perma hypnotherapy

The Greatest Gift I Gave Myself in 2022 Was Self Improvement

With the Valentine’s Day hype now over, it’s a good time to reflect on the self-improvement gifts I give to myself. And how doing this benefits me hugely. My hope is that one day we normalise taking time for self-care. Instead of seeing it as laziness.

If you follow my blog, you will know in the past I struggled with my mental health. Mainly because I was super organised, controlling and pretty uptight. However, it’s clear now that underneath all that, I was an anxious wreck. And I certainly wasn’t a happy person. 

self improvement

It was time for a brain reset. Strangely my mental breakdown gave me this, in part. But obviously not in a healthy way. And I needed to, once and for all, align my habits and circumstances with what I truly wanted out of life.

Why I chose hypnotherapy

Although a series of life circumstances made me reassess my whole life, there was still something missing. I knew I didn’t want to seek out counselling or a therapist, as I had used these tools several times in the past. Some of it worked and some of it didn’t. The option of a life coach was considered. But when I settled on a hypnotherapy course, I basically got the whole package. A life coach, a guide, impactful meditation. And a range of tools to use in my life moving forward. This was a lifetime solution. And once you go through intense meditation sessions, your brain is permanently changed for the better. There is no going back, in the best way possible. 

Case study of our sessions

You might remember me posting on social media about Kevin, my therapist, writing a case study summarising our sessions together. It’s great to read through the progress we made. And I hope this will give you all an insight into how a hypnotherapy course can help you. 

Why not sign up to download the PDF document and read it? Maybe you are ready to begin your hypnotherapy journey… 

Read all the blog posts in my hypnotherapy series

Looking way back to my past self

Sometimes when you’re in the moment, you cannot stand back from the situation enough to use hindsight and make informed decisions about what happened. As a process, hypnotherapy doesn’t look too far back to your past self. The theory is that it doesn’t matter. And I agree with this.

However, I’ve recently been having a huge clear out of my camera roll (it’s a must as a blogger – all those TikTok videos take up a huge amount of space) and noticed a few things about who I was five years ago (I use the five-year mark because this is around when things started changing for me):

There were numerous helpful quotes saved to my phone, from social media. Now I try to be the one creating these images for other people.

I reflected on group photos with people who are no longer in my life. They were not on my wavelength and they were a total drain on my energy. Whilst I wish others well in life, I must surround myself with non-toxic people. I’ve learned, you don’t have to be everyone’s friend. And it’s okay that people are on totally different paths in life.

There were endless images of self-development notes I started writing. The inner work on myself began several years ago. I just didn’t realise it at the time. It wasn’t easy to comprehend where this journey would take me. I resigned myself to a life of stress because I genuinely thought that was how everyone lived.

Ultimately, a series of events which happened over the last five years would force me into changing my circumstances and myself, whether I liked it or not.

self improvement
Read more about my circumstances on this page

The impact of not aligning your goals, priorities, values and character traits

I now feel in synch, with my priorities, goals and how I live my life. Imagine planning a train journey. You book activities in Norfolk for a 7-day period, but your train is heading to Wales. You’re in the wrong place. heading in the completely wrong direction. That’s how I felt for years!

Imagine starting a construction job, but you don’t have the materials to begin the first stage. I felt like this daily – like a really important component of my life was missing! Like my life, the people around me, and how I was living, were totally out of sync with my goals. Once major changes happened in my circumstances, it was clear I still had old habits, which also didn’t match my circumstances. 

It was time for a brain reset. Strangely my mental breakdown gave me this, in part. But obviously not in a healthy way. And I needed to, once and for all, align my habits and circumstances with what I truly wanted out of life.

I will be honest and say, everyone, is a constant work in progress. There is always work to do on yourself and we as human beings, should never stop progressing.

Reflecting on my hypnotherapy journey

It’s now time for me to reflect on my hypnotherapy journey and summarise the benefits and what I learned. 

It’s important to note that since completing the course, I’ve been able to cement considerable changes in my life. I had started making progress on significant life changes before I met Kevin. However, the power of hypnotherapy in implementing lasting changes is the reason I am where I am today. 

These are the main differences in who I was before 

Be Intentional in everything I do

Set boundaries in ALL areas of my life

Say no when I need to protect my mental health

Value my time 

Be kind to self 

Experience joy daily

Practice gratitude

Consciously participate in fun activities with my toddler

Talk openly about emotions and problems in order to solve them

Help and guide others who may be feeling low

An example of how my life has transformed

A great example is my career, I spent 15 years in a stressful, demanding career and I genuinely thought everyone endured this level of stress. Turns out it wasn’t what everyone experienced in their working lives. During my hypnotherapy journey, I completely changed my career and finally pursued my passion for helping people. I put in a lot of work and successfully applied for two job roles. I am finally putting one of my main character traits and values top of the list – HELPING OTHERS!

I still have bad mental health days – just like everyone else

To clarify, I still have bad mental health days. If you follow me on TikTok you will know this. But how I deal with the bad days or weeks, is what makes a huge difference. And honestly, I wouldn’t be in a position to do that as well, without the tools the hypnotherapy course gave me. Resilience to deal with your life circumstances and challenges is the best gift I ever gave myself.

I approach each day now with a mindset of what can I achieve. What is the list for the day? Let’s smash this. I work hard, but no longer play hard. Our new family goal is watching the pennies, saving and planning for the future. 

Final Thoughts

I am so thankful I had the opportunity to go on this wonderful journey with Kevin. It’s the best thing that could have happened to me. And I truly believe that everything happens at the right time. Sometimes things come along that you really need. And this was one of them!

Have you tried hypnotherapy?

Is it something you’ve been thinking about trying?

Have you downloaded the case study yet? I would love to hear your comments on this below.

self improvement

Life Won’t Stop Throwing Challenges Our Way So The Key Is Mental Strength

AD / PR – please note – the sessions have been gifted in exchange for my honest thoughts about the process

The theme of mental strength came up in my latest Hypnotherapy session with Kevin. And it’s an important topic I want to explore a little more. 

The fight, flight, and fear responses are triggered by our primitive brain and is essentially a safety mechanism which was useful many years ago. It saved the lives of our ancestors. But is it fit for purpose in today’s modern world? 

I think it’s still useful, but the world has changed dramatically. Let’s be honest, in 2022 the world a scary place. The planet and its inhabitants are unstable and the feeling something bad could happen at any moment is anxiety-inducing in itself. 

Put aside the current condition of the world, and imagine only staying within your family circle. Keeping yourself locked away in your protective bubble. You will still face disagreements, loss, and hurt. There is no avoiding the fact that life will throw us a curve ball, at some point. And it’s only a matter of time. 

Rather than dwell on the fact this unpredictable moment is coming, I have chosen to strengthen my mind. So that, when this situation arises, I can respond and react differently. 

And it’s going really well, so far. I already feel better. But we have lots more work to do in order to build my mental strength. 

mental strength

Previous posts in this series

If you want to follow my hypnotherapy journey, you can check out the two posts below:

Achieving Personal Development – My Journey With Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy

A Powerful Concept – The Ability To Change Our Brain

Download my new workbook – a freebie designed to organise your busy life

Sign up

mental strength

Your reaction is a choice 

I know these words are true. But it isn’t as simple as just saying this sentence. I certainly don’t feel this way. Currently, I can’t fully control my response to situations that trigger me and this is why I need help to build my mental strength. The science behind hypnotherapy is hugely beneficial, to try to understand how it impacts my thinking (and therefore my behaviours).

At the moment, we are exploring tools to stop the moment anxiety gets out of control and assess the reaction. A lot of research says our reaction is often the thing which causes us the most distress, rather than the event itself. It’s our response to it which is problematic. Obviously in reality it isn’t as simple as this. And the research is more complex than I can explain. 

Your reaction is a choice 

I hope one day soon I will truly feel the full impact of these words and I can shout them from the rooftops. And fully take control of every reaction I have in life. That’s the goal!

Why choose a therapist to assist you in building mental strength?

There are some people out there who believe you can read a book, or watch YouTube videos to become an expert, I was previously one of them. However, some experiences you need to be guided through. Especially when we are talking about accessing and changing the subconscious mind.

Hypnotherapy is about understanding how the brain works. Knowledge is power. But there is a lot to learn and this can only be done properly by taking it one step at a time. In this respect, weekly or fortnightly sessions provide enough time to consume the information and provide meaning.

I have to put the work in!

Kevin provides me with tools to do my own work. He’s like a guide. How much of the reading I choose to do in between sessions and how many trance recordings I practice in my own time, is completely up to me.

The work we complete during the sessions is also dependent on my life circumstances and the people around me and how I form relationships. We are also looking at the problems I currently face in being able to fully thrive as a person.

Final thoughts

I think people often go to therapy thinking someone will fix them (I did in the past) but change doesn’t happen without the individual wanting to make a change and working to do it. 

If you want to start your journey of change, you can book a FREE discovery call with Kevin here.

WANT TO WORK WITH ME

Check out a summary of my blog stats, the brands I have worked with and recent feedback I’ve received.

For collaborations, or any other queries you can contact mummyconqueringanxiety@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

A Powerful Concept – The Ability To Change Our Brain

AD / PR – please note – the sessions have been gifted in exchange for my honest thoughts about the process

Throughout this post, I want to introduce you to a powerful concept. In the past, I have looked into neuroplasticity and how the brain functions. But I only scratched the surface. My latest hypnotherapy session provided a comprehensive overview of the brain model: essentially how the brain functions according to its different parts. And more importantly, how this can impact our automatic responses to stressful situations.

The information Kevin provided me with blew my mind. Pun intended! Talking through how the brain functions react during panic attacks and how you pick up bad habits, which then become programmed responses, really resonated with me. It’s how I’ve lived for the past 15 years. But this type of solution-focused hypnotherapy asks you not to dwell on the past. It’s time to use it as a lesson and move forward. To a better, brighter future.

powerful concept

The brain model 

Understanding the brain model made me think about the mechanisms at play when my anxiety levels rise. It also makes me feel less guilty about the flight or fight reactions I experienced in the past. Another benefit is it definitely makes me feel more sympathetic towards anyone else showing their emotions through anger. There is always an underlying reason behind someone’s behaviour. When talking about toddler tantrums recently, someone said to me “all behaviour is communication” and it’s so true. 

Knowing my brain just reacts in a certain way, which is beyond my control, and this happens so fast before your logical brain can kick in, allows me to view anxiety differently. I now feel empowered with this knowledge and I feel like I have the building blocks to move forward.

perma hypnotherapy
Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash

Kevin as a therapist 

We visit a particular therapist because they make us feel at ease and Kevin certainly does that. The way he uses humour to break up heavy topics helps me immensely. Similarly, I feel comfortable going through the trance part of the session with him. His voice is very soothing and it was an enjoyable experience to completely switch off. Something I feel I haven’t achieved for a while.

Summary

What I love about these sessions is the onus that the work is done by me and only I have the power to change things. The therapist is there to guide you. The weekly homework is there so I can put into practice what I’ve learned. It was great to read through the information he sent and also try a few of the trance recordings for myself.

It is important to note, that although I don’t expect a quick fix, I am certain this journey will improve how I respond to life circumstances. I have started on level one of my building and although I have a way to go, I am starting to walk the path to a more fulfilled life.

In every area of life, understanding what is happening to us and why helps. Knowledge is power!

To book a free discovery call with Kevin, visit this page. Kevin can also be reached via Perma Hypnotherapy and directly at kevin@permahypnotherapy.co.uk

powerful concept

Using Self Hypnosis To Achieve Life Goals – Perma Hypnotherapy

AD – long-term collaboration/series of blog posts

I will soon be coming to the end of my Hypnotherapy course. What a journey it’s been. 

I feel totally transformed as a person, and I wanted to provide a further update on where I am. Both with my self hypnosis skills and my current life situation. Read on for more details about Perma Hypnotherapy and how to book your therapist!

self hypnosis

I don’t recognise the person I am now. But I am so happy to meet this new version of myself. And my only intention now is to keep progressing in life. Dealing with stress when it arises and becoming resilient to the challenges life throws our way.

Hard work pays off

To clarify, this journey has been long, enjoyable, difficult at times and emotionally exhausting. You can’t expect to change your subconscious brain, or master self hypnosis, without an impact on your emotional energy. This is the nature of inner work. It takes time and effort to make significant changes.

However, regular breaks in between sessions and a whole heap of self-care have helped. 

Booking a therapist 

Should you decide now is the time to improve your life, I recommend having a therapist to guide you. It enables boundaries to be set, a slow, methodical approach to the work you are doing. Agreed sessions help me to remain focused and accountable. 

Also, the wealth of knowledge I’ve been given by Kevin just isn’t something I could have picked up from Google or textbooks. I wouldn’t know where to look. I think it’s important to have a qualified guide who can adapt the work you do, to your individual needs.

Following this great course, I now have the tools I need to move forward with self-hypnosis.

Self hypnosis

Practice makes perfect, in any area of life. Now I’m at the end of the process, I’ve cut down my meditation time, from 40 minutes to just six. Which means I can still fit it in around a busy lifestyle. More importantly, I’ve taught myself a technique for reducing the stress life causes. 

Recent past VS future self

The Perma model is all about looking to the future and creating the version of ourselves which serves us best. One of the exercises we completed was looking at a recent past image and also a happy one I could envision for the future. During my sessions, I had the recent past image of too many things going around in my head and being overwhelmed. Then a really happy memory had been playing with a balloon with my little one at soft play.

I wanted to create a visual – and you can see the difference…

self hypnosis

I am actively creating a happy image whenever I can fit in family time and memory-making. But I am under no illusions about the reality of anxiety. It will always be here. It’s a mechanism that can help people, with me it just needs a bit of control. Something I am now equipped to do moving forward.

Life update 

From an anxious, nervous wreck, to a more confident person. I’ve applied for another job position I’ve wanted to do for a while. Really, it’s my dream job and means the career change I made back in May was the correct decision and has led me to this point.

From where I was mentally and career-wise, this is huge progress. I am proud of myself. Something I’ve probably never said before! Ever.

Final thoughts

Finally, my wants and desires are lined up with my priorities and goals. All because I am being open and honest, putting the work into myself and finally standing up and taking the opportunities I want. 

I don’t recognise the person I am now. But I am so happy to meet this new version of myself. And my only intention now is to keep progressing in life. Dealing with stress when it arises and becoming resilient to the challenges life throws our way.

perma hypnotherapy

Perma Hypnotherapy – The Reward of Transformation Is Worth the Struggle

“Yes, your transformation will be hard. Yes, you will feel frightened, messed up and knocked down. Yes, you’ll want to stop. Yes, it’s the best work you’ll ever do.”

Robin Sharma

AD / PR – please note – the sessions have been gifted in exchange for my honest thoughts about the process

My recent struggles

I haven’t had a great time over the last few weeks. We’ve had yet another sickness bug in the house. On top of this, I’ve felt burnout, stress and depression. Whilst I am now starting to look back on the situation with hindsight, a few weeks back I was in the midst of serious brain fog. And I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Negative thoughts started creeping back in and I was in self-destruct mode for a short time. I am currently in the midst of transformation and didn’t expect a setback.

Transformation

Self-care requires constant maintenance

It’s a great reminder that I will never really be free of anxiety or stress. None of us will. And the vital part is self-maintenance. Like physical self-care, mental well-being is something we must stay on top of. 

Transformation isn’t sweet and bright. It’s a dark and murky, painful pushing. An unravelling of the untruths you’ve carried in your body. A practice in facing your own created demons. A complete uprooting, before becoming.

Victoria Erickson

The techniques I am learning

The techniques I am learning in my solution-focused hypnotherapy course, centre around emptying your stress bucket regularly. I’ve experienced the catastrophic implications of not doing this. And I intend to never return to that place again.

Recognising the self-destruct feeling

Lately, I was feeling, reckless, and rebellious and was starting to pay attention to the negative thoughts inside my head. Now this phase has mostly passed, I am able to look back with logic and say my relationships weren’t the greatest. In our house, there was no priority on genuine communication, which eventually has consequences. This, coupled with stress, burnout and physical illness, isn’t a good combination.

I felt like you might just before something great happens. Ever felt totally anxious or flat before an exam, driving test, or a change of some kind? I feel like these growing pains are a sign, that change is happening. And I have to ride it out and continue.

How is my hypnotherapy course going?

I am now halfway through my hypnotherapy sessions. During the trance parts we are initiating change directly with my subconscious mind, therefore I don’t consciously know some of these changes are happening. As quite a controlling person, it’s an adjustment period for me.

Transformation is difficult for a reason

If the transformation was easy, we would all just say one positive sentence to ourselves and that would be the end of it. How dangerous would this be for anyone susceptible to negative thinking though? it could easily go the other way. We have to work hard to implement lasting change.  

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.

Lao Tzu

Final thoughts

In this update, I wanted to be honest about how things have been going with me. To be honest and say that transformation can be a struggle.

BUT it is worth your time and effort – keep going.

Ready to start your transformation journey? Book a free discovery call with Kevin.

perma hypnotherapy

Let’s Talk About Character Strengths And How They Can Be Used To Our Advantage 

Perma Hypnotherapy – AD – long-term collaboration/series of blog posts

My hypnotherapy sessions so far

These blog posts, following my sessions are literally me providing a snippet of what I’ve learnt each week. It’s a slow process and I don’t have the complete picture yet. But I’m getting there. Building on my existing character strengths is helping.

The top nine character strengths on my list were no surprise to me. I am completing my homework, which delves deeper into your character strengths and what they mean. The learning parts of these sessions are so interesting, and then we put them into practice, with homework and pre-recorded trance sessions.

A few things occurred to me whilst completing this exercise on character strengths:

  • I was sad because, during the period of burnout from work and my subsequent mental breakdown, I showed none of these character strengths at all.
  • I’ve said the words before “I was a shadow of myself” but reading about these traits in depth made me feel it. Doing this work reaches your subconscious and allows you to access parts of your brain which were unreachable before. Naturally, this can be revealing and also quite emotional.
  • For a long time, I’ve questioned why my mental health turned for the worse and whether it was my fault. I think it’s human nature to assign blame, but that’s also a pretty narrow-minded view. And I realise that – I always have. 

Why I started these sessions

When I started these sessions, I said I was searching for answers because a piece was missing, and I wasn’t able to be fully happy. There was still a part of me that was stuck, even though I have dramatically changed my life recently. 

Let’s rewind for a second to one month after my mental breakdown – this is what I wrote on that day:

I never want to return to this place, and the key is building mental strength and resilience.

Character strengths

The character assessment I was asked to complete is the VA institute on character test. However, I did it before when I was younger, because I remember all the questions. That said, it’s been over 15 years since I’ve been able to provide any real meaning to it. 

Read my earlier posts in this series

Achieving Personal Development – My Journey With Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy 

A Powerful Concept – The Ability To Change Our Brain

Life Won’t Stop Throwing Challenges Our Way So The Key Is Mental Strength

Why are character strengths important?

What if we could learn how to see and appreciate our and others’ strengths rather than being debilitated by a weakness focus? How would that positively impact resilience, well-being, achievement, and life satisfaction? How might that help us rise to the challenges we face? Truly wise people—individuals, parents, teachers, coaches, and leaders—create the conditions for themselves and others to genuinely flourish. Developing an awareness of these strengths helps us to focus on “what’s strong” instead of on “what’s wrong.”

VA Institute on character

Reflections

I honestly can’t wait to jump back on the laptop and go through the rest of my character traits. This journey is exhilarating and exciting. I look forward to embracing the new version of myself at the end of it. 

We are all a work in progress and therefore we should shout from the rooftops about our progression. I hope this series emphasises that.

Final thoughts

I believe we are all on a journey. Relationships, learning experiences and growth come to us at the right time. Maybe when we are willing to acknowledge the areas we need to grow in. 

If you’re ready to start your journey to well-being, book a free discovery call with Kevin today. 

perma hypnotherapy