Cirencester Hypnotherapy & Health Centre August 2018

Nicola Griffiths

Keeping my brain in tip top condition!

I was recently reading an article by Harvard Health - they do tend to send out some rather useful e-newsletters. This one was on Cognitive Health, rather a hot topic recently.  This is something I take a keen interest in given we see a lot of people at the clinic suffering with anxiety and depression.  The Harvard report didn’t come up with anything new, but sometimes a reminder can be useful.  So what did this report say?

Well, basically, it said to eat a plant-based diet; exercise regularly; get enough sleep; manage stress; nurture social contacts and, finally, continue to challenge your brain. Easy then!!

Together, the above can yield real results, leading to changes in both your brain's structure and function. I have to say, when I read how easily we can change the structure of our brain it always fills me with awe, and it’s true, we can.  But the key word to watch out for in the above is the first word of this paragraph: "Together."

None of the actions listed works that well in isolation. Simply eating more fibre or adding a morning walk to your routine isn't enough to forestall mental decline. Instead, exercise, diet, sleep, stress management, social interaction, and mental stimulation work in concert to yield results. 

I’m on a bit of a mission at the moment to get fitter.  So I’m spending more time in the fruit & veg shop, I’ve given hubby our elderly lab to walk as she’s very slow and I’ve taken over with the lurcher (which could seriously end in tears the way she takes off sometimes), I’m going to bed earlier, I’ve reduced my work load, I’ve booked in cups of tea with friends and I’ve got the jigsaw out to challenge the brain.

In fact, I’ve surprised myself at how well I’m doing.  How have I managed to change some bad decades-old habits?  Well, funnily enough, the hypnotherapist is having hypnotherapy! Yep, I actually practice what I preach.  A good hypnotherapist knows they have to look after themselves in order to look after others.  

Hypnotic trance is a normal thing that everyone experiences on a daily basis, i.e. whilst driving along a route you know very well and you think “how did I get here”?  In this trance state the brain comes out of defence mode and can see things from a different perspective, this allows us to change templates in the brain and come up with alternative solutions. Not quite magic as we don’t have magic wands, but it is incredible what we see clients achieve.

As I’m always saying, you don’t actually have to believe that you can change, the belief process kicks in once you see the change happening.  All you need is to ‘want’ to change.

Oh, and by the way, we’re all about neuroscience, not swinging fob watches!

For those people wanting to change, get in touch with the clinic on 01285 652449 or visit www.cirencesterhypnotherapycentre.co.uk.