Transform Your Life
Fear of Flying – Aerophobia
Fear of flying, or aerophobia, is very common. I have noticed that since the pandemic, more and more clients are coming for help with this fear, many of whom have only recently developed it. This is most likely due to the long period of time spent not flying.
The depth and expression of aerophobia can vary from person to person. For many, taking off and landing are the worst parts of the flight and the bit in between isn’t so bad. For some, the whole journey is terrifying, from arriving at the airport until reaching their destination. Others have such an extreme fear that they cannot board a plane without taking some kind of sedative. The fear may stem from a specific time or incident, or it may seem to have no real cause at all.
Whatever your fear is like, the good news is that hypnotherapy has been shown to be highly effective at helping people eradicate this fear completely.
There are also some practical things you can do to help yourself at any point on your travels if you do have this fear:
- Be organised to minimise stress – leave enough time for your journey and ensure you are prepared.
- Note 3-5 things you can see, hear and touch. List them in your mind and keep saying them to yourself to help feel grounded in the moment. A useful tip is to always feel your feet on floor and imagine you are sending roots down into the ground.
- Breathing – if you feel you are breathing fast or shallow, then focus on breathing out slowly, (rather than breathing in first) which can help feel you calmer.
- Play a game or do puzzles on your own or with others, to distract the mind and keep it occupied.
- Drink sips of water, eat a snack.
If you feel that you would benefit from some hypnotherapy to help you to overcome this fear for good, do get in touch using the button below.
Overwhelm
What is overwhelm?
“I can’t think straight.” Overwhelm is a feeling that everything is on top of you, it has all become too much. Sometimes it can be experienced as an inability to focus or concentrate, other times it can manifest as physical fatigue or even aches and pains. It can be accompanied by feelings of anxiety or panic, or a feeling that you just can’t go on. It can happen if we take on too much in our work or personal life, if our responsibilities are weighing us down, or at times of great pressure and stress. Often if we have weak or insecure boundaries, overwhelm can happen more frequently, as the tendency to try to do everything and take it all on can lead to repeated states of overwhelm. Our emotions may be volatile and we may become irritable or snappy with people around us. Also sleep and or eating may be affected.
What can I do about it?
Here are some self-help strategies to assist with overwhelm:
- Remind yourself that this is a feeling, and it will pass
- Write down all the things on your mind and rank them in order of importance
- Talk to someone, such as a friend or family member
- Do a gentle mediation such as the one included in this post or use an app
- Breathe. Sit and take 5 deep slow breaths, try to focus all your attention on your breathing
- Go for a walk or do some exercise
- Eat regular meals, keep hydrated
Clear your mind with this relaxing hypnotic meditation:
*Do not listen to this while driving or operation machinery.
If having tried the above, you feel like you would benefit from professional help then please get in touch.
Change
What does change mean to you? Does it make you excited or terrified?
People often say that depends on whether it is good change or bad but sometimes we make a decision without knowing what the actual outcome will be, or we are forced to make a change by others in our lives or circumstances that we find ourselves in.
Often we fear change, particularly if it is not of our choosing or if we feel it will be really hard. What we fear is the break away from what we have become accustomed to, which provides a sense of security and knowing for us, even if we are not that happy in our current situation.
That old expression ‘better the devil you know than the devil you don’t’ supports this idea of staying where we are, rather than trying something new or taking a chance. But if we don’t embrace and welcome change, we remove vital opportunities for growth and self discovery. We may become stuck, losing our motivation and enthusiasm for life, and ending up feeling sad and miserable.
If we are brave enough to make a change, to take a risk or try something new, no matter how small, who knows what could happen? As Henry Ford said, ‘if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.’
Take a moment to consider your life, and ask yourself if this is what you want. If not, perhaps it is time for a change.