This is episode 156 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering feeling lost in life and how/why does this happen and how you can find your path again.

This is a request from our Facebook audience and once again thank you for sending in your requests if you have any please do send a message with your request.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either me or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

When we start to feel lost in life it can seem like everything is a muddle, theres no direction, no clear path of what we should chose and where to go. 

Now whether you have lost yourself in your career, relationship, your parental role or just lost in life in general you are not alone. This is something I hear a lot in therapy, "am I weird" "is there something wrong with me" NO you're not weird or have something wrong that you can't fix! 

Feeling lost in life doesn't mean your life is forever doomed and you're going to spend the rest of your days aimlessly wondering around never finding your self again. It simply means you are going through a stage in life that you can learn something from, theres no need to get stuck where you are you can help yourself get out from this state and start living to the fullest again. 

How Can You Find Yourself Again?

1. Do what you love - Do you remember the last time you had fun in your life? What where you doing, what ignites your fire and makes you smile? When we do something we love its easy to go with the flow and be fully engrossed in the fun of the moment. As we grow we tend to lose sight of how fun and amazing life can be due to the number of increasing stressors from family, mortgages, careers, debt and mundane parts of life. But if you reconnect back to that inner child and do what you love do what makes you smile and creates that element of fun once more, don't allow any excuses anymore as to why you "can't" do the things you love make a commitment to yourself that you will do them and just see how much your life can begin to get more clarity and have more fun. 
2. Have An Adventure - whether you can get out on a day trip or book a full excursion for a week or a few months go and explore. Taking yourself away from your "safe" zone which is generally our homes where we don't need to think about anything else and can dwell in how bad we feel, if you can explore you can free your mind and have time to re evaluate your life and where it is going. 
3. Re-connect With Dreams - Have you ever aspired to do something big but always talk yourself out of it or you're just simply too busy? Well re connect with them, give yourself something to work towards, aspire to help yourself as much as you can to feel uplifted and awakened again. 
4. Get Uncomfortable - Shake things up a little and make yourself uncomfortable every once in a while. We tend to get too comfortable in our routines and daily life that things get boring or mundane and theres no element of change or excitement. Albert Einsteins definition of insanity is to do the same thing day in day out and expect different results. If you're doing the same thing every day and wondering why you feel the way you do then mix it up and do something different to get different results. 
5. Ask For Help - Theres nothing wrong with asking for help, simply opening up and letting people into your world is like a therapy in itself! Locking your feelings up so that nobody knows what you're going through only impacts you negatively, once you begin to open up you may notice everything feels a little bit lighter and easier. 

his is episode 155 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering how to keep motivated when exercising.

This is a request from our Facebook audience and once again thank you for sending in your requests if you have any please do send a message with your request.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either me or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

I have decided to do this post today because I myself have not long since got back to my gym routine since the Christmas period and being back has brought back so many memories of when I would always try to start a new fitness regime and fail over and over again because I just wasn't quite ready or motivated enough to stick to it!

So if you want to remain motivated and stick to your healthy fitness conscious way of life then today's podcast could be the one for you, and if you're starting out then welcome, buckle up and get ready for a new way of thinking.

Why do we fail at exercise? 

If you're one of the many who make new years resolutions to loose weight and exercise more did you know that only 8 percent of the 45 percent who make them actually succeed?? now the most popular types of resolutions generally involve some level of fitness, weight loss or new healthy lifestyle. So why do we quit? How is it that we start the new year with motivation, enthusiasm to quit just a short period after?

1. Busy Life

Between having to work for a living and having a happy family life/personal life its easy to feel like you run out of hours during the day. Using this as an excuse is simply that, an excuse! The amount of times I used to say I have no time to work out but would then sit and watch TV or go on my phone, We all have time! Even a 15 minute brisk walk, jog, run, whatever you can manage to get your body fitter and stronger. The saying the more you do it the easier it becomes, well it doesn't get easier you get better at doing it! so stop telling yourself you have no time and make the time. Even if you "have" to watch your tv programmes do something in-between the adverts or whilst watching do some moving.

Get rid of all potential excuses, if you have 1 hour lunch break at work, cu it down to 30 minutes then spend the rest of it getting your heart rate up. This will have the added benefit of a midday energy boost to go back to work with.

Nobody ever regrets a workout, the only regret is the workout they didn't do!

2. Going it alone

Studies show that those who exercise alone are more likely to give up sooner than those who have a gym buddy, gym class, or workout with a partner. This is because when we go it alone there's no accountability. When we make a pact with ourselves its much easier to let ourselves down than a partner or buddy.

So if you find that you quit too easily and throw the towel in then perhaps start looking at who you could partner up with. Try some PT sessions, join some groups, theres so much out there from running groups, cycling, walking, dancing, cross-fit, the list is endless. Who knows you might meet some amazing friends at the groups who are all in the same mindset as you, wanting to get fitter, stronger and healthier. And they do say you become like the 5 people you spend most of your time with so surround yourself with health conscious people who help support you and keep you accountable.

4. Too much too soon

Too much too soon, or the burn out as i like to call it. Hands up how many of you started your new healthy life style aiming for 6 days a week, high intensity, full blown diet overhaul and found it all a little overwhelming. Don't think you can go from little or no exercise to marathon runner in a matter of a week.

Slow and steady, gradually build your stamina. Push yourself a little harder every time. experiment with food, nutrition and different types of exercise.

5. Not enjoyable

If you're exercising and finding that you truly hate every minute of it then try something new! Exercise should be fun, find something that you look forward to doing every single time and cant wait to go back for more.

If you ask a professional athlete why they do what they do they will tell you because they love it, they enjoy pushing their bodies to the limit, but that doesn't mean they enjoy every exercise, if you tell a cyclist to change to a runner I'm almost certain they wouldn't enjoy it as much and it would take a lot of time to adjust to it. so find something you enjoy!

How can you stay motivated? 

Ok so I have in the past talked about mindset, habits, and this is the same. To stay motivated you need to start thinking differently, tell yourself you can do this. Here's a few small hacks I find help me to stay motivated when exercising:

1. Prioritise exercise just like you would anything else, make it a part of your daily routine
2. Plan your workout, knowing what you're going to do when you get to the gym is much easier than getting there and winging it.
3. Have a good playlist! This i find helps me so much, if i have good music i run faster and longer. Theres something about music and how it makes us feel so sort out your playlist!
4. Ask for help, if you're unsure of what to do and how to use equipment then ask!
5. Reward yourself for achievements, buy yourself something new when you hit milestones or personal bests.
6. Join groups, classes etc working out with somebody is far better than doing it alone
7. Sign up for a big event, plan for something a few months from now that you can work towards getting fitter and stronger for.
8. Have goals, having a goal is key when it comes to changing your habits and lifestyles, what do you want and how do you plan on getting there.
9. Experiment with new routines, there's so much in the fitness world that we don't need to stick to one method. Trial and error, if you love it continue.
10. HAVE FUN - enjoy the feeling you get when you've done your workout and know that you're doing the right thing for your body.

Sponsors

• Health IQ – A life insurance agency that uses science and data to secure lower rates on life insurance for health-conscious people. To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at HealthIQ/Paula

This is episode 154 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering how to save a failing relationship.

This is a request from our Facebook audience and once again thank you for sending in your requests if you have any please do send a message with your request.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either me or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

I've decided to do this podcast as its come through from our Facebook audience and I hate the thought of relationships failing when they don't need to when all it needs is a little bit of work from both parties! Now don't get me wrong sometimes relationships can just naturally come to an end and both parties amicably agree to end their relationship.

So if your relationship is going through a bad stage at the minute don't throw the towel in just yet hopefully today's podcast can help you to turn it around and start afresh with your loved one.

Having a solid loving relationship is one of life's greatest joys. To have somebody in your life who you deeply love and build each other up can give the foundation of a meaningful life. But the truth of it is relationships don't just take care of themselves, they need work from both parties each and every day. relationships require commitment, self-awareness, willingness to change and grow and listen. You need to learn to shift from a thought pattern of "me" to "us" when you enter a relationship.

Relationships can survive life's ups and downs but when it comes down to behaviours and patterns is when it can have a more damaging effect on our relationships. Through my years as a therapist, I have seen many behaviours and patterns that would instantly raise alarm bells in a relationship that cause lasting damage and create lasting resentment.

Here are some of the behaviours I have come across and how you can begin to make some changes to save your relationship.

Damaging Behaviours And Patterns

• Selfishness - Being selfish in a relationship can cause resentment and a feeling of unloved or uncared for by the other partner. Focusing on your own needs and not taking into consideration what they may want, need or desire can create this barrier between two people.
• Unbalanced - When a relationship is unbalanced meaning one person always makes the decision on how money is spent or one partners extended family is always priority this can damage the ties that hold you together as a unit/partnership. Marriage and committed relationships are all about the partnership of two people, uniting two people as a couple and when this sense of partnership is tarnished this weakens that bond. When you disregard your partner's needs or wishes it signals a lack of respect for that person.
• Not making the relationship a priority - When you enter a committed relationship, you have to start thinking differently and making the relationship a priority over certain things. Even when kids come along we must make our relationship a priority, after all a loving relationship and loving family life is important for your children to see, and not a family life full of resentment and arguments. Nights out with friends need a little more of a thought process and a discussion with our partners to show consideration for their feelings too.
• Anger - It is normal for a couple to have discussions or heated conversations but when they result in raised voices, shouting and arguing is when it can begin to break down a relationship. In a relationship you should be able to discuss your feelings calmly and effectively so that voices don't need to be raised, doors slammed and so on.
• Infidelity - Now this is something that I have found comes along with a relationship that is failing somewhere along the lines, generally infidelity happens because there is something lacking in the relationship and not always physically. A lack of emotional needs being met, simple compliments not being said, physical embraces not happening can lead to infidelity. However, a relationship doesn't need to get to this stage if you can correct all of the smaller steps that lead up to this stage.

As you can see there are many ways in which a relationship can fail but you can stop it, it doesn't have to get to the dreaded infidelity stage, there doesn't need to be arguments with raised voices, resentment doesn't need to be a part of your life! If you want to save your relationship and get back to appreciating your loved one then here are a few tips you can try to hopefully get your relationship back on track.

How Can You Save Your Relationship? 

• Talk - Be aware of your partner's wishes, sit down and discuss with your partner what you both want out of your relationship. Be open and honest with both emotional and physical intimate desires that you want, we are not mind readers so can't guess what each other wants.
• Make it equal - Everything in a relationship should be equal, housework, kids, money, activities, all of these things should be discussed and planned equally. It shouldn't be one person making all decisions whilst the other just plods along behind, you are a unit and you should work together in just that way united!
• Prioritise - Your relationship needs to be a priority, now I'm not saying that you should drop your friends and no longer enjoy your time doing what you like. But when you are in a relationship a simple discussion with your partner about possible plans coming up with friends could save that resentment building.
• Calm down - With any disagreement, it's important to respond calmly, if you have a disagreement with your partner sit down and discuss it together calmly. Let them know what they did that upset you, how you felt, where you both go from there also take on board each other's points and discuss how you can overcome the problem together. This calm way of dealing with things in a relationship can make you a solid couple knowing that there is no need for shouting, raised voices, ager doors slamming because you speak to each other.
• Intimacy - It's natural for a relationship to go through a dip in intimacy levels, but the less you are intimate the less you get the desire. Make a conscious effort to take time out together and be close and intimate just like the first few months of your relationship, it doesn't have to be complete intimacy, a simple embrace, a kiss, a gentle touch anything to keep you connected on an intimate level helps to keep that spark alive. If you find yourself tempted to go astray STOP, look at your relationship and try to figure why you're feeling this way, what can you change to make you feel loved, wanted, respected, appreciated again?
• Switch off - We are unfortunately at a stage where our phones, pads, tv, media has taken over our lives and it's having a drastic impact on our relationships. It saddens me when I go for a meal with my husband and look around to see couples on their phones taking no notice of each other! Turn them off, put them away, social media, emails, all of these things that distract us from whats in front of us are damaging our relationships. Try having a ban for a few hours a day and fully embrace time with your partner, notice things about your partner again that you forgot. You'd be surprised just how much time we spend looking at our phones and not our partners.

So there you have it! Give these a try and put some effort into your relationship before throwing the towel in, it can be saved you just have to work at it. Reationships dont have to be hard work they just need some work.

If you feel you need more help with your relationship issues please do look for your local relationship counsellor and try to work together on the issues you're facing, excluding your partner and not talking to each other only causes more issues.

This is episode 153 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering how to stay focused on a task whatever that may be.

This is a request from our Facebook audience and once again thank you for sending in your requests if you have any please do send a message with your request.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either me or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

Staying focused on your goals, to stay focused on whatever you set out to achieve is imperative for you to be successful. This can be anything from life goals, career goals, relationships, home tasks, fitness, whatever you want to be able to achieve you must stay focused. Staying focused means allowing time and dedication to things that are important, the smaller things outside of your goal become less important.

But, there's a balance that is needed, the phrase my husband's lovely nan said to him once "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" has always stayed in the back of his mind an when he needs to focus on his work I make sure to remind him every now and again of Nan's words. Hopefully, today's podcast can give you some tips on how to remain focused to achieve your goals but to also have that work/home life balance.

Studies say that the average human has an eight-second attention span, less than that of a goldfish. Over the years this has reduced due to our abundance of digital devices and always seeking and searching to find out whats new and whats upcoming. How many times have you "logged on" with all intentions of writing your exam paper, or finishing off a project to find that you have somehow landed on some random page with useless information that has nothing at all to do with your paper?

Well, youre in luck! You can train yourself to become more focused, see it as focus is like a muscle, the more you train it the stronger it becomes. Once you drop the belief that you simply "can't focus" you will see just how easy it is to keep your mind on track.

Here are some tips and trick to help you to stay focused and eliminate distractions.

How To Stay Focused.

1. Prepare yourself - Before sitting down to any task, clear and calm your brain. Practice some relaxation, I always say a clear mind is a calm mind and a calm clear mind can face and tackle anything!
2. Know where your focus needs to be - Being able to focus involves an understanding of what is worthy of your distraction. Take some time before starting to identify what deserves your focus and then block out time in your diary for that particular task.
3. Switch off - If you have a task that you need to complete and remain focused on be sure to log off, switch off emails, social media all of these things that can distract you quickly and easily. Anything that pops up on your screen to tell you that you have a new email, or a new "comment" switch them off. The second you allow yourself to be distracted by emails you're affecting your ability to complete your task whilst actually helping the person who emailed you to tick off their to-do list first! Emails and social media can wait for at least 30 mins
4. External factors - Simple things such as the temperature in the room being too hot or too cold can have an impact on your ability to remain focused, so make sure the thermostat is set to a comfortable temp.
5. Listen to some music - Having too much background noise can be distracting, but according to studies having low music playing in the background can help you to focus on your own thoughts. Have music that you enjoy and get settled ready to work!
6. Take some breaks - Rather than allowing yourself to be distracted during your allotted work time, why not build it into your schedule. Allow a certain amount of time to switch off the distractions and get work done but then also allow time for social media, emails, etc as long as you stick to your time frames, and allocated time blocks for each thing. Treat those distractions just like you would your workload. There are studies out that show taking a short break in the middle of long tasks can re-energise the brain and help you to re focus.
7. Know when to finish - This one is an important one for those with families and who need to switch off at the end of the day. Have a "finish" time for your day, taking work or exam stress home and allowing it to continue into the evening can have an impact on your home life. Before you finish your tasks for the day be sure to sit down and write your tasks for the following day so that you can go home mentally knowing that you are already prepared for the morning.
8. Have you time - This goes back to lovely Nan's words, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It's important to fully switch off at times, embrace some fun, let off some steam, laugh, pamper yourself, anything that makes you feel good/positive allocate time for this too!

So there are some useful ways you can begin to start focusing more and doing more to achieve your goals, have fun with it and trial ways of helping yourself.

This is episode 152 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering how to be less angry.

This is a request from our Facebook audience and once again thank you for sending in your requests if you have any please do send a message with your request.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either me or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

Ok, so today's podcast is all about anger and how if you are an angry person how can you stop being so angry and annoyed all of the time. Perhaps you don't realise you're an angry person? How can you tell the difference between feeling upset and being genuinely angry at a situation? Well here is some of the signs to find out if you are an "Angry" person.

Signs Of An Angry Person

1. Getting mad at little things - Anger can in some cases have a positive effect, "most of the time our anger tells us we need to take action but when it's unnecessary to react in an angry way is when it could be classed as anger issues. So for example, somebody who gets very angry at being cut off by another driver or having to wait for an elevator is highly unnecessary.
2. Interrupting - Angry people tend to be impatient, often they have trouble waiting for somebody to stop talking or to get the point of their conversation. Even when letting other people speak they might not actually be listening to what that person is saying and just pretend, in some cases, this can be very evident that they're not listening.
3. Complaining - People who spend a lot of time complaining about other people and situations may have an anger problem, you may notice that they will get progressively louder when complaining or visibly more irritated. Some may complain about politics, neighbours, the local PTA but the venom that is evident comes from the same source......Anger.
4. Holding A Grudge - When somebody has trouble forgiving/forgetting someone who has wronged them in the past. Angry people sometime can't seem to let things go and instead continue to re-experience the anger, frustration, pain and resentment each time they recall the wrongdoing that happened. when in fact if they were able to just let it go they would feel no resent, no hatred and their own life would benefit from it.
5. Overly sensitive - Generally angry people are very quick to take offence to something said or done. Comments that others may be able to laugh off sometimes can get under the skin of an angry person again being unable to let it go.
6. No Empathy - It's likely that an angry person will struggle with empathy or compassion for others around them although this isn't
7. always the case and some non-angry people can also struggle with empathy and compassion.

So are you an angry person? Being angry most of the time can become exhausting and can alienate you from social gatherings as people will tend to want to stay away from angry people. But don't worry if you are angry there are some ways you can begin to be less angry

How Can You Become Less Angry? 

Well to start thankfully because you are reading this or listening to the podcast you're already aware that you may have an issue which is the first step to becoming less angry, the fact you know you have a problem means you're closer to wanting to make a change. But here are some useful tips that have worked for my clients in the past to allow them to start feeling less angry:

1. Think before you speak/react - When in the heat of the moment and in the midst of feeling angry its easy to say something you may regret at a later date. Before reacting or saying something take a few moments to collect your thoughts and calm yourself down from the initial angry response.
2. Once calm express yourself - As soon as your thinking clearer and the initial red mist has passed, express your frustration then. Explain to that person what they did and how it made you feel without the need to raise your voice or to hurt somebody.
3. Exercise - It's well documented that physical exercise can help to release stress and high emotions, so if you're in a situation that you can feel your anger rising go for a brisk walk or a run if possible.
4. Take some time out - During the day try taking short breaks during the time you would feel yourself getting more stressed and frustrated. A few moments of quiet may allow you to clear your mind and think about the situation more rationally.
5. Look for triggers - Being able to identify what makes you angry can make it easier to either avoid them as much as possible or to find a workaround that suits you and those around you.
6. Don't put the blame on somebody else - Now this can be a tough one for most people, when we feel angry its easy to blame somebody else, saying things such as "you make me angry because" when in fact nobody makes you feel anything. The fact you're angry at something or somebody is your fault, it's your fault you respond in an angry manner, not the other person.
7. Forgive - Drop the grudge, forgive and forget! When you hold a grudge the only person affected is you! I use the term "nobody ever dies from a snake bite, it's the venom inside that kills" And wow does it! Your venom inside that you hold onto causes you upset, causes you to feel angry and impacts your life.
8. Relax - Practice some relaxation techniques to help in remaining calm in situations, mindfulness, meditation, diaphragmatic breathing. these can all help when needing to relax.

This is episode 151 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering how to curb those pesky sugar cravings.

This is a request from our Facebook audience and once again thank you for sending in your requests if you have any please do send a message with your request.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either me or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

Sugar Cravings

Sugar Sugar Sugar, One of the most highly addictive substances this world has to offer! I myself spent years being addicted to sugar and when I would get a craving no matter what time it was I would get my fix and either get in the car and drive to the shops for some sweet stuff or raid the cupboards and find whatever I could to ease the craving.

Eating sugar and processed foods containing lots of sugar can create a vicious cycle creating that addictive behaviour. Sugar gives that instant feeling of happiness, energy, all the pleasure our bodies crave we can get it too easily nowadays, whereas our predecessors did not have sugar in abundance and they had to work for it, hunt for it. But when we give our bodies that quick instant fix this can, in turn, have a negative impact on the system after that sugar crash that happens, it can leave you feeling tired and irritable.

As hormones change the body attempts to raise levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, sugar triggers serotonin release which then can cause that sweet craving.

How Can You Curb Those Cravings? 

• Take it slowly - Become aware of what sugars you are eating including the processed foods with added sugars, sweets, chocolate etc and start to gradually reduce these amounts. Reducing them gradually can help with the intense cravings are you are not completely going cold turkey which some people find very difficult. If you can do cold turkey GO FOR IT!
• Have a new mindset - Rather telling yourself all of the things you can no longer eat, think of the things you can eat instead of sugar, make it fun trying new things that are naturally sweet.
• Make your own sweet treats - There are so many ideas out there now on how to make your own sweet treats using dates, avocado and cacao to make brownies, stevia as an added sweetener etc there are so many ideas that you could try out and enjoy making.
• Remind yourself why you want to cut sugar -  With all things like trying to make a difference to your life it's always important to remind yourself why you're doing it, have a goal board look at all the positives and benefits to making this change.
• Don't buy it - Start right! by not having it in you can't mindlessly just grab it from the cupboard! there's a 2 step thought process that has to go into acknowledging the craving then thinking about putting your shoes and coat on getting in the car and driving to the shops and having this 2 step process can allow you to reprocess that initial craving and talk yourself out of it.
• Acknowledge the changes - Acknowledge how good you're beginning to feel after a few weeks of not eating too much sugar.
• Expect to feel moody - As with any addiction, as you begin to cut down its imperative you are aware and expect to feel slightly moody or grumpy as your body adjusts to the lack of sugar.

Take your time in the process and allow for setbacks its really not that bad if you ave a day where you eat more sugar than you had planned, a day in the scheme of things is nothing!

This is episode 150 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering positive thinking.

This is a request from our Facebook audience and once again thank you for sending in your requests if you have any please do send a message with your request.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either me or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

Positive Thinking

Would you class yourself an optimist or a pessimist? Do you look for the good or always see the bad?

In life, we can quickly become dragged down by our negative internal thoughts when all we seem to see or hear or experience are negatives, when we allow these thoughts to consume us it can seem very difficult to change them and we can begin to believe that, "that's just our luck" "I'm just unlucky", "bad things always happen to me". But you can change the way you look at things and the things you look at will begin to change all with a little practice and seeing the world in a new light.

How Can You Begin To Think Positive?

A few years ago I read a book called "The Secret" and this really opened my eyes to how what we think and believe is happening to us because of our "bad luck" when in fact those things are happening to us because we wait for them, we look for them sometimes without even realising we are, I've seen many people in my practice who wake up asking themselves whats going to go wrong today, or when they stump their toe they ask "what next"

How can you expect a positive outlook when you proactively look for a negative?

Have you ever tried to stop thinking that way? Have you ever just stopped yourself midway through your internal thought and tried to look for a positive in what just happened? No?

Here are a few tips I find have helped my clients to change the way they think and to start thinking more positively.

1. Observe your thoughts, when a negative thought comes in stop allowing it to consume you and become a part of you. observe it and look for an alternative positive way of looking at it.
2. Gratitude lists, have a list of things you're thankful for in life.
3. Transform negatives into positives there is always a positive in any situation you just have to look for it.
4. Surround yourself with positivity, they say that we become like the 5 people we spend most of our time with. So if you are surrounded with negative people try to limit the time with these people, if you cant avoid the time with them for work example be sure to avoid negative discussions and crack on with work instead. If social media makes you feel negative about yourself avoid it as much as possible or have a cull of "friends" on there that you feel negative about.
5. Look for opportunity, in any negative situation look for what positive opportunity you can have from it, what have you learnt from it.
6. Stop yourself mid flow of any negative thought, shout out in your head STOP shake that thought process, and when you have disrupted that thought process breathe and reprocess that thought.
7. Exercise, always on my list of feeling good and feeling positive is exercise. When you exercise you release endorphins, those happy hormones which let's face it that's the aim of today's podcast is to feel good and feel happy so get yourself moving more.
8. Start your day positively! You have two choices when you wake, you can either be positive or be negative. Everybody should be waking in the morning thankful. Thankful for life, thankful for being able to breathe, thankful for one little thing. Have a nice morning routine that makes you feel good, don't snooze until you have little time to get ready, when the alarm goes get up, move, eat breakfast, and enjoy your morning instead of rushing around annoyed you have "no time" in the morning. We all have time.

Trying to change your mindset will take time but take some steps to start doing more positive things and you will start to feel different. You weren't born negative, you've learnt this behaviour and you can learn a new way of doing things and thinking.

This is episode 149 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering how to sleep better.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either me or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

Sleep! 

Bedtime should be something we all look forward to, being able to lay back forget the troubles of the day and rest, allowing our bodies to recharge, rejuvenate and let go of any stresses or strains. But when you struggle to drift off into a nice deep sleep its can have a massive impact on our everyday life.

How Does Lack Of Sleep Affect You? 

Sleep deprivation can leave you brain feeling exhausted meaning it cant perform its duties as well as it would with a good night sleep. In some cases, if sleep deprivation continues for long periods it's possible you could experience hallucinations, seeing or hearing things that aren't actually there but this is an extreme case of sleep deprivation. The most common side effects people experience are:

• Exhaustion
• Forgetfulness
• Fatigue
• Sadness
• Stress
• Pessimism
• Anger/snappy
• Overeat/comfort eat
• Weight gain
• Irritability
• Lower libido
• Physically affects appearance

Now, these are just a few of the symptoms that most people experience and you may not experience all of them. Sometimes lack of sleep and anxiety go hand in hand and most anxiety sufferers find that bedtime is their worst time as all of their negative internal thoughts are in full swing at this time of the day.

How Can You Start To Sleep Better? 

There are many ways in which you can help yourself to sleep from taking action and changing how you do things and your routines, to natural remedies that I use in my own home to help my family sleep.

What you do affects your sleep, our lifestyles are busy, hectic, fast-paced, stressful and so on. We have so many things spinning around in our heads on a daily basis, that sometimes we feel there's just not enough hours in a day to get rid of all the burdens of life. When we cant offload we try to go to sleep with stressful thoughts, emotions all still spinning around in our head and at this time of the day there are no distractions to take our thoughts away from whats bothering us so we spend hours trying to will ourselves to sleep, getting more and more frustrated that were not yet in the land of Nod. So how can you change that?

1. Relax - Begin to practice some relaxation techniques to allow the stress and the frustration to ease a little, a clear mind is a calm mind and a calm mind is able to switch off when needed. Things like meditation, mindfulness, diaphragmatic breathing (breathing through the belly and not the chest)
2. Switch off - and by switch off I mean switch off all those ipads, laptops, phones, social media, emails, anything that stimulates your brain and keeps it on alert. Switch them off at least 1 hour before bed your brain and your body needs time to start the natural process of winding down.
3. Change your light bulbs - around your home have dim orange lights that emulate a natural sunset for your body. Bright stark lights don't allow your body to realise its night time and can restrict the natural process of hibernation mode. even lights from laptops and tv's can prevent the natural process.
4. Blackout - Have your room as dark as possible, this again will emulate the natural process of night time. So if you have any lights shining through your window try to get some blackout blinds or curtains and ditch any bright LED alarm clocks. Give your body a chance to do what it naturally needs to do.
5. Ditch Caffeine - no caffeine after 1pm at the latest! caffeine is said to have a half-life of 5-6 hours meaning that after 5-6 hours of having a caffeinated drink there is still half of that caffeine in your system. caffeine is a stimulant and can prevent sleep as it stimulates the body and the mind keeping it on alert. Allow your body to get rid of any caffeine in its system before you go to bed.
6. Exercise - Try exercising in the morning, getting up earlier and exercising can help when trying to sleep in the evening. it can also help with making you feel more awake and alert throughout the day when having exercised first thing, your body will be filled with the endorphins from a workout keeping you in a good mood throughout. Then come evening you will be feeling more tired than usual from getting up and moving!
7. Plan - If work or jobs that need completing spill over into your night time and your finding that you are constantly thinking about what needs doing tomorrow when trying to sleep then try having a process where you plan the next days' jobs. Have a plan and allocate what jobs need completing in priority, how long you're going to spend on that job etc. This can allow your brain to switch off as you have already planned and know what to do.
8. Magnesium - This is something I personally use for me and my family to help with a natural deep sleep. Magnesium salts in a nice warm bath can help to relax the body. MAgnesium is well known for its ability to relieve insomnia, studies have found that it helps to decrease Cortisol the stress hormone that can keep you awake at night. It also helps to relax muscles which can give you that calm sleepy feeling helping you to unwind at the end of the day. You can find the salts I use for my family here

These are some techniques I have personally used and also given to many clients to help them to sleep better which have given drastic results. If you begin to change how you do things you will start to see results.

Sleep is such a big factor in our health and our mindset so if you are struggling to sleep then try some of these techniques to hopefully allow you to start sleeping better.

This is episode 148 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering mentally preparing for weight loss.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either myself or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

Ok so mentally preparing for weight loss! I have decided to cover this topic because its something that I have struggled with in the past and having spent year after year on faddy diets and doubting myself or hating myself because I "couldn't" lose weight. 

It's only now after losing weight and keeping it off and understanding more on nutrition that I can look back and see that although I thought I was ready and prepared to lose weight all those years ago in fact I wasnt! Mentally I was not prepared.

So if you have decided that 2018 is your year to lose weight then you need to get mentally prepared for it!

This time of year is when most people have a spike in their motivation levels to lose some weight, you've probably spent most of November/December enjoying food, relaxing a little and telling yourself its fine ill diet come January, Summers not that far off now and Bam January is here you thought you were ready but something just hasn't clicked internally and you're struggling to leave the starting blocks? 

Now experts say that long term weight loss starts in your head, they say that having the right attitude can help you to think yourself thin. If you want to be succesful in your weight loss regime first things first you need to cut the mental fat. 

How Can You Cut The Mental Fat? 

Firstly look at patterns and habits in your lifestyle, what do you do that are dragging you down, getting in the way of your success?

Everyone has their own excuses in life and when its comes to improving your health most people will do swimmingly until something happens that knocks them off course things like work, family issues, relationships and so on we are a nation of emotional eaters and when something happens we comfort ourselves with food, we tell ourselves things like "oh its ok to eat unhealthy because im stressed it helps me to cope" but really? Does eating unhealthy help you to really cope?

Are you an emotional eater? 

Be Patient

This is something I was never good at, I always wanted result too quickly and wanted too much!

Its part of our society now to have instant gratification with instant messages, digital cameras (no more waiting for the negatives to be done) weight loss is for most people too slow to satisfy our need for that instant gratification. 

We want instant results, when in actual fact how long did it take you to gain excess weight? It wasnt over night so how can you expect to lose weight quickly? But i'm sure you have all heard the term slow and steady wins the race, slow weight loss is better. If we lose weight too quickly its generally water weight or lean tissue and not the body fat we want to lose. 

Ways To Start Thinking Thin

1. Picture yourself thin -  This is something I use a lot in hypnosis allowing the subconscious mind to visualise being thinner, healthier, happier but you can do it consciously too! Picture yourself say 6 months from now or a year from now and think of how good you will feel fitting into the clothes you desperately want to wear, being able to do activities without getting uncomfortably out of breath. If you've been the size or weight you want to be get pictures out and put them somewhere that you look everyday as a daily reminder of what you are working towards. Think back to when you were that size what did you do differently then to what you do now and what could you incorporate again. 
2. Be Kind To Yourself - Being positive about yourself can have a drastic impact on how you feel. To break old habits you need to be able to see yourself in a positive light. 
3. Realistic Expectations - Whenever I ask somebody how much do they want to weigh I ask them to think realistic and think about what is attainable for them. I spent years hoping to be a UK size 8 and around 8 and a half stone but now I know that is no where near attainable for me! I've finally come to an agreement in my own head that i'm happy at a UK size 10 and around 10 stone, at this weight and size I feel comfortable in my own skin. 
4. Set Smaller Goals - Something I have done many times before is set a goal that feels too far away or completely out of reach, but when I broke it down to smaller bite size manageable chunks it felt that it was something I could achieve and not just a dream. These small goals should be things that you can do easily without completely taking over your life things such as eating more veg, drinking more water, moving more, It doesn't need to be solely focused on how much weight you need to lose. 
5. Have Support - It's always better to do something with a partner or friend, and this goes for dieting too. If you have the support around you it doesn't feel as difficult. When we have support for example a gym buddy or diet buddy we suddenly become accountable to that person, we don't want to let them down if they turn up to the gym and we don't, or if they've stuck to their diet and we haven't. Having support takes away those opportunities for excuses. Studies show that dieters who have support do much better than those who do it alone. 
6. Plan - The saying "those who fail to plan, plan to fail" is so true! planning your meals the night before or on a Sunday evening for the week ahead is 80% of the battle. Make your health a priority just as you would any other plans and schedules you have.
7. Reward Yourself -  Give yourself some credit, even if its a 1lb loss give yourself a pat on the back! as mentioned previously we love gratification and feeling good so its important that with every milestone or every weight loss, or physical health improvement we reward ourselves, whether that's a pamper session, or a new pair or trainers, whatever you enjoy reward yourself with it. 
8. Try New Things - And by this I mean ditch those old habit and create new ones! You need to make changes to see changes and by doing new things you will see results so instead of sitting in front of the TV watching your favourite soap get up and move! Try to look at your behaviours and habits that are stopping you from losing weight, tell yourself you do have time, you have time to prep, you have time to exercise there is 24 hours in a day and to plan your meals will only take a fraction of that 24 hour period, working out will take maximum 1 hour! what things do you do that take 1 hour that you could ditch or swap for exercising instead? 
9. Have A Diary - Track your success, when you are losing weight its too easy to lose track of where you started. You may have an off day and not feel as fit and healthy as you did and fall of track but being able to look back from where you came can instantly help to give you the motivation boost you need. 
10. Have FUN - Yes last but not least have fun! make this journey fun, do activities that mentally stimulate you so if you enjoy exercise with music on get some good headphones and crank the music up, if you prefer exercising in groups join some local groups, whatever you can do to make this whole thing fun then do it! 

This is episode 147 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering how to cope with a loved ones terminal illness.

This is something that I saw on a UK TV programme last week, in which a UK celebrity is currently dealing with her mum being diagnosed with a terminal illness and how she has struggled coming to terms with it.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either myself or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

When a loved one develops a serious illness it is normal for all family members to experience a feeling of deep sadness, grief or loss and if the illness is terminal it can be something we really struggle to come to terms with and find it hard to plan for the outcome.

Anticipatory Grief

When we find out a loved one has a terminal illness sometimes its normal to experience anticipatory grief meaning you begin to experience grief and feelings of loss before it actually happens. Just as with grief after death family and friends may experience an array of different emotions as you begin to adjust to this new idea of what is to come. Typical emotions you may experience could be:

• Sorrow
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Acceptance
• Depression
• Denial

Depending on the amount of time your loved one has left and the relationship you share with that person you may experience a feeling of being close and have a determination to make their last days, weeks or months count. On the other hand you may feel anxious about whats to come or focus on last resort treatments or what could you have done differently that you push away any thoughts of the inevitable.

Although some people may not experience anticipatory grief it is normal for people to experience some of these emotions and feelings.

What Can You Do? 

• Make time to say good bye -  As painful as this statement may sound it can be really beneficial in helping you to feel a sense of acceptance of what is about to come.
• Talk to your loved one - Talking it out with your loved one could help both of you, you may find that your loved one isn't that scared and have actually come to terms with it which may in turn help you to come to terms.
• Treasure the time left - make the remaining time your loved one has left a rememberable one that you can always look back on in a positive light rather than "I wish I'd have acted differently"

Seek Help

The loss of anyone can be difficult and sometimes the grief can consume us making us feel there is no way out of these sad feelings we are experiencing. If you are currently going through this or have lost a loved one and are struggling then please do seek help, whether that be counselling, therapy sessions or helpful groups in your local area. Talking to somebody can be really beneficial in these cases and just simply feeling that you have somebody to turn to and your not alone can sometimes be enough to get you through this.

This is episode 146 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering fear/phobia of driving.

This is another request from our Facebook audience so once again thank you for your continued support an requests being sent in.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either myself or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

If you are experiencing anxiety or fear around driving then hopefully today's podcast can help you to start feeling more confident when driving.

What Causes Driving Anxiety/Phobias? 

With any phobia or fear it's hard to be precise on what causes it, sometimes it can be an unpleasant experience which triggers the fear. Long dark journeys, being in a car accident or just seeing one these kind of things could all be triggers. Although some people find that their fear of driving can come on gradually or can come and go over a long period of time and no particular triggers are involved.

It could simply be anxiety caused by focusing on the activity gradually rising the anxiety levels around it. Now it may be useful to understand your trigger and the cause to the anxiety you feel but this isn't vital. I like to say focus on feeling right rather than focus on whats making you feel so terrible, more solution focused rather than problem focused.

How Can You Start To Feel More Confident? 

With any phobia or anxiety the solution is generally always the same. Remember the term what you focus on increases and the more you focus on how terrible your anxiety levels are around driving the more you will increase those feelings.

When we have a fear we become conditioned to produce that fear response in situations that aren't dangerous at all, so to begin making a change in how you feel you need to re train "de-condition" your response to driving.

You can do this by gradually exposing yourself to the things you fear so if its night time driving gradually drive a little more each time in the night, if its motorways try driving on large roads first with somebody you feel confident and safe with, then progressively get to motorways. The more you practice this type of de-conditioning and experience those original fears without actually running away from them you eventually should become less sensitive to it.

Create yourself a plan, where are you now and where would you like to get to and when would you like to get there by?

As for all fears or phobias everyone experiences them in different levels of severity so you need to work at your own pace gradually expanding your travel bit by bit. These gradual exposures can be as small or as large as necessary but keep in mind that each step should challenge your anxiety a little bit.

Relax

Its important to be able to relax in any anxious state, so learning useful relaxation techniques can be really beneficial for you. Techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness and so on.

These kinds of techniques can be used a fast acting relaxation, allowing you to regain control over your thoughts quickly stopping that fear response.

As always if you feel you require more help please do speak to somebody, self help groups or 1-2-1 with a therapist or GP could all help in these cases.

This is episode 145 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering Toxic Relationships and having the confidence to walk away. 

This is another request from our Facebook audience so once again thank you for your continued support an requests being sent in.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either myself or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

Now if you're reading this or listening to the podcast then there's a chance you know somebody who is or are in a toxic relationship yourself, or perhaps you're not sure if your relationship is toxic? hopefully after today you will have a better understanding of your own relationship or have the confidence to finally do something.

What is a toxic relationship?

A toxic relationship is a relationship in which behaviours carried out by the "toxic" partner are emotionally and sometimes physically damaging to their partner. Having a toxic relationship damages self esteem and can be physically and emotionally draining. 

A toxic relationship is the total opposite to what we would class a healthy relationship in which you feel respect, caring, have an interest in your partners welfare and happiness a feeling of safety and security. In a toxic relationship it is generally characterised by feelings of insecurity, dominance, control by our partners and we risk our own mental and physical safety by staying in such toxic relationships. 

Toxic Behaviours 

There are many ways in which a relationship or person can be classed as toxic however the typical aspects of this behaviours are:

• Inappropriate controlling
• Manipulative
• Physically or mentally abusive
• Belittling 
• Bad temper
• Over reacting to situations
• Posessive

And these behaviours are pretty much on a daily basis. Typically a toxic partner to the outside world behaves in a exemplary and normal manner, its at home that these behaviours tend to show. 

A toxic person behaves in the way they do essentially for one main reason which is to be in complete control and to have all power over the relationship. Power sharing does not occur in a toxic relationship. Now do bear in mind that these behaviours may not be apparent in the early stages of the relationship which is why most people in toxic relationships don't even realise they're in one until it becomes dangerous for them.  

What To Do?

If you are in a toxic relationship the first thing to understand is that you cannot change your partner, and unless they see that there is a problem with the way they are behaving you will be fighting a losing battle staying with them to help or change them. However with that being said, if you are not willing yo give up or leave the way you can help your partner is to change yourself and how to respond to situations with your partner which could in turn make them decide to change their behaviours. 

Now if you are at the point of no return and feel you need/must leave but are too scared or don't feel strong enough mentally then there are a few things you can do to help yourself along the way:

• Surround yourself with people who care and love you for support
• Remember why you want to leave
• Be wary not to fall for sob stories or promises of changing
• Do things for YOU, hobbies, things that make you feel good
• Cut as many ties as you can from that person. 

I have helped many people in toxic relationships who have finally decided enough is enough and with a little support from people around them and keeping occupied and strong mentally they have managed to break free from their toxic relationships. 

If you are currently in a toxic relationship and need help please talk to people around you and look for that help, relationships don't need to be hard work or make you feel insecure, small, or unsure. With the right support you can do something about it. 

This is episode 144 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering New Years Resolutions

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either myself or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

So its that time of year.......... New Year New You? Or are you ditching the resolutions this year? 

Every January the world is filled with people starting their new years resolutions whether that be losing weight, exercising more, be more active, start a new career, be more positive the list is endless when it comes to resolutions.

But why does it have to happen only in the new year? are you fed up of giving yourself a restriction on starting new things only at the new year? why not February resolutions, March resolutions and so on. Do our goals only really matter if it's a "resolution"

This year i've decided i'm not putting a label on my goals of resolutions, instead i'm going to continue being the person i want to be and continue working on new goals and aspirations that present themselves through out the year.

The amount of time we put too much pressure on ourselves of starting these resolutions in January, pronouncing to our loved ones our plans and feel like a failure if we haven't stuck to it. 

If you have a goal, a target, a plan it doesn't matter when you start as long as you start some time. 

Take the pressure off yourself of it being a resolution and start planning and goal setting to ensure you feel like you can complete it. 

This is episode 143 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering Misophonia

This was another request from the Facebook audience so thank you so much appointment through and allowing me to create content that will hopefully help you in some way.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either myself or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

So let's get to Misophonia, what is it and how can you deal with it?

The very fact you are listening to this podcast means that you should have an awareness of what misophonia is or may have heard about it in some way.

What Is Misophonia?

The definition of misophonia is somebody who hates sounds, but not necessarily all sounds. People who suffer from misophonia have triggers and specific sounds that they find hard to deal with and are sensitive to only certain sounds.
Now there are probably sounds that we all find hard such as fingernails down a chalk board, or squeaking of a balloon, but this is only a fraction of what a sufferer will experience when they hear their specific trigger sound. sufferers can experience an intense strong negative emotion towards their trigger sound and in some cases can create an urge to lash out at the thing or person creating that sound.

What Are Triggers? 

There are many different trigger sounds but here are a select few that I have found:

Eating, loud chewing, burping, crunching, gulping, chewing gum, licking, throat clearing, breathing, nasal, grunting, sniffling, sneezing, raspy voices, nose whistling, wheezing, nasally voice, keyboard tapping, clocks, tv remote, pen clicking, papers rustling, feet shuffling.

This is just a select few that i have seen and heard of but there are many many more!

How Can You Overcome Misophonia?

It is said that techniques such as CBT can help with overcoming Misophonia, allowing you to react differently to trigger noises and rationalise your response more effectively. Noticing how your thoughts create intense feelings and changing those thoughts.

Hypnosis can also be a great tool to help you to overcome this issue.

Remember I am not a GP so cannot diagnose and the details in this podcast are ideas and tips that i have used with clients to help and aid them in their progress, if you are unsure or need to have any issues diagnosed please do visit your GP or talk to a professional on a 1-2-1 basis.

This is episode 142 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering Panic Attacks and how to deal with them.

This was another request from the Facebook audience so thank you so much appointment through and allowing me to create content that will hopefully help you in some way.

http://www.absolutemind.co.uk/freeanxietycourse 

Please do bear in mind that we have created this podcast to be of some insight and some sort of assistance but by no means a way to treat conditions on their own.

If you do have any deep-rooted conditions or ailments that you'd like some assistance with on a one-to-one professional approach, then please feel free to contact either myself or Michael on Facebook or directly through the website and we can arrange sessions that way or via Skype, whatever suits.

So let's get to panic attacks and how you can begin to control those attacks.

The very fact you are listening to this podcast means that you should have an awareness of what a panic attack is or may have heard about them in some way.

What Is A Panic Attack?

A panic attack is very similar to an anxiety attack, it can be described as an abrupt feeling of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within a few minutes.

It can include some of the following symptoms:

Palpitations
Pounding heart
Accelerated heart rate
Sweating
Trembling
Shaking
Shortness of breath
Feeling smothered
Feeling you are about to collapse or worse.

As you can imagine this can be a very traumatic and scary experience for those who suffer. Some times these panic attacks can seem to come from nowhere.  Those who suffer from panic attacks generally fear them happening again which can in turn cause a negative loop of constantly trying not to have a panic attack which can create that panic attack happening again, a bit like telling yourself not to think of a purple elephant, your brain has to firstly think of that purple elephant to imagine not thinking about it. you simply cant do a don't.

What Triggers A Panic Attack

This is something that is unique to the sufferer, however generally panic attacks and anxiety go hand in hand. Too much stress or anxiety can create that intense feeling of panic quickly escalating into a full blown attack.

Things that cause an abrupt shift in how we feel can sometimes create a panic attack such as the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss. Panic attacks can also be triggered by medical issues or physical ailments.

How Can You Stop Panic Attacks

Firstly recognising that intense feeling as a panic attack is your first step to gaining control. Understanding that although sometimes it feels like something bad is going to happen when in fact it is not. you are already making progress by just understanding these points.

Now what you can do in the midst of a panic attack to try to bring those levels down is to breathe! Diaphragmatic breathing is the technique you should be using to allow the correct levels of oxygen and carbon monoxide in your body. now this wont necessarily stop a panic attack but it can help to bring those intense feelings down to a more manageable level.

Next is to focus on your surroundings and not whats going on inside, focus on sights, sounds smells, you'll be surprised how quickly you can take your focus off those horrible feelings once you start to notice around you.

Another useful tip is to try to notice any patterns or triggers that cause your panic attacks, once you know these patterns or triggers you can feel more empowered and in control to avoid them or to change things that cause them.

Remember I am not a GP so cannot diagnose and the details in this podcast are ideas and tips that i have used with clients to help and aid them in their progress, if you are unsure or need to have any issues diagnosed please do visit your GP or talk to a professional on a 1-2-1 basis.