What artists tell us about change and inspiration

Ever heard the expression 'Take things as they come'? It's easier said than done, isn't it? 

Especially if you are facing 'a measure of darkness' or where times are proving challenging.

An artist is someone with a uniquely creative ability who can show us the light. Usually an artist sees the world in a different way to others, or experiences the world with extra feeling and sensitivity. They see the potential for freedom of expression in many ways. Their ability to reinvent and develop themselves, whether through art, music or many other medias, is an inspiring skill. 

When a painter/artist has come to the end of a particular passion or theme, they often have spare canvases that somehow did not quite develop into their full potential. These cast-offs are just steps along the way (they may feel frustrated, though eventually overcome that). A common process that usually leads the artist to produce another, better version, of earlier attempts. Often you'll see them re-painting over old canvases. 

It is that ability to transform that translates well into the human potential. Just as the artist, we can learn to cast-off earlier versions of ourselves, our behaviours and any outdated beliefs. We don't need a brand new canvas, we have ourselves. 

We can change, it just takes a little faith. Quite a lot of trust is required and we can change, we can fulfill our potential and find inspiration. 


Angie 

See:

http://www.angiegiles.co.uk/
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

Facebook for HypnoShape: HypnoShape weight reduction programme

About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4AG. 

Call Angie directly on 07773 610816 or email info@angiegiles.co.uk 
Angie offers a free initial chat to find out more, as part of your first consultation. 

You are not a tree! Change and move forward

Reset and re-balance - uncomfortable zone

The most uncomfortable things in life are also a time for learning what is acceptable to us, what we need to change about ourselves and in our lives. I am thinking here of situations such as redundancy, bereavement, divorce & other major life-changing incidents. 

Letting go of repressed emotions will help with coming to terms with a change to our lives. We can begin to uncover and discover who we are in our newly adjusted life. It requires patience, understanding and acceptance that we often don't give ourselves time for, or other people have vested interest in us - friends/ family etc.  There is no timescale on adjusting to a change, however, if you're not really coping months down the line and relationships with friends and family are being affected, perhaps it's a valid time to seek help. 

Why not plan a session with a friendly coach counsellor? You may be surprised at what you find and can start to change how you see and feel about things. Reset and re-balance. 

See:
http://www.angiegiles.co.uk/
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4AG. 

Call Norfolk Clinic reception on 01603 660792 or call Angie directly on 07773 610816. She loves helping people achieve their potential at work, in life and finding greater happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques.

loose strands and transformation

I was thinking of how transformation in one part of our lives influences other areas too. Our life and world is made up of individual strands combined together.  

Hidden strands exists that we choose to leave out of the story we tell ourselves (and we hide this from others too, whether consciously or unconsciously). If we become aware of what that hidden part is, when a change happens, it can help us to navigate our way through the choppiest seas of life. A vulnerable, loose strand can be better managed if we accept it and know it. 

Whether your change is a career, moving home, marital status or a loss or bereavement, change can feel scary, and at the same time, I've worked with many people who have made successful transitions in their lives. They've gone from uncertainty, fear and worry towards a happier and more accepting place. 

If you want to have a chat about transforming your life, please call or email me. I'd love to hear from you.    

See:
angiegiles.co.uk
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4AG. 

Call Norfolk Clinic reception on 01603 660792 or call Angie directly on 07773 610816. She loves helping people achieve their potential at work, in life and finding greater happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques.

what do you need to do to change?

What's stopping you?

See:
angiegiles.co.uk
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich. Norfolk Clinic reception on 01603 660792 or directly on 07773 610816. She loves helping other people achieve their potential at work and in life and achieving happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques.

How do you cope with unexpected change?

The ups and downs of life and work can be just like a rollercoaster at times. There might be a feeling of safety and peace as you glide upwards and the views at the top seem breathtaking, only the direction suddenly changes, so you go hurtling downwards with the inevitable twists and turns that happen along the way. It can be exciting for a short time and some people thrive on the adrenaline-filled rush of rollercoasters. If there are several events or situations that happen it can feel a whole lot different, too much stress over a prolonged period. How you cope is often dependent on your upbringing and also on how many of those other stressors there are in your life at the time.

Some people get to the point of not quite knowing how to cope with the upheaval and stress that change brings. If there is one thing that changes in life and work have taught me, it is there is no one solution to each and every person's circumstances when it comes to change. What I do know is that from my work with clients, change can be unsettling. Too much change leaves some with a feeling of having the ground taken from beneath them. I say there are no rights or wrongs to how you deal with change. I do suggest feeling what you feel and allowing time to 'grieve' the loss that often goes with a major life or work change.

One thing that can happen when someone is under pressure is to turn to unhealthy coping strategies. This could be to drink, over-eat, under-eat or take recreational drugs. Forgetting about problems for a while is the aim, but there are consequences on your body and health as well as on your relationships. Find other ways to let your frustration or hurt out. You could go for a walk, run, cycle, read, talk to a trusted friend. You could write down your thoughts and feelings (just for your eyes) so that they stop spinning around your head. Get to bed early and eat healthily and regularly.

If you can, do your best to let people know what you want at a particular time. It is your responsibility to say what you need rather than expect people to read your mind. If you want time on your own, that's OK. Explain your need for a bit of quiet and reflection so you can come to terms with the changes you are facing. If you need to surround yourself with people to help you through it, that's OK too. Try to be explicit about your needs with those who care about you. Other people may not know quite what to say or do to support you if you are going through a major life upheaval. Their need may be to give you a hug when it is the last thing you need right now. Allow them the chance to support you in a way that you will appreciate by telling them as clearly as you can. They do care and you can help them to help you.

Change is inevitable with home, life and work not staying still. Things move on. You can choose to see a change as an opportunity. Once the initial shock and disbelief have worn off, things will begin to fall into place: acceptance. The change could direct you in a new, positive direction. You could start to feel excited about the next twists and turns and highs of the rollercoaster of life and work, still to come.

About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich. Norfolk Clinic reception on 01603 660792 or directly on 07773 610816. She loves helping other people achieve their potential at work and in life and achieving happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques.
Twitter: angie_therapist
Facebook: Angie Giles Hypnotherapy

Let go of things you cannot control...

Employment gains - or weighty issue?

I recently wrote about the job search blues and the challenges facing those seeking work. But what of those actually in work and facing tough times? In this article I'm focusing on the issue of weight and discrimination at work. 

Employment can sometimes be clouded by more issues than the printer breaking for the 12th time in one day! It can also be a place where personal issues, like weight, can affect someone's chances of keeping their job and enjoying being at work. What of those people who had been affected at work because of their weight?
A recent study in the US (of nearly three thousand people) found that those who were overweight had faced employment discrimination of one type or another. 

The areas of discrimination can be things like being the target of negative humour and negative comments from co-workers and supervisors, and being treated differently because of weight, not being hired, being denied promotions, or even being fired because of carrying excess weight.
The survey participants classed as 'overweight' responded being 12 times more likely to have been discriminated against. Those classed as 'obese' were 37 times more likely, and 'severely obese' respondents were 100 times more likely than normal-weight respondents to have said they had faced employment discrimination. In this study, women were 16 times more likely to report weight-related employment discrimination than men.  What a horrible thought. Because weight is viewed in such a negative way, even if you are the most talented person in your company, you may at worst face losing your job because of your weight. 

I always thought that to keep a job there were some basic steps. Turn up on time, remember to work hard, achieve or exceed objectives and (usually), be part of a team. I hadn't considered that being a 'normal' weight was going to be one of those steps! Well now we know differently. 

If things go wrong at work, usually a plan is drawn up to sort it. There are also steps to take when it comes to improving our health and particularly to weight. We know we should eat healthily and be active. Sometimes it takes a bit more than knowing it though, doesn't it? If you want to move towards making a change in eating habits, plucking up the courage to seek help now may help you toward a healthy career, as well as a healthier lifestyle.  

I deal with the whole issue, not just the weight, it's about the person too.  If you think you would like to know more about making changes to your lifestyle, I'm here to help. 

About the Author: Angie loves helping other people achieve their potential at work and in life and achieving happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques. Based at the Norfolk Clinic (Complementary Healthcare Centre), 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, Norfolk, UK.  Tel: 07773 610816 or email info@angiegiles.co.uk 

Its the second New Year this year!

Whether intrigued by Horoscopes or not, there are various kinds that exist throughout the world. Today is the start of the Chinese New Year (in China's time zone it would seem), it is the year of the Dragon.

The details of what this means in full I will leave to the experts in their field (the internet is full of explanations too).  It is said that depending on year, month, day and time of birth, you are born under the sign of either a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In China many of these are traditionally considered powerful and important creatures. Within the horoscopes each has a particular character and quality relating to the five elements.

I think all of us have qualities and characteristics that we sometimes forget to cherish. Particularly when times are hard and if we look for other people to remind us how great we are. In the wonderful sterile world of social networking we tend to look outside of ourselves and think that other people have got it made, they are the happy ones, they are the lucky ones. 

This Chinese New Year, the year of the Dragon, signifies luck. How lucky do you feel at the moment, how thankful too?

Right now, yes now in this very moment, I am feeling lucky. At this moment I have a lot to be feel lucky for and to be thankful for. I have somewhere to live. I have a roof over my head. I eat regular meals and can be warm. I am just about feeling lucky that my messy desk needs sorting out, and lucky that I have accounting to be done. I feel very lucky that I have client preparation to do. I'm lucky and thankful for the noisy birds that are outside my window too.  I am lucky that I can do things that make me feel happy. I'm lucky I can write this blog article. Even making a cup of tea just the way I like it makes me feel lucky. 

I questioned in my mind what luck was sometime ago. Looking at luck in a different way. It hasn't changed me completely, I'm still me. I still read the horoscopes, I still quite enjoy them. According to my Chinese Horoscope 2012 is a very positive year for me. Funny that, I was feeling it in my bones, before I had even read the horoscope.    

PS, I found this image of a cake toppper item on Etsy and I thought it very pretty so shared it with you!

Neurons and Obesity - the next big thing?

A recent study on obesity being linked to changes in the brain was published today.
The findings from this study on mice and rats (and human brain structures compared using scans) points toward the neurons in the brain being affected over time. A specific part of the hypothalamus, to be precise, is affected when people have eaten a high fat diet for some time and are obese. The researchers are suggesting that the brain might be 'damaged/changed' and 'control' over weight diminished. This, the researchers think, might then lead to a continued desire to keep eating a high fat diet. More work is to be done to determine if this is factually correct.

The traditional response will most likely be 'give a pill' to re-set that energy balance, and perhaps (ker-ching!) the pharmaceutical companies step in, smiling all the way to the bank! OK, so I may be a little cynical here, though I'm not against this type of intervention.  I just would like there to be at least enquiry into alternative ways of supporting those who suffer with obesity. Also into the sort of interventions that would stop the problem in the first place (and I should introduce HypnoShape® as something I jointly devised with another therapist that tackles obesity as well as those gaining weight worried about their health).  

What I would like to consider is another problem area where brain changes have happened because of the trauma, and yet a non-chemical treatment is on offer and proving successful.  

People with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) given access to 'talking therapy' and 'art therapy' have been shown in studies that even when a part of the brain is affected (hippocampus, affecting memory and learning), they can feel and get better. Art therapy and talking therapy enables them to express their feelings and reduce stress. They adapt, they cope better, but little research is available into how much their neural pathways in their brains have adapted. Perhaps that's where we should be focusing research now, particularly in supporting those with depression? 

Brain medicine, has made great strides in recent years, however it does not yet have all the answers. We know now that the brain has about 100 billion neurons. We know that there is vast processing of information and that the brain is active in controlling our body in every way. The hormones released that deal with weight and gender specific controls, our thinking, our emotions - all controlled by the brain. It is exciting to think we have yet to establish quite just how adaptable our brains are when a part of the brain is changed or damaged. I look forward to seeing additional studies prove how adaptable our brains really are.  

Incidentally, I've met some extremely adaptable-minded people who had weight issues and came to see me either in a HypnoShape group or working one to one with me. The changes some made and stuck with are proof to those people that (even if they had a damaged brain as this latest research suggests!), they were somehow able to focus their attention onto a new lifestyle and make it fit them. Maybe that's why I felt compelled to write about this?  Having one person tell me of their continued weight loss of 18 pounds over 6 months is an example and one where they made small changes that continue to add up month on month.

The feeling of 'little control' is what many clients have when they first come to see me. I empathise with how hard that can be and particularly so if they are feeling in a cycle of despair after dieting. I believe the client chooses, as they walk through my door, if they really want to be in control of their mind and their eating habits. I do sometimes see clients who are not yet ready to make the changes they say they want to, seeming to want me to sometimes make changes for them. (I provide motivation and back up) In their mind they agree with the latest research exactly or they have in their mind 'father/ mother etc was big, so I will be too'.

I'd like to give all my future clients a gift. The challenge of trusting their mind is vastly capable of helping them to make changes!  How else would we be such an amazingly advanced mammal if not for our ability to think and adapt to new situations so well? 

Please do let me know what you think, comments are welcomed. Is this the next big thing to shake up the world of weight management?

Angie Giles Hypnotherapy for Hypnotherapy, Counselling and Personal Coaching
At the Norfolk Clinic (Complementary Healthcare) on 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich and 86 St Benedicts Street, Norwich (by appointment only).
Tel: 07773 610816

Angie Giles Hypnotherapy website

Angie Giles on Facebook

Angie on Twitter

Suspending beliefs

Is 2012 your year for change? I can help you!
It could be wanting to stop an old habit, increasing confidence levels, dealing with anxiety or looking to make changes for a healthier, happier future. Making that decision is what matters, so well done if you've already started or decided to go for it! Sometimes having someone outside of your usual friends and family can make the process that much easier.  Of course the most important person to achieve what you want, is you, isn't it? I pay attention to that and give you the support you need to make the changes you want, at the pace you want.     

Be a good one

No matter whether we are in business, a parent, a student, a partner, an employee or our own boss, if it feels as if circumstances are holding us back, it's time to revisit your thoughts. Find out what it is inside of you that is stopping you from taking that situation (or feeling) and make one step towards doing something about it.  If you're not seeing the wood for the trees, step back and face looking up - knowing that you have a way forward. Don't let your inner voice hold you back from your potential. 

Change is inevitable. So, if change is inevitable, why not change one thing for yourself today? Plan something, no matter how small, and do it well. Notice the difference after completing it.

If there were no challenges, would there be no achievements? 
Go for it!   

Ashes of the past fade

resistance to change

It's the time

I am thinking about time today.  'Really' thinking about time. If time were immaterial and we were not driven by the clock on the wall, what might happen? As it is, I'm preparing to see clients and getting myself 'in the zone' to face the rest of the day. 


Where there is a clock on the wall, there is an inner mechanism too. What would it be like to be free from that inner drive for a few hours or minutes and what would be the reaction to that change? What difference would it make? I will come back to this later... when I have time. 

Moment of change

'A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery while on a detour'  ~Author Unknown