Your brain may be 40,000 thousand years old but have you updated it yet?

Did you know that the modern shape of your brain may be 40,000 years old? OK, I don’t mean your particular brain but all our brains are working on “coding” that was developed to keep us safe in the jungle! Happy Brain

This means that in many daily situations your brain and mine will often choose the fastest route to “keep you safe” even though our more modern thinking brain (prefrontal cortex) is crying out that we should use more logical options.

An important part of my work is developing simple ways my clients can take some control over their own autonomic (automatic) nervous system. This helps us make better and healthier decisions, helps us have better relationships with ourselves and the world around us and helps us feel safer and more supported in our own lives.

So here is something you can do whenever you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with thoughts and worries that you would like at least to quieten down in your own mind.

Just imagine how you might react if someone is talking absolute nonsense about something that you know is not true. You might not want to offend them but you would more than likely raise your eyes to the ceiling wouldn’t you? These eye movements instantly make powerful changes in the brain that help engage our logical thinking cortex.

Now why not do the same for thoughts that are not supporting you. Remember, in the jungle we need to be able to make a very quick exit if a predator is about to attack us. That protective part of the brain is programmed to instantly “kick in” if we are in danger. Unfortunately the old system is in effect still using the original software in all situations. It does not distinguish between a mild irritation or a life threatening situation.

So, any time you find yourself getting into a spiral of needless worry just rapidly move your eyes towards your forehead in just the same way. This is taking you out of your primal mind and into your rational mind.

Two or three strong upward looks toward the forehead will begin to dislodge the old pattern that previously put you into “fight or flight” mode every time you thought about it. With those three upward looking glances we are triggering ourselves into a different part of our nervous system and connecting to the “new” part of the brain.

Have a bit of fun with this as you continue to help reprogramme your “unconscious thinking cues” into a different and healthier set of responses.

You will find more information on my work as a Hypnotherapist, NLP and EFT practitioner at www.rogerfoxwell.co.uk and also please do explore my channel on YouTube

Is Dyslexia just fear and stress?

No, dyslexia is not just fear and stress however fear and stress are a large part of the issue. If fear and stress and past trauma are left unresolved the stress and psychological damage of dyslexia will be left lodged deeply in the mind and the body. This will then be consistently blocking attempts to help resolve the issue. Dyslexia

There are different levels of dyslexia as well as different forms. Fortunately there are many ways to help people with dyslexia improve their reading and writing skills with many well qualified clinicians with the appropriate skills to help.

Now a hypnotherapist is not necessarily versed in the various forms of dyslexia and available scientific treatments but one thing hypnotherapy can do is help clear past trauma and stress. The skills of a good professional hypnotherapist can significantly help clients relax and control their stress issues. Clients come to see me with many different issues and along with dyslexic clients regularly make more progress in two or three sessions than they have in their lifetime. How? By learning how to control their own autonomic (automatic) nervous system when in states of stress.

This helps dyslexic clients gain so much more control over their mental processes, confidence and clarity of thinking. I have seen quite remarkable changes in clients in their 50’s, who have just about managed to negotiate their lives with this almost crippling issue to university students whose whole process and speed of learning was significantly uprated in just two sessions within a fortnight.

How is this the case? In my experience as a therapist virtually all the issues I help clients with start with unresolved stress and trauma. Our logical prefrontal cortex will be overpowered every time by our mammal brain which is continually looking out for danger.

This part of our brain is literally 4 times stronger than our logical thinking brain (the prefrontal cortex). It’s primary purpose was to keep us safe when our ancestors were living in the jungle. And once it kicks in we will either revert to Fight or Flight, or Freeze mode.

In fight or flight we are literally thrown into a full defensive state of cortisol and adrenaline. This is required to prevent us from getting killed. Although that state will help us flee from a tiger it is definitely not going to help our brain access fine motor skills and clarity of thinking. On top of that the whole system might go into in freeze (where we are in effect feigning dead) in the hope that the predator will exit the chase and leave us alone. At this point we have no access to any higher thinking process whatsoever.

Yes, these are the basic responses we needed in the jungle and they are extremely powerful. But unless we can begin to take some control over our own autonomic nervous system we will forever be bounced around with no degree of control over the outcome.

This is why I help clients with Dyslexia and many other issues take back control over their own thoughts and feelings in what were very uncomfortable situations. This is the first step in moving forward and once more accessing our logical and organised thinking processes.

For more information please contact me at rogerfoxwell.therapy@gmail.com or visit

www.rogerfoxwell.co.uk

“Look Up” and change your life

If you are a Snoopy fan, and I doubt there are many of us that aren’t, one of my favorites is a picture of Snoopy, head raised towards the sky with the words “keep looking up…that’s the secret of life”. Look Up

This is so true on all levels. When we look up we are opening our panoramic vision and when we open our panoramic vision we are engaging our parasympathetic nervous system. This switches our nervous system over from a closed, guarded body and mind state to an open and relaxed state of safety.

One thing we never have to worry about is whether or not our fight and flight will kick in whenever we need it. That part of us is hardwired into the system and is always ready to protect us if, and when we need it. The problem comes when we want to move easily between our relaxation state, into fight and flight, and then back again. Our primal brain will easily override our logical thinking cortex which explains why it is very hard to THINK our way out of these negative thinking and experiences.

However the simple change from physically looking down to actually looking up will trigger a whole chain of neurons and brain chemicals that will instantly take us closer to the state of relaxed awareness we would like to be in most of the day.

By consciously triggering this “looking up” and engaging your panoramic vision you will literally be tuning into a lighter, brighter more engaged part of yourself. You will be changing billions of neurons and connections with one simple adjustment.

According to Peter Grunwald’s excellent book EYEBODY 60% of the brain is involved in visual processing. This means our eye movements are continually connecting with virtually every part of our body and mind.

So, to make subtle and powerful changes in your daily life just –

“LOOK UP”

For more information on my therapy work using Hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Technique, Eye Movement Reprocessing with remarkably simple but empowering techniques to help reprogramme your life please visit my website

www.rogerfoxwell.co.uk

Hot Water bottle for adrenal release and relax

Hot water bottle/ Heated pad for tension and adrenal release/relax

In this post I will be giving a few pointers on how important it is to be aware of what our adrenal glands are doing. How we treat our adrenals can have an important bearing on our health.

A major part of the work the adrenals do is to regulate our metabolism, our immune system, stress response and blood pressure.  Hot water bottle

When the adrenals are over stimulated for long periods of time we can suffer from fatigue, thinning hair, low sex drive, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and more. So if we have spent our lives in a high state of stress as many of my clients have, the adrenals will have been relentlessly working on full throttle 24 hours a day.

There are many ways to reduce stress, and as a professional hypnotherapist, in my experience one of the very best and effective ways to do this is hypnosis. However, just one modality will not necessarily cure everything because both the body and mind are interconnected. So to do any worthwhile healing we should also work on the physical aspects as well.

An extremely simple (and comfortable) way to help your tired adrenals relax is to place a hot water bottle or warmed pad on your back while sitting or in bed.

Remember if your adrenals have been switched on flat out for many years just giving them some warmth and respite may be just what they need to help you start your programme of healing and relaxation.

Just by placing the hot water bottle roughly in line with the lowest part of the front ribs should help quieten the flight and fight response and pave the way to getting the whole system into a healthy state of balance.

This post should not be taken as a medical guide. Always consult your medical provider.

Focus your attention and stop those Negative Thoughts in their Tracks

Negative Thinking Negative thinking is a primal programme hard wired for us to look out for danger in the jungle. If we were in the jungle and not looking out for danger 24 hrs a day we wouldn’t be there for very long would we!

However we’re not in the jungle now BUT we are in a different jungle. A jungle that is often throwing stress and anxiety at us all day long.

This everyday barrage of worry and panic is extremely bad for us both physically and mentally.

So how can we change this without having to spend five years on the psychotherapist’s couch?

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When it’s safe and convenient to do try this

Just begin walking around your room in a circle looking at the floor, head down and letting your mind wander with the usual nonsense and rubbish that seems to be washing around in our heads most days.

As you do this notice what sort of thoughts and feelings are bouncing around in your head. Ask yourself are they of any real any value? Notice your body posture.

Now, stop where you are for a few seconds and lift your head up a little. Set your eyes looking ahead with a little more focus than you might normally have while noticing your eyebrows slightly lifting at same time.

Continue to do another couple of circuits and become aware of the changes in your body, feelings and thoughts.

Where are the negative thoughts??

Most likely virtually gone!!

You have focused your attention in a different place and with a different energy.

This is very subtle but very powerful and all you have to do is just “check in” and put this into practise every now then during the day.

It will soon become automatic and you will find the old pattern of constant negative thoughts becoming much quieter. This will leave you free to experience an easy natural everyday relaxation and a much more positive focus in your life.

Isn’t that what we are all looking for?

If you would like to find out more about how I offer clients, online & one to one, remarkably simple but powerfully effective ways to help positively change their lives for ever please visit:

www.rogerfoxwell.co.uk Hypnotherapy, EFT, Eye Movement Change work, NLP, Holistic counselling

SMILE

What happens to the brain and body when we smile?

What happens to anxiety and stress when we smile?

When we smile we instantly generate a happy flood of “feel good” brain chemicals. Neuropeptides that relieve stress and anxiety, neurotransmitters such as serotonin (an antidepressant) and endorphins that are pain relievers are all instantly activated, giving the whole body and mind a quick, smiley happy workout!  Smile Lady

And these are just a few of the positive changes the body makes for us.

As we grow older we are less likely to smile as much as we used to. However each time we smile we will appear more friendly and reliable and people will find us more attractive. They are also more likely to mirror our smile back to us which makes everyone feel good.

Now we don’t even have to generate a huge grin to get these benefits. Just an almost microscopic lifting of the edges of the lips will set off this natural cascade of “happy” chemicals.

And the people around us will very likely be unconsciously joining in with their own smiles.

To feel the benefits all you need to do is to engage your facial muscles with a little outward stretching of the mouth and a little pulling up of the cheek muscles.

Well you don’t need me to tell you how to do that do you!?” 😃

This is so simple and is something vitally important to our physical and mental well being. A tiny magical move that brightens up our own lives and also everyone around us.

Just “check in” with it every now and then throughout the day and enjoy the difference.

For more information on Hypnotherapy, EFT and EMDR and how I help clients achieve their goals and improve their lives please email or call and I will be very happy to discuss how I could help you .

HELP! Racing Heart? Panic? Anxiety? Stress? Tinnitus? Etc…..

Learn to breathe much more efficiently to help control and relieve these and other mind/body issues

Disclaimer: Always seek professional medical advice to check your state of health

The way we breathe plays a massive part in our physical and mental health and it will be very difficult to solve the above and many other issues effectively if we are not breathing correctly. The majority of clients who come to see me with stress, anxiety or panic attacks are (obviously) still breathing but not correctly! Anxiety Stress

If you watch a baby breathing you will see how easy and natural it looks. However, as we grow up, life gets in the way with a disappointment here and a knock there, and over time that continues to build up leaving us in the fight and flight state, looking for danger at every corner.

This is a heavy drain on our resources and over time wears us out, exacerbating the tension in the body and leaving us physically and mentally exhausted.

Breathing correctly is paramount to our health so here is a simple way to learn how to do it much more efficiently.

I would suggest to at first practise this lying down, soles of your feet flat on the floor, knees pointing upwards and a cushion under your head.

If we first try this sitting or standing we can become confused because the connection between brain and body has been slowly getting lost over time. Lying on the floor means we can’t move our shoulders and the brain /body can relearn the natural breathing pathways and muscular connections.

THE SEQUENCE

So, lying on the floor or bed, when you feel comfortable in this position place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest just below the collarbones.

Now we get to the part that seems so simple but can take a few days to get used to especially if we have been upper chest breathing and not using the lungs efficiently.

Take a slow breath in and notice what moves.

If correct you will start the breath from your belly and your lower hand will move up. If not you will be lifting the shoulders and breathing only into the upper part of the chest and only the hand on your chest will rise.

Now focus on your belly and push in and out a few times with your abdomen muscles.

Now using those muscles breathe deeply in as if all the air is going into your belly. It’s not air but the diaphragm pushing down and making more space for the lungs to fill with air.

Do this a few times to get that new sequence working.

With a little practise you won’t need to think about your abdomen muscles, they will strengthen and work simply as the diaphragm moves down and the organs move out of the way to give more space.

The next part brings the ribcage into play.

From the same position “breath half the air into the belly” and then continue to breathe in the rest of the air into the chest without raising the shoulders. Notice what is happening as the air physically fills the lungs. As the lungs expand so will the ribcage expand at which point you will feel the hand on your chest moving up with each breath.

The more you get a feel for this the more you will feel the ribcage expanding not just at the front but also through the sides and back.

Keeping your hand on your belly, experiment by moving the top hand and touch the side of your ribcage. Now as you breath in and out you will feel the ribs expand at the side of your chest.

Practise this in bed on the floor only for a minute or two each day until you get used to it but you will soon find that this sequence will become natural and you will be doing it without thinking.

I hope you find this useful and if you would like more tips on improving your lifestyle please follow me on YouTube.

www.rogerfoxwell.co.uk

Hypnotherapy.EFT. Holistic Counselling. NLP. Eye Movement Reprocessing and much more

 

Relax with this Simple, Powerful, Rapid Self Hypnosis Sequence

 Disclaimer. Only use in a safe place, not when driving or operating anything that requires your full attention.

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Having an easy and quick way to relax, whether in bed or during the day, is invaluable for our physical and mental health. This sequence is designed to help anyone relax the body and allow the mind to follow.  Self Hypnosis

You can use it to get into a positive creative state and give yourself affirmations, or just enjoy a calm relaxing state for however long you want.

To begin find a comfortable place sitting or lying down and take a few moments to settle yourself.

Close your eyes

Start by quietly paying attention to your breathing for a few moments. Then begin relaxing the body in the order below or in any way that suits you.

I put it together in this order so each group of two has a connection with each other and with the next group.

You may like to run through the order in your head a few times to become familiar with it.

Hands and Feet

Toes and Fingers

Forearms and Lower legs 

Head and Shoulders

Chest and Heart

Abdomen and Hips

Then with each group, saying to yourself simple phrases such as:

My hands and feet “are relaxing”

My hands and feet “are feeling heavy”

My body is “enjoying this sense of relaxation”

My fingers and toes are “warmer and warmer”

My head and shoulders are feeling “heavier and heavier”

I am feeling more “comfortable and relaxed”

My chest “moves comfortably and easily with each breath”

My heart is “relaxing and beating comfortably”

It is safe for me to “let go completely”

OR     you can just use the word “Relax” each time

Continue with your phrases and repeat each sequence as many times as you like with whatever variations feel comfortable for you.  You can use the example phrases or make up your own relaxing phrases as you go along.

When you feel comfortably relaxed you can just continue to enjoy how you feel or use some appropriate positive affirmations for your creative mind to work on.

You can do this in bed to help get to sleep either on your back or on your side. I also like to use it to  practise lying still. Being able to lie quietly if you have trouble sleeping will help a lot and if you feel you want to move it is a good idea to do so slowly. The brain is constantly wanting to be “on the move” but that doesn’t help us when we want to relax.

Then you can either continue into sleep or when you are ready give yourself the signal “My eyes are opening and I return to full conscious waking awareness”.

Open your eyes, wide awake.

I hope you enjoy this and do contact me if you would like to know more about my work.

 

 rogerfoxwell.therapy@gmail.com    www.rogerfoxwell.co.uk

 

Do you struggle with imposter syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome

How Hypnotherapy can help imposter syndrome

Although the term imposter syndrome sounds like the title of a Netflix movie it certainly does not bring anything like that to mind if you are someone that suffers with it.

Imposter syndrome is a state of mind where people don’t believe that the talents and abilities they have are real, that they are a fraud and will get caught out sooner or later. However skilled they are at their job, however high their celebrity status they feel that they are an imposter who will soon be exposed for the inadequacy of their knowledge and abilities. This is a psychological phenomenon that has no grounding in the reality. In fact we all know of people who may be totally unaware of the inadequacy of their skills yet have no idea that this is the case.

High profile personalities such as Kate Winslett, Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama have all admitted to suffering from imposter syndrome and I have worked with very successful business people who, however far up the ladder they may climb always have the feeling that they will be “found out”.

Low self esteem and high anxiety are just two of the symptoms and we all know how uncomfortable it must be to live with those feelings following one around all day.

However it is not necessarily a difficult issue to release with the right treatment. As I often say telling ourselves to “feel good”, “snap out of it” really doesn’t work since our cognitive mind won’t readily accept the message. Using the unconscious creative mind is much simpler and very effective.

What are the best ways to engage the unconscious mind? Hypnotherapy and Emotional Freedom Technique are two of the best tools I know to help release messages that have been lodged in our psyche and seem to be immune to whatever we throw at them. Since these thoughts were seeded in the mind unconsciously it makes sense to use the unconscious to “unseed” them.

Hypnosis helps quieten the conscious allowing it to step aside and let the mind create the new scenarios and feelings that we would like to experience and deserve. EFT can rapidly put us into “free association” where we can channel and get in touch with the true feelings of self esteem and worth that we deserve. No need for 5 years on the psychiatrist’s couch when this can successfully be turned around in two or three sessions.

Can Hypnotherapy, EFT and EMDR help the yips?

Hypnotherapy EFT

In 2016, winner of 4 Majors and 300 top ten finishes,world famous golfer Ernie Els took six putts to get the ball in the hole at the Masters.

What was his problem? He had a bout of the Yips.

The yips is a golfing term that is usually but not always part of a putting problem whereby any golfer, pro or amateur can have the profoundly disturbing experience of finding the putter being “unconsciously wrenched from it’s intended path” and colliding with the ball in a completely different direction to the one intended.

However it’s not just golfers who can suffer from this experience but snooker players, musicians, darts and bowls players are just a few of the professionals and amateurs who can suddenly find all the delicately honed practice they have done becoming completely unstuck when they attempt to execute that important movement they have been practicing for a lifetime.

Scottish golfer Tommy Armour described the yips as “a brain spasm that impairs the short game” although once a player starts to experience this it is not unusual for it to take root in other parts of their game as well. Even Tiger Woods went through a rough patch with what appeared to be this issue with his short game chipping at one time.So what is going on? Well there are various theories and all I think, have some truth in them.

1/ The brain in effect sends a contradictory message to the body like a “short” across an electrical connection.

2/ That it is caused by anxiety.

3/ It is a form of “Focal Dystonia” a neurological condition that causes involuntary muscular contractions.

As a hypnotherapist it is important for me to look at all the possible reasons and circumstances that are causing the issue but at the end of the day everyone is different. Working on the yips with golfers, bowlers, rifle competitors and snooker players etc. my aim is to find each individual’s unique problem whether a misfire in the “electrical system”, a lack of confidence and/or the remnants of some past experience that has lodged itself in the nervous system. And even all three.

Using a powerful range of trance based tools such as Hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Technique, NLP and EMDR, has given me marvelous and empowering tools that have helped so many clients find the way forward with this issue while still fine tuning this work to an individual’s internal thinking and experience of themselves. And that’s when the changes take place. If you would like to know more please visit my website rogerfoxwell.co.uk Sessions are available online, by phone, and at my office in Glasgow, Scotland