This is episode 163 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering being comfortable in your own skin. 

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.

This episode is something that is personal to me as I spent a lot of years feeling uncomfortable with me and desperately wanting to be something/somebody else. Its only over the past few years that I truly feel comfortable in my own skin, who I am and what I do. 

It's actually quite common to struggle with feeling uncomfortable in your own skin and and can lead to self criticism and low self esteem especially these days of social media and the amount of pressure we out on ourselves to live up to other peoples standards of lives. 

It's far more important to have high regard for ourselves and our own self belief than to worry about what others think of us. Think of the last time you did something wrong or messed up slightly, what did you say to yourself? you might have said - "I'm a failure" "I always mess up". We generally say some pretty harsh things to ourselves but think about it, they way you speak to yourself, would you speak to somebody else in that way? 

So how can you stop this cycle and begin to love yourself and feel comfortable in your own skin?

1. Be kind to yourself - show love and accept your faults, stop self criticising and when you do mess up think of what you learnt from the mistake and what you can do differently next time. This is a much more positive way of thinking. 
2. Remember you are human - Nobody is perfect, We all have traits that we may want to change, we all mess up. When you can acknowledge this and be fine with it you will be able to accept yourself for who you are being comfortable with your personality, how you look, your career and so on. 
3. Be mindful - being mindful of negative thoughts towards yourself and acknowledging them for what they are a negative thought and not the truth can allow you to notice those thoughts without them having an impact. Once you do this those negative thoughts wont be so important and wont be around much longer. 
4. Practice some affirmations - Practicing positive affirmations can have a real benefit tell yourself tings such as - "I am worth it" "I am somebody" "I am good enough" "I like myself" 

Practising self love is important when trying to feel comfortable with who you are, for you to be able to love those around you, you firstly need to love and accept yourself. 

This is episode 162 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering lying to yourself. 

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.

Being lied to is one of the most aggravating things we can experience but when you lie to yourself and don't even realise you're doing it just think of the impact this can have. People lie to themselves all the time, we lie because maybe we are afraid of the truth, feel inadequate or ashamed. we lie because we believe our lives would be better, when in fact the best life you can lead is when we are completely honest with ourselves. So are you lying to yourself? 

Signs You're Lying To Yourself

1. Emotions and words not matching up - Have you ever tried to tell yourself you're fine when actually your physically crying and emotions are all over the show. Yet you still tell yourself all is fine? your emotions may even catch you off guard, anger from nowhere? Emotional all of a sudden? So if your emotions and words are not matching up try looking at whats going on with yourself, are you lying to yourself about something you really want/need to discuss or work on? Acknowledge how you feel and deal with what presents. 
2. You don't take on board other peoples words - quite often you don't want to admit that you're lying to yourself, you believe what you believe and thats that. Therefor you may find that you shut out all alternative ideas, comments form outside of your bubble. You don't want input, different opinions or alternative perspectives on situations as this could shine light on the fact that you are lying to yourself. Learn to accept feedback and listen to other opinions. 
3. Alway's right - No matter what happens you are never wrong, even if it was your fault you truly believe and convince yourself that it wasn't. Break ups are never your fault, arguments always start because of the other person. The issue here is that you never right your wrongs, or learn from mistakes as you're lying to yourself that you are not wrong. Its ok to admit wrongs and to apologise, this can help you to learn from them and grow from our wrong doings. 
4. Denying why you can't lose weight - This is something I hear/see a lot. lots of people lying to themselves as to why they can't lose weight as they simply wont acknowledge and lie that they "haven't eaten much" when in fact if they were truthful to themselves they would be able to see what they eat and how much they're over consuming. 

These are just some of the things to look out for when lying to yourself, the more we lie to ourselves the deeper of a hole you can get into. Living a life of openness, honesty, and acknowledging feelings, emotions and alternative views can be a real joyous life so give it a try stop lying to yourself and be happy with who you are in your own skin. Admitting you have a problem is the first step to feeing better. 

Sponsors

1. • 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 161 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering getting yourself back on track with fitness. 

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.

So todays podcast is one for all those who have fallen off the wagon and are simply struggling with getting back on track. Ive done it myself, a week off eating what I want all day every day and i feel sluggish! But am I beating myself up for it? NO WAY!

Sometimes you just need a reset, a break, a chance to show yourself just how good it feels doing exercise and eating healthy and falling off track does just that, you realise how sluggish you feel not doing anything and eating everything in sight. But if your now struggling to get back to it don't worry you're not alone, they say that more than 3 days off and it can feel harder to get back into your gym routine but with some simple steps and todays hypnosis I'm hoping you can get yourselves back to your workouts and eating healthy once again. 

Simple Steps To Getting Back On Track

Ok first things first don't spend your day beating yourself up because you haven't yet managed to get back to it! You have two choices you can continue on with your daily battle of beating yourself up, walking backwards on your fitness journey and ignoring how bad you feel because you have in some way "failed" every day taking your further and further away fro you goal OR choose to accept that your human and not perfect (who is anyway) ditch the guilt trip and start thinking positively, thats 2 steps already down on that positive healthier track. 

Stop waiting for tomorrow, next week, Monday and start NOW. Start small to begin you're not going to go from working our every day, to nothing then back to every day you will notice your fitness levels will have dropped but they can be regained slowly and steadily again. Here's a few little steps to getting back to your current fitness level. 

1. Try a short hiit workout, 10-15 minutes in the morning to get you up and moving, its quick, easy and gets that heart rate up quickly, and doesn't 10-15 minutes sound so much easier than a 60 minute class at the gym!
2. Try new recipes, sometimes when we go to the dark side and eat all the yummy not so healthy food it can seem pretty harsh going back to chicken and broccoli! so try out a few new healthy but tasty recipes to entice you a little more.
3. Drink up! Make sure you get plenty of water. I always find when I manage to get plenty of water down me i instantly feel healthier, less bloated and clearer in my head so ditch the coffees, juices or whatever you've been drinking an get back to good old H2o 
4. Get some fresh air whilst working out, even going for a brisk walk can help with motivation levels. Pop on some headphones, grab your dog (if you've got one, if not it doesn't matter) and go for a good brisk walk in the fresh air. 
5. Write down exactly what you're eating, we sometimes mindlessly eat and pick at things that we don't register in our heads especially after falling off track. These little picky mindless snacks can really dampen your ability to get back to it so get a journal and jot everything down. That way you can see exactly whats going on.
6. Get specific about what you want, re-do your goals. What do you want, when by, how much, is that attainable, be specific when thinking about where you want to be. 
7. Set your alarm, If you're a morning person set your alarm and put it across the other side of the room that way you have to get up and out of bed to switch it off and by that time you might as well get ready for the gym
8. Gym clothes out and prepared. I always find that if I get my gym clothes out the night before I'm more likely to get up and going once my alarm goes off.

So theres some quick tips that have helped my not only my clients but myself to get back on track whenever I fall off, I've always found the biggest thing that helps me is to just admit I'm not a robot and I'm not perfect and sometimes life gets in the way causing us to slip up sometimes, but be fair to yourself and pick yourself up as soon as you can. 

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This is episode 160 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering ways in which you can remain positive around negative people. 

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.

Do you find being around negative people has an effect on you and how you feel? No matter how positive you strive to be and keeping your positive mental attitude it can be difficult when surrounded by negativity to keep that positive outlook.

Being surrounded by negative people can be draining and make you into a person you don't like or want to be, it can make you feel frustrated and even begin to turn you into a negative/pessimistic person.

But no matter how challenging it can be to remain positive around negativity it is possible to keep your optimistic outlook.

How To Remain Positive

1. Stay Focused On Yourself - When you are faced with somebody eases negative outlook, one of the best things you can do to help yourself it to stay focused on YOU! No matter what others do or say around you you should only really need to focus on yourself and control your own attitude and response. Ask yourself these questions: How am i reacting to the negativity, How can i make my reaction more positive.
   So if you find yourself feeling frustrated with somebody's negativity shift your focus on to how you are feeling and responding and how you could be more positive. You cant control others around you but you can control your actions and reactions.
2. Switch Your Reaction - When dealing with difficult negative people a great tool is to switch your reaction, When somebody is acting negatively around you ie Yelling, arguing, passive aggressive, using negative language etc try acting in the opposite way. It can be challenging to not mirror somebody's behaviours but if you can manage this it can help in keeping you feeling more positive.
3. Don't Take It To Heart - When around negativity it can be hard to remember that more often than not their negativity isn't completely about you. Perhaps they're having a bad day and dealing with lots of stress so feel they need to vocalise their stress. We can never know exactly what is going on in other peoples lives so try not to take any negativity personally.
4. Be Grateful - Practising gratitude when dealing with a negative person can be very difficult but  if you can regularly practice gratitude even in times of negativity it can have a great effect on your mental state. It's easy to be positive when things are going well but when we can do it in times of negativity it can really strengthen your skills on positivity.

Staying positive around people especially negative ones can be tough but if you can put these few tips into practice you might just begin to notice how little other peoples attitude have an effect on you now.

Sponsors

1. • 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 159 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering ways in which you can stop negative 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.

Do you find yourself negatively thinking on a regular basis? 

Have you ever stopped to notice just how much those negative thoughts can impact your day to day? Overcoming negative thinking can be one of the biggest tasks you may face if you have gotten into the pattern of doing it regularly. 

Thinking the worst or expecting failure/betrayal convey a kind of life insurance "If i expect the worst then i wont be disappointed when it happens. Negative thinkers can live in the "I told you so" life feeling like its more important to prove right their negative predictions than to have good things happen and be proved wrong. 

Many negative thinkers may call themselves realists rather than pessimists but negative thinking or "being realistic" can have an impact on their outcome of events. Negative thoughts can plague us even when things seem to be going well saying things such as "it's too good to last" 

So how can you stop thinking so negatively and allowing those thoughts to impact your life. 

Way's To Stop Thinking Negatively 

1. When you notice a negative thought or image begin to creep into your mind, try actually saying STOP to yourself out loud if you're alone or aloud in your head if you're not comfortable with this. When you abruptly interrupt the thought pattern it can help to shift your thought process quickly. If you'd rather say something other than stop create your own phrase such as "get out of my head" or create an image in your mind of stop signs, no entry and so on. 
2. Break the cycle by changing the direction of your thoughts by counting backwards from 100-0 
3. Start some positive affirmations, positive affirmations can be used in many different  ways and can be similar to the thought changing technique, when a negative thought enters your mind repeat your affirmation. Also begin to practice saying your affirmations on a daily basis which can help to re-shape your thinking creating the positive outlook rather than the negative. 
4. Stop mind reading, Negative thinking stops us from being ok with uncertainty. This can then lead to trying to mind read for example if somebody doesn't respond to your text you may find that negative thinkers will see it as the person doesn't like them or they've done something to offend them when in fact there could be many reasons why they haven't responded such as lost their phone, battery has died, they're on a plane, they're busy or any other highly likely reason as to why they haven't responded. 

Being a negative thinker can be tiring, lonely and simply frustrating not only for the thinker but those around them. So if you are a negative thinker then try these few simple steps to avoid negative thoughts in the future. 

Sponsors

1. • 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 158 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering ways in which you can reduce anxiety.

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.

Note: If you feel you may be dealing with a serious anxiety disorder and need assistance please talk to a medical professional about your options of treatment. There are many options that are available to help with anxiety symptoms but if you are looking for ways that may help to reduce your levels of anxiety this podcast could help you on your way to becoming calmer and more relaxed on a regular basis. 

Anxiety is something that I see on a regular basis in my therapy practice, technically anxiety isn't a thing, its not something you can catch rather a apprehension over upcoming events, anticipating the future with scary predictions that don't have any basis in truth.

In our every day lives anxiety can create some physical and emotional symptoms such as increased heart rate, lack of concentration, sleep problems and over all low mood.

The anxiety response is similar to what the cave man would have experienced when in danger running from tigers or hunting/gathering. But in our modern world we're not running from danger or hunting our foods and its the small things that can tip us over the edge such as morning rush hour, losing keys and so on. These kind of things can create extra levels of stress which in turn increases the anxiety levels.

But there are a few simple steps you can take towards helping yourself feel better and hopefully allow you to feel more relaxed and calm on a daily basis.

1. Get Some Sleep - Although trying to get enough sleep when anxious can be a tremendously hard thing to do lack of sleep can have some serious consequences. Lack of sleep can affect our physical health but can also contribute to overall anxiety and stress levels. Since anxiety often leads to lack of sleep it can seem impossible to break the cycle so try as many routes you can to sleep more, relaxing baths with magnesium salts, meditation before bed, particular foods known for aiding sleep such as bananas etc
2. Have Some Fun - It can seem like a big task to take yourself away and have a smile or a giggle but when things are getting on top of you it can be a good idea to break away and smile. Research suggests that laughing can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety so check out some funny clips on the internet or surround yourself with fun friends to help make you smile.
3. De-Clutter - De-clutter your physical spaces to help minimise any added stress or anxiety. Its suggested that a messy work place or home can make it feel impossible to complete work and its never ending. The clearer your space is the clearer your mind can be and will be able to think more rationally.
4. Eat Well -  Anxiety can mean that our bodies go completely out of whack and appetites may change, you may find you crave different foods, or don't want to eat at all. But if you can try to give the body the support it needs it can help with feeling more human/normal as the body is in sync. Try eating nutrient rich foods containing vitamin B, Omega-3 etc. Your body may crave sweet sugary processed foods but studies show that these foods can in-fact increase levels of anxiety so try to stay away from these sugary processed foods.
5. Breathe - A well known tool to help prevent panic attacks is to breathe diaphragmatically, in through the nose extending the belly allowing the air to flow then breathe out sucking the belly in, the chest should never need to move when doing this breathing as its all about breathing through the stomach.
6. Meditate - I have spoken about meditation in the past and its many benefits and its no surprise that meditation can help to alleviate anxiety levels, it relaxes the body and helps to improve mood.

In an dream world nobody would experience anxiety and we wouldn't come up with these thoughts that creates stress or anxiety. But we are all human and we do worry about things. So when you start to worry or freak out a little try to remember to calm the brain, relax the body and re-centre yourself to get your head back in the game. And as always if you feel you need further help please do go to speak to somebody who may be able to help you further.

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 157 of the Absolute Mind podcasts and today I am covering meditation and how learning meditation can make you feel great!

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.

Meditation has many benefits an if used can be a life changing ritual that you can partake in. Studies show meditation is essential to feeling well, eliminate negative thoughts, worries, anxieties and can help to block out all those factors that can prevent us from feeling happy within ourselves. Its believed that regular practice of meditation can mitigate the symptoms of stress and anxiety.

So if you're feeling a little off and not quite right then meditation could be your answer! But theres more....... theres more ways in which meditation can help you in your life.

What are the benefits of meditation?

The benefits of meditation is no secret, look at the highly successful people and you will no doubt find that a large number of successful people meditate. Meditation is known for its ability to relieve stress and anxiety and can have a positive impact on life.

1. Reduces stress - To meditate means to take charge of our own nervous system and emotions. Studies show that regular meditation can improve our ability to regulate our emotions in the brain.
2. Improved Concentration - Meditation has been linked to an increased  ability to focus, improved memory a clearer mind is a calmer mind and a calmer mind can concentrate much easier.
3. Increased Self Awareness - Meditation can put you onto the right track of being happy within yourself. It can trigger the left side of your prefrontal cortex which is the part responsible for positive emotions.
4. Better Sleep - It is suggested that regular mediation can help to alleviate sleep problems such as insomnia and can allow you to feel more relaxed going to bed, with less wake times during the night.
5. Happier - Studies show that those who meditate regularly are overall much happier. when we meditate we gain an insight to our inner minds and can see negative thoughts without allowing them to impact us, knowing that they are simply just that "a negative thought"
6. More Relaxed - Meditation allows your mind and your body to relax, which means those external stressors are no longer such a big thing. Regular practice of this relaxed approach allows the body and mind to respond to stressors in a relaxed way rather than the fight or flight approach.

When Should You Meditate?

If you are new to meditation, It may be beneficial to practice regular 5 minutes meditation a day for the first week or so working on regulating your breathing, focusing on the breath and becoming aware of bodily sensations. The more you practice the easier it will becomes to get into your "zone" of relaxation. once you become a regular meditator you will know you're own routine and what works bet for you, some people like to mediate first thing in the morning to help them start their day completely calm and zen like.

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