Hypnotherapy Homework

The homework for this week, if you recall, was to pay attention to what has been going right for me, and also, to keep notes on what's bugging me...

On the "what's been going right" list, I've been getting out every day for good long walks - I did two 10 KM walks (both of which included running training toward the end - woo hoo) and the rest of the days during this time frame have been in excess of 4.5 KM walks - and with daylight savings time kicking in today, I can ramp those up to however far I can get in an hour... if Yesterday is any indication, I'm going to be putting in five nearly 6 KM walks per week, starting tomorrow.

Vegetables are still an effort, but they are becoming more and more included in my meals and snacks.

The day before yesterday, my Mum told me about a challenge that the CBC is putting to all Canadians - the Live Right Now Challenge - more information about the challenge and its inspiration can be located at this link, but the gist of it is that Canada has been challenged to lose one million pounds.  Yes, ONE MILLION POUNDS. I read through some of the information and, inspired, I signed up and have committed to a few challenges of my own. Weight loss, daily exercise, and improvement of my eating habits - similar to what I'm working on already with the hypnosis.  One thing that is recommended in the process is to check in with someone in order to cement your goals and progress - Mum and I are checking in with each other.  

Finally, I'm sleeping well and generally feeling pretty good about the progress I've been making and the things I am looking at incorporating into my plan next.

All in all, these are good positives and I'm pleased with how things have been coming along.

Unfortunately, as we all know, there are usually little things that come up during the week that bug us.  Fortunately, though, there have only been two items this week that were worth note in my notebook - and all-in-all, I'll take the two small irritations - they aren't huge.

With love across the waters,

Hypnotherapy - Part II

Tonight I had my second session with the hypnotherapist.  As I anticipated, at the beginning of the session, we discussed what went well this past week and what, if anything, I had noticed that was positive and what I am seeing improvement in.

There have been a few improvements this week:

• I was able to discern when I had consumed enough sweet stuff – and was even able to have a couple of bites of something and decide I really didn’t *feel* like eating it (and thus threw the rest away.)
• Exercise has been important to me all week – I have enjoyed being out and, yesterday, needed exercise (instead of sweets) to manage my upset.
• I’m more aware of what I am eating – and meals are getting slowly healthier. I have been incorporating much more in the way of vegetables.
• Snacks are more responsible – instead of a couple of granola bars I have been taking one and then making up a dish of fruit and yogurt, or raw carrots for the second snack.
• I actually think I have been eating a little less this week – not as much snacking.
• Ooh – and my Tim Horton’s coffee habit (which was to get one on the way to work) stopped dead in its tracks.

Once we discussed the positives of this past week, I was asked to define what my stressors have been – what’s been bugging me.  I wasn’t expecting this and so had to think a little on this - I didn’t know there was homework! I was, of course, able to talk about the things that came to mind – yesterday afternoon being the freshest and therefore the most discussed.  There were some other little things here and there. 

After this, we started to get into some of the nitty-gritty.  She asked me to tell her what I LIKE about myself. I had a really difficult time with this one.  I only have about four qualities in myself that I actually really like, and after that it’s more easy for me to clearly define what it is that I DON’T like about myself. After I finished rattling off some of the humongous list, well, I started feeling a little emotional (as do we all, I believe, when we start confronting what we dislike about ourselves) and she said something that struck me a little sideways.

She asked me if I realized that the things I listed about myself that I liked were all internal things – and yet I had started off my “don’t like” list with physical things.

Hm.

After a quick final piece of discussion about what I wanted to work on this week, we got into the hypnosis part of the session. She guided me through more work on mindful eating – but this time, she also included mindful exercise into the mix.  She also started laying the groundwork for some self image improvement. I was totally aware through the whole session – and could even hear the background music and ambient noises from the street, but if you asked me to describe the hypnosis part of the session in detail I probably couldn’t at this second.  I can describe snatches of it here and there, but not the whole thing end-to-end. I noticed this last week too – and what’s cool is that little kernels of it sort of “lit up” in my brain throughout the week – kind of like a time-released capsule.

My homework for this coming week isn’t only to keep my eyes and heart open to seeing things that are improving (in my eyes) but also to keep my eyes open to what bugs and stresses me. I’m thinking that, at this point, I might want to put my mini-notebook back into my purse so I can jot things down as I see them (positive and negative) through the week. I may also jot down notes about the “kernels” as they light up in my mind – just to reinforce things, 

My next session is on March 18th.

With love across the waters,

Hypnotherapy – Part I

There’s a great explanation about Hypnosis on the University of Maryland Medical Center’s website – essentially it explains the Greek origin of the word hypnosis (Hypnos - meaning sleep) and some of the initial things that anyone considering hypnosis and / or hypnotherapy should be aware of.

While in a hypnotic state, the body relaxes deeply, and thoughts become much more focussed. Physically, blood pressure and heart rates change and certain types of brain waves can also change. What is really cool is that you are completely aware of everything going on around you and feel totally at ease. In this state many human beings are highly responsive to suggestion.

I’m seeing my hypnotherapist to get assistance with weight loss. My hope is that she will be able to assist me in “re-programming” myself for a couple of things: what I am eating and why.

What I am eating - I LOVE sugars and starches. I crave them. I see them and I eat them with gusto. I don’t crave vegetables – unless they happen to be in potato (or corn) chip format. So first of all, I would like to be able to not be so phased by sweet and salty things. I would like, very much, to be able to look at a cookie bar or cake that someone has brought into the office and not NEED to try some. I’d like, very much, to crave raw veggies (without a fatty thing to dip them into) for a snack – carrot sticks, broccoli and the like.

The “why” of my eating is a little harder for me to define. I mentioned before that I am a comfort eater. I naturally reach for the comfort of something sweet when I’m feeling a little low. I think there’s a lot to be said for chocolate cake when I’m blue. Or Wearing blue. OK – so maybe my self control isn’t so hot either! In any case, I will eat for any and all reasons out there and for no particular reason at all. My goal with this one is to eat when I am hungry – and not for any other reason.

On Wednesday night of this past week I had my first session – it was an hour and a half and did include some hypnosis.

The session was low key and very much an opportunity for introduction and discussion. We talked about her credentials a little (I always ask when I’m seeing a new practitioner of any kind) and her practice. We then went on to discuss my reasons for choosing hypnotherapy, what my expectations were (and are,) what I know and understand of hypnotherapy and then we covered a few basics. Some of the questions I was asked include things like my favourite colour, favourite place, favourite flower / scent, and my dog’s name. I assume that she will use these things when I am in a hypnotic state to help anchor thoughts and goals.

We then discussed my preferences surrounding the use of positive reinforcement versus negative imagery to help me assimilate the goals. I prefer to use positive reinforcement as opposed to negative imagery – it is my understanding that positive reinforcement works better in the human brain than negative, and to be perfectly honest, I would prefer to work with the positive rather than avoid the negative.

When all of this was done, she took me into a hypnotic state and started the process for me. I can remember the whole session and what was worked on. There was a lot of positive imagery – images planted leaving me with a feeling of strength and empowerment.

So have I noticed anything at all? Surprisingly, yes, I have. That night, though late, when I got home, I was actually craving (of all things) steamed broccoli! I had an image of it in my mind – that deep gorgeous green that it turns when it’s steamed. I didn’t steam any up that night – like I said, it was late. But the next night for dinner I did steam some up and was very happy with the meal.

On Thursday (or maybe it was Friday?) one of my colleagues brought in a plate of the most gorgeous looking cookie bars I have seen in some time. Coconut with two different types of chocolate chips and some other stuff – just the smell of them was enough to put me into sugar-crave mode. I had one. It was AWESOME. I immediately had a second one and actually regretted it – the second one didn’t taste anywhere near as good and really, in retrospect, it wasn’t worth it.

Exercise – I’ve been craving it. Thursday I took Jasmine out for an 8 KM walk. Friday was a 9 to 5 work day and so I didn’t have enough daylight to get her out for a long walk, but we did 2 short 1 KM walks. Saturday, as soon as I could get out of the office, (at 3:30 PM) I took her up to the park for a 5 KM walk and today I had her out for another 8 KM walk. Granted, the weather has been cooperating beautifully, but I am getting excited about getting to go for a long walk and then while out on the walk, I am enjoying the movement and feeling.

I’m excited that daylight savings starts next Sunday – that means that, even on work days that end at 5:00 and 5:30 PM I’ll be able to hustle home, get Jasmine into the car and get out for that hour-long walk!

My next session is this coming Wednesday night – I’m looking forward to seeing if I notice more changes…

With love across the waters,

Hypnotherapy?

A few years ago (OK, maybe a few more than just a few years ago) when I was living in Ontario, (a 1.5 hour commute each way from the office) working in a fairly stressful field (disaster recovery / business continuity) in downtown Toronto and trying, but not managing well, to manage my tension levels. I can’t remember if I was running regularly at the time, but think it probable that I wasn’t – so no exercise to help manage the stress.

I am also a classic “stress eater” – mind you, I also eat when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m bored and when I’m celebrating – you get the picture. Anyhow, I knew I wasn’t managing my stress levels well because I was gaining weight AND I was having middle of the night anxiety attacks. You know the ones, where you wake up in the middle of the night, anxious about _______ (insert your current worry here) and then lie there, feeling upset and not able to get back to sleep because of it. Finally, you fall back asleep, only to wake less than 30 minutes later to your alarm clock.

I looked into hypnotherapy at that point in time to see if I could manage my stress a little more effectively. I also had a number of questions and misconceptions that I needed to work through before I was willing to even try. So Internet research done, I looked into Hypnotherapists in the town I was living in at the time & found one who I was able to work with.

Hypnotherapy isn’t what you see on TV (or on stage at the PNE) where they make you quack like a duck or do things you aren’t in control of. In a true hypnotherapy session you are totally aware of everything around you and feel as though you are in complete control of what is going on. In other words, you are completely safe and in the hands of a professional.

I had one session in Ontario - the impacts were almost immediate and the results were good and fairly long-lasting. I had been given some tools with which to manage worries and stress and I no longer woke in the middle of the night, anxious and hyperventilating about _________.

Recently I began looking into certified hypnotherapists here in the Comox Valley. I would like to tackle my challenges around food and the fact that I’m using it as a crutch instead of a tool. My goal here is to get some help with my over-eating (portion control? What the heck is that?), and perhaps see if I can work on setting up some “food aversion” feelings to some of my hot-button foods. I’m not saying I want to give up starches and refined sugars altogether… just maybe manage myself subconsciously a little better, with how much I consume and how often.

I believe I have found someone local I can work with – I spoke with her the other day and will be calling tomorrow to see about booking an appointment for later this week. The first session is usually a “getting to know you” session that takes a little longer – one in which the hypnotherapist sees what you are trying to accomplish, and how much help you might need in getting from A to B. I am told by the person I am going to try and see that she also likes to start with some hypnosis in that initial session to get the ball rolling.

I’m interested to see how this part of the journey goes for me. I know there are people out there who have had great success with smoking cessation hypnosis – and I read some statistics last week that spoke to the benefits of hypnosis as an aid and tool for weight loss. I guess we’ll see, right?

With love across the waters,

Last Gasp of RRSP Season & Closing in on End of Tax Season

Well folks, we’re in the final few days of RRSP season – that wonderful time of year when you can make that contribution that will get you money back when you file your taxes, or at the very least, reduce the amount of taxes you are made to pay… Officially (according to the Canada Revenue Agency’s web site) it ends at midnight on March 1st, 2011. That’s midnight, this coming Tuesday.

Banks will now be in full swing of trying to meet clients’ needs in getting their contributions done, but if left to now, chances are that you will not be able to get in to see your account manager. Not to fear! If you deal with a major Canadian financial institution, chances are that you have a few other options available to you to help you get your contribution made in time. Telephone banking and Online banking are the other “go to” options. My suggestions at this point is that, if you already have an RRSP set up, and you are an Online Banking client, try making your contribution VIA your home computer. You can always get in to see your account manager AFTER March 1st and have the initial RRSP contribution investment option changed, but at this point you want to get your contribution done ASAP.

Income Tax Season has another couple of months (just – March and April for a filing deadline (for most people) of April 30, 2011. Final slips are generally in the mail and we should see most (if not all) of them by mid-March. Personally, I’m still waiting for two slips, but if I really wanted to, I could file now as both slips will just be deductions that I will be carrying forward into the 2011 Tax year.

I think that I mentioned in my last Income Tax-related blog post that I use a tool called TurboTax (formerly known as QuickTax) – my copy is all loaded up and I have almost all of my data already entered. With the exception of the year I moved overseas and the following year (when I moved back) I have used this tool. There were even a couple of years where I had a home-based business, and it was still easy to use and quick to process. In my humble opinion, if you have a home computer, this is the way to go!

What will my refund money be spent on…? Well, a couple of things. I’m going to set aside a few hundred just to spend on me. A Feng Shui Consultation (with Terri Perrin from the Fine Art of Intention Feng Shui) for the outside of my home, some Hypnotherapy and some private yoga lessons are on my “fun spending” list. The rest will be responsibly allocated to my VISA card and my line of credit.

With love across the waters,