Need More Motivation?

As we start 2008, how many of you made New Year resolutions?

And how any of you made resolutions at the beginning of 2007 but didn't stick to them?

We all start out with good intentions. For some it's about wanting to stop smoking in 2008. For others maybe it is to do more exercise in order to lose some of that extra weight put on over the Christmas holidays. Or perhaps to start a new hobby. It doesn't matter what it is, unless you've go enough motivation it ain't going to happen.

I think it was from Tony Robbins that I first heard of the "Pain - Pleasure" principle. And that's just a reworking of the "Carrot -Stick" principle. The basic premise is that people move towards doing things they get pleasure from and move away from doing things they get pain from.

So, for example, let's suppose you used to drive into work each day. Driving took slightly less time than going by train, and while driving you used to listen to your favourite radio programme. Then one day they started major roadworks on the road you used to take to work. So your journey took twice as long. And you'd have to get up an hour earlier and the car journey was less pleasurable. Consequently the motivation to travel to work by train instead of car was increased!

When clients come to see me because they want to break old habits (whether it be smoking, overeating, drinking too much alcohol etc) I know that they already have some motivation to change, otherwise they wouldn't be there. However their motivation isn't strong enough to counteract the behaviour they've been doing for many years; a habit that is ingrained in their subconscious minds.

However by using the client's reasons for either wanting to break the habit or for becoming more motivated at starting a new habit, I can help the client re-programme their mind for success.

So, for example, in a stop smoking hypnotherapy session one of the things we do is to associate great feelings of happiness with saying "No" to cigarettes and tobacco. We also get the client to imagine they are standing at a fork in the road of their lives, and to choose which road to go down. The road on the left is the road of misery and pain they would take if they were to carry on smoking and the road on the right the road of health and success as non-smokers.

We all have the abilty to become more motivated. For more details just e-mail us at info@hypnoticsolutions.co.uk

National Guild of Hypnotists Prepares for Record Attendance at Convention

The National Guild of Hypnotists expects the largest attendance ever this August (2007) at its annual convention.

For the twentieth year, the National Guild of Hypnotists will host their annual convention, exhibition, and educational conference. The NGH convention offers intensive trainings, recertification, Certified Education Units, networking, and marketing opportunities for professionals who utilize hypnosis in their work. The convention is also open to the public for people with a sincere interest in learning more about hypnotism for themselves, as a career, or as an addition to professional services they already offer.

The training programs are conducted by award-winning speakers, published authors, and trainers and authorities on professional hypnotism. Twenty-seven of our speakers are from outside the United States. We may be the National Guild of Hypnotists, but this is truly an international event.

The National Guild of Hypnotists has over 10,000 members, representing 65 countries around the world. There are NGH certified trainers in 44 US states and 27 countries.

To learn more about NGH, visit their website at www.ngh.net

New Year's Resolutions

I write to you on 31^st December. It’s at this time of the year that people are contemplating their New Year's resolutions.

Wikipedia defines “A New Year's resolution” as “a commitment that an individual makes to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change, that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until the set goal has been achieved, although many resolutions go unachieved and are often broken fairly shortly after they are set.”

It has become a tradition for many people that on 1^st January they will stop smoking , or go on a diet, or start doing exercise. So why is it that these resolutions are often broken so quickly.

We are constantly being told that if we want to succeed in life we should set goals. Goals should be reasonable, specific, measurable and time targeted objectives. Goal setting is a process that allows people to specify then work towards their own objectives.

Perhaps the main reason why so many fail with their New Year’s Resolutions is because the goals are not thoroughly planned or thought through, but are impulsive.

So what can turn a New Year’s Resolution into a reality? And how can hypnotherapy help?

Motivation – the greater the motivation to do something the more likely you will succeed. Suggestions given in hypnosis can increase one’s motivation for change.

For smoking cessation – write down all the reasons why you want to stop smoking. Take one day at a time. Hypnotherapy could help you by reducing or eliminating completely the cravings for cigarettes.

For weight control – don’t think of dieting, but of eating sensibly. Aim to slow down your eating (chew your food more!) and eat consciously. Drink more water (especially when feeling hungry). Hypnotherapy can help you programme your mind to new eating habits.

Chunking – if the goal is too great it becomes too much of a challenge. To help you succeedin such a goal, break it down in to smaller components if necessary. Eg a goal to run a 26 mile marathon next year could be too much of a challenge for someone who is not used to running. Break the challenge down into smaller chunks eg aim to run 1 mile by the end of the month, 5 miles by the end of three months, 10 miles by the end of six months and so on.

Have a Happy , Healthy and Prosperous 2007

Smokers concerned about weight gain if they stop smoking

It annoys me when I hear a client tell of how they had stopped smoking in the past but they started smoking again because they were putting on weight. Surely the most sensible thing to have done at that time was to tackle the weight problem, whether by hypnotherapy or other means, rather than take the "easy" way out of starting to smoke again. After all, there is more chance they will die from a smoking related illness than from overeating!

So why is it that so many smokers see smoking as the way to keep off weight?

Well many smokers who use willpower to stop smoking find that they substitute the cigarette with a bar of chocolate or other snack. Of course this would potentially lead to weight gain.

You see, not only have some people got into the habit of smoking but they think they enjoy it. Take away their enjoyment, and what have they got left? Certain foods are known for helping change our moods, eg chocolate. So by having a sugary snack, say, instead of the cigarette they are satisfying their need.

However as I explain to my hypnotherapy clients, what we do in hypnosis is to replace the old habit of smoking with something that’s better for the client, which may be, for example, drinking more water, or doing deep-breathing exercises, or just feeling happy about being a non-smoker.

If you’re one of those smokers concerned about weight gain then have a look around next time you walk down the street and notice how many oversize people are smoking. And now think about those people you know who are thin or of normal weight and who are non-smokers. Smoking doesn’t have to be related to weight gain, provided you have the right attitude of mind.

HYPNOTHERAPY TRAINING - With Hypnotic Solutions

Have you ever considered becoming a hypnotherapist?

It wasn't exactly on my mind either seven years ago. At that time I was working as a tax adviser/accountant. I was a tax manager, and had achieved probably all I could within the company I was working for. However I was in need of something more challenging.

One evening, early in 1999, I happened to go to an evening presentation given by Paul McKenna and Michael Breen on the subject of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). I really didn't know what this Neuro-Linguistic stuff was all about, but I was at that time interested to see Paul McKenna. The presentation was fascinating and left me wanting more, so I signed up to train as an NLP Practitioner.

At that time I had a look at some of the books on NLP and they seemed awfully complicated. I had no knowledge of psychology or physiology. However it really didn't matter. The NLP Practitioner course was very experiential - we practiced doing the various techniques on each other.

I remember leaving the course on a high. However the course didn't teach us how we could make this into a profession. It was a few weeks later, due to a fortunate series of events, that I decided to train to become a hypnotherapist. I search on the internet for the different courses - I primarily wanted one located in the London area. Also I didn't fancy the idea of spending a weekend a month for 10 months in training. Eventually I found a course that met my needs - an intensive training course that would enable me to qualify as a registered hypnotherapist.

It's now 2006. After a number of years of helping clients with hypnotherapy I decided to set up my own Hypnotherapy Training business, to share the skills I've learned. Having qualified as a National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) Certified Instructor I will be teaching the NGH training course together with imparting my specialist knowledge in smoking cessation, phobias and weight control. The course lasts 16 days, consisting of two modules of 8 days, so that it also qualifies for accreditation by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council.

If you want to train to become a hypnotherapist you really need no previous specialist knowledge. You just need to be a person willing to help others, and willing to spend some time and invest some money in your future career. A career that is truly rewarding. www.hypnoticsolutions.org.uk