Self-belief Archives - Welcome to Charlestown Hypnotherapy

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

A Startling Fact About Performance Anxiety

Choking under pressure is a common response whether you’re playing the lead in the
third grade Christmas play or giving an important business presentation.

Unfortunately, about 90% of people handle stressful situations poorly.
A recent experiment shows that getting excited works better than trying to calm down.
During a public singing contest, students were given various instructions. Those who
said, “I am excited,” scored an average of 81% compared to 69% for those who said, “I
am anxious,” and 53% for those who said, “I am calm.”

Learn how to use anxiety to your advantage when you’re in high stress situations.
These tips will help you to perform better even when your palms are sweating.
Encouraging Yourself to Get Excited

Remain fired up. It’s difficult to calm down when your body is on high alert.
Excitement is an easier state to capture when you feel anxious and your heart rate
is up.Distract yourself from self-doubts. You may have an interior monologue going
on criticizing what you’re saying or how you look. Divert your attention to
pleasant mental images or focus on the people around you.

Focus on the positive. Think about what you have to gain in the situation. Focus
on entertaining or helping your audience rather than worrying about forgetting
your lines or losing your job.

Generate flow. Put aside the outcomes for the moment. Lose yourself in the process. Enjoy what you’re doing for its own sake.

Rename your feelings. Tell yourself you’re excited. Your brain will like than better than being anxious.

Remember the benefits of anxiety. Anxiety has its positive side. It motivates us to take action. Without some anxiety, we would have little incentive to work or do anything challenging.

Additional Tips

Accept your feelings. Realize that anxiety is natural. Everyone experiences
uncertainty and wonders what will happen in the future. By some estimates,
about 20% of people report that their performance suffers when they feel
tense.
Seek long term peace. While it’s difficult to calm down on short notice, serenity
is still a worthwhile goal. Your mind and body need time to recover after
demanding experiences. Manage stress, get good quality sleep, and make time
for relaxation.
Evaluate advice. High anxiety makes people more likely to seek outside advice
and less likely to assess it accurately. Think before you follow someone else’s
recommendations. Consider how to adapt them to your own circumstances.
Engage in rituals. Even irrational practices can help. Many athletes hold onto
lucky bottle caps or wear a certain pair of socks. Find your own good luck charm!
Beware of manipulation. Unfortunately, researchers also found that anxious
people were more likely to attract advisors who would deliberately mislead
them. Be extra careful if you have any doubts.
Acknowledge genetics. There’s a strong hereditary basis for stress responses.
Some people are more physiologically sensitive. But, everyone can learn to
become more resilient.
Empathize with yourself and others. Anxiety is often confused with weakness.
While you’re learning to manage your emotions, give yourself credit for becoming
more adept. Encourage others who are going through similar struggles.
Seek professional advice. If anxiety is interfering with your life, there are
effective treatments. Talk with your doctor to see if medication or therapy may
be helpful.
You can make anxiety work for you. Just stop calling it anxiety and tap into your
excitement. You’ll feel better and enjoy more success.

July 8, 2021July 8, 2021

Can Changing Your Diet Really Help Anxiety?

^{Is it possible that Changing Your Diet Really Help Anxiety?}

Did you know that your diet can affect anxiety levels?

If you’re tired of only using medications for your anxiety, consider how you can incorporate lifestyle changes such as diet modifications to help.

As with any change you may be considering, talk to your doctor ahead of time about
any concerns you may have.

Try these diet strategies to help lessen anxiety symptoms:

Eliminate alcohol. Although there is a belief that alcohol can relax the body, it can be harmful for those with anxiety.

Alcohol affects the body in many ways, including making you more dehydrated. It can also affect hormone levels and other things that can lead to anxiety.
If you drink too much, you may not be eating enough food. Alcohol has a lot of calories and carbohydrates, but they’re not healthy. Not getting the right nutrition can hurt your entire body and increase anxiety. Avoid using alcohol as a substitute for lunch or dinner.

Experts point out that the toxins in alcohol can increase anxiety attacks.

Watch out for caffeine. It may not be easy to stop your coffee habit, and mornings may be more difficult. However, eliminating caffeine can help reduce anxiety.
Too much coffee can act like a stimulant for anxiety.
Coffee can increase your heartbeat and make you feel as if you’re having a panic attack.

Caffeine is addictive, so you may have trouble eliminating it at first. Pay attention to the hidden sources of caffeine such as dark chocolate and other products.

Beware of refined sugars. Refined sugars can make anxiety worse, and these sugars are hiding in many of the foods you may eat. These types of sugars are included in a variety of products. Carefully read labels to ensure that there are no refined sugars. Sugar acts like a stimulant, so your anxiety symptoms can increase.

Refined sugars can be in many things that you might not even suspect, including bagels, cereals, oatmeal, crackers, and other products. Evencanned vegetables may have unnecessary added sugar.

Get enough B vitamins. Research shows that a lack of B vitamins in your body can contribute to anxiety. Pay attention to how many B vitamins are in your diet. It’s easy to get a deficiency of these vitamins, so try to eat more legumes, meats, eggs, rice, leafy greens, and other sources of these nutrients. Consider eating more asparagus and avocado. Studies have revealed that these two vegetables can lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Avocado has B vitamins and asparagus has folic acid.

Look for your own triggers and eliminate them. You may have specific foods that trigger anxiety, so it’s important to determine which foods can negatively affect you in this way.
In some cases, the anxiety-triggering foods or beverages are linked to traumatic events. A difficult memory can rise to the surface after eating or drinking them, causing anxiety.

In other cases, food intolerances and allergies may cause anxiety. There are reports that show some people react to dairy, and it can mimic some of the symptoms of anxiety.
Many of the common triggers include dairy, gluten, processed foods, soda, and fried foods.

Keep a food journal and track how you feel after eating dairy, fried foods, or other things you suspect may be triggers. Make a note about your emotional well-being before and after eating each item. This will help narrow down the list and make it easier to see what food should go.

The food that enters your body can affect more than just the scales. It can also affect anxiety levels. Pay attention to what you eat each day and keep track of anxiety symptoms that manifest themselves after you eat certain foods.

If you require assistance to let anxiety go, call Charlestown Hypnotherapy.

July 6, 2021July 8, 2021

Action Guide – Managing Anxiety

When you’re feeling anxious or stressed, these strategies will help you cope:

‣ Take a time-out. Practice yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a massage, or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head.

‣ Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip any meals. Do keep healthful, energy-boosting snacks on hand.

‣ Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks.

‣ Get enough sleep. When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest.

‣ Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. Even a short walk can help.

‣ Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly.

‣ Count to 10 slowly. Repeat, and count to 20 if necessary.

‣ Do your best. Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn’t possible, be proud of your
accomplishments.

‣ Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in perspective: Is it really as bad as you think?

‣ Welcome humor. A good laugh goes a long way.

‣ Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

‣ Get involved. Volunteer or find another way to be active in your community, which creates a support network and gives you a break from everyday stress.

‣ Learn what triggers your anxiety. Is it work, family, school, or something else you can identify?

‣ Write in a journal when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, and look for a pattern.

‣ Talk to someone. Tell friends and family you’re feeling overwhelmed, and let them know how they can help you. Talk to a physician or therapist for professional help.

I understand that a lot of people have tried many of these things to no avail, which is why sometimes more help is needed.

Hypnotherapy is a wonderful way to stop anxiety. Call if you need help.

May 15, 2020December 22, 2020

Ways to start listening to your intuition.

If an opportunity appears or life is pushing you in a direction that you created. You created it, so why not step into it?

Some people struggle so much to stick with old habits and behaviours, they end up fighting against themselves. People have forgotten how to listen to their own intuition. Not knowing that their gut instinct is trying so hard to warn them. I often tell clients that people are so “Top Heavy” now. Just listening to their mind, they forget all about their second brain.

Technically known as the enteric nervous system. The second brain consists of sheaths of neurons. Embedded in the walls of the long tube of our gut, or alimentary canal. This measures about nine meters end to end from the esophagus to the anus. The second brain contains some 100 million neurons. More than in either the spinal cord or the peripheral nervous system. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain/

A primal connection exists between our brain and our gut.

We often talk about a “gut feeling” when we meet someone for the first time. We’re told to “trust our gut instinct” when making a difficult decision. Or that it’s “gut check time” when faced with a situation that tests our nerve and determination.

This mind-gut connection is not just metaphorical.

Our brain and gut are connected by an extensive network of neurons and a highway of chemicals and hormones. They constantly provide feedback about how hungry we are. Whether or not we’re experiencing stress. Or if we’ve ingested a disease-causing microbe. This information superhighway is called the brain-gut axis. It provides constant updates on the state of affairs at your two ends. That sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach after looking at your post-holiday credit card bill is a vivid example of the brain-gut connection at work.

Category: Self-belief