off tobacco at the six-month mark, he said.
"Hypnotherapy was pretty good," he said, but adding nicotine replacement appeared to make no difference.
But, Dr. Hasan said, the cessation program wasn't just a single session of hypnotherapy. All patients -- except those in the cold turkey arm -- were also given intensive counseling and six follow-up telephone calls for support and encouragement over the ensuing six months.
Those in the cold turkey arm were given brief counseling and sent home with anti-smoking brochures.
Dr. Hasan said he and colleagues decided to focus on hospitalized patients because "it's a teaching moment," when patients are likely to be highly motivated to quit.
The researchers attempted to randomize patients to one of the four treatment modalities, but patients were also allowed to express their own preferences. Most of those choosing to go cold turkey, for instance, were men, Dr. Hasan said.
While hypnotherapy enjoys a popular image as a good way to stop smoking, Dr. Hasan noted, the data are "all over the place." Success rates ranging from 15% to 80% have been claimed, but controlled studies are "very few" and results are varied, he said.
Interestingly, the study found, patients who were admitted with a cardiac diagnosis were more likely to remain tobacco-free at six months than those who had a pulmonary diagnosis, at 45.5% versus 15.63%.
Dr. Hasan said the "fear and doom" associated with a cardiac diagnosis might have increased the motivation to quit, and patients with a pulmonary diagnosis might have been less afraid.
It's striking how many patients ask about hypnotherapy, said Frank Leone, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, who moderated a press conference at which Dr. Hasan spoke.
"There's a sort of cultural mystique associated with hypnosis," he said.
The problem is that hypnotherapy ranges from large group sessions -- often offered at high cost to the public -- to small focused sessions, such as those used by Dr. Hasan and colleagues, he said.
"The variability of what people call hypnosis, to me, is the big underlying problem," said Dr. Leone, who was not involved in the study.
Dr. Hasan reported no financial links to industry or potential conflicts.
Primary source: CHEST Source reference: Hasan FM, et al "Hypnotherapy as an aid to smoking cessation of hospitalized patients: preliminary results" Chest Meeting Abstracts 2007; 132: 527a.
If your fear of heights is preventing you from doing the normal, everyday activities that you need and want to do, then hypnosis can help turn excessive fear into rational thinking. You can overcome the fear of heights through hypnosis, when you learn to draw out the more realistic and rational emotions and replace your fears with these thoughts.
A fear of heights is a sort of innate feeling that protects us from jumping off buildings or doing something where we might get hurt. When that self preservation turns into a crippling fear that we will fall, even in a safe environment such as inside a building, then it becomes what is known as acrophobia.
Hypnosis is used at bedtime when you are able to completely relax. This is important in overcoming the fear of heights, because when there is fear, there is agitation and anxiety. By putting yourself in a comfortable, safe situation, you are able to become relaxed and let the hypnosis work at removing the deep seeded fears from your sub-conscious mind.
It takes just a few weeks of hynotheraphy to undo even a lifetime of a fear of heights. Most people with a fear of heights can remember feeling this even a child. They may have not wanted to climb trees with the other kids or may have felt uncomfortable or anxious knowing they were going to have to go to the top of the bleachers during a game.
To learn more about using hypnosis to overcome a fear of heights, call (888) 865-1870.
Would YOU like my help with making powerful change in 2007 and living the life you deserve right NOW? Call us now (888) 865-1870.
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