Time Management

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

It is often psychologically easier and more rewarding
to tackle small portions of a project at a time.

 

 

Many people fulfill several roles in their daily life. They juggle the role of parent, spouse or romantic partner, athlete, friend, etc., plus the myriad responsibilities they fulfill at work. Sometimes it feels like a full-time job to just keep track of who you are supposed to be and what you are supposed to be doing at any given moment. Here are some suggestions to help you relax and be completely “present” in whatever you are doing—no matter how much (or little) time you spend in that role.

·         Square breathe. Draw a deep breath through the nose and hold it to the count of four, then exhale through your mouth. As you inhale, visualize, imagine, picture or pretend that you are inhaling calm, focus, patience and any word that you associate with feeling powerful and in control. As you exhale, allow any stress, frustration or negative energy or emotion that you identify in your body.

·         Anchor this new sensation by pressing or rubbing the thumb and index (pointing) finger of either hand. This action physically “anchors” your subconscious mind to the calm, relaxed state of focused energy that you will be able to access as you fulfill each role.

·         Prioritize what you need to do. Make a list—mental or write it down—of what needs your attention. The first item should be what needs to be done right now. What is the next priority, and so on?

·         If a project is particularly complicated or involved, break that big project into several smaller, more manageable “chunks.” Even though the final project is the same, it is psychologically easier—and more rewarding—to tackle small portions of it at a time.

·         Stay organized and on-task­. Make sure that you have all of the material(s) available and on-hand to achieve your goal or complete your project.

·         Unless the project absolutely demands this kind of contact or you are waiting for someone in your group to arrive, turn off/silence your phone or computer. Technology makes our lives easier in many ways, but the temptation to check for unrelated text messages or voice-mail and browse the Internet for something-that-might-be-useful-but-is-actually-totally-unrelated to what you are doing, is almost always more distracting than helpful. 

·         Complete each task according to its priority before you tackle the next one!

Whether you are supervising a project at work, spending quality time with your family or just chilling out with your friends, each activity will place a specific demand on your attention and the time you spend doing...whatever. It is important to dedicate as much time as you want or need to this activity, but make sure that your focus is completely on that project. You, and whatever you are doing or working on, deserve nothing less—and you will value the time you spend focusing on this endeavor even more.

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Hypnotherapy for Health and Well-Being

Photo courtesy of Fotolia 

Hypnotherapy incorporates the client's words to increase
motivation to follow healthy behavior and improve well-being.

One of the most common requests I receive is to help someone, through hypnotherapy, to live a healthy lifestyle. Each person will have a specific issue or area that he or she would like to address and/or focus on or improve or change. Hypnotherapy is such an effective tool to facilitate these health-related behavior changes because the hypnosis scripts incorporate the client’s own words and motivations to achieve those goals. I  reinforce these suggestions by creating suggestibility-specific scripts (e.g., physical or emotional suggestibility) with which my client's subconscious mind will identify, accept and understand so that he or she can easily and comfortably accomplish these objectives.

·         Lose weight or maintain weight lost

·         Stop smoking

·         Improve quality/quantity of sleep

·         Exercise/increase physical activity

·         Reduce/manage stress

·         Make healthy food choices

·         Drink more water/increase hydration

·         Improve/increase motivation to follow the new lifestyle regimen.

 

 Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Energy Exchange

 

 

Photo courtesy of Microsoft 

You have the power to change (raise or lower) the energy in a situation
so you feel more relaxed and comfortable. 

                Perhaps you have heard or even used one of these expressions: “He has great energy”; “You give off a good vibe”; “there is a charge in the air when you’re around”; “she rubs me the wrong way”; “I have a very bad feeling about this”; or, “I feel very comfortable when I am around you.” These are just a few examples of how people experience emotional energy in their environment.

                I am not talking about energy in the context of lightning or electricity as depicted in the photo that accompanies this blog. Rather, “energy” in this context refers to that primal and subconscious reaction to another person or a situation. This reaction may be one of attraction or repulsion; it may change (positively or negatively) over time. Whenever energy is very big and not controlled, even positive energy can overwhelm, confuse and frustrate you. Low energy can make you feel depressed, anxious and suffocated. The great thing about energy in either context is that you have the power to change (raise or lower) it so you feel more relaxed and comfortable. Here are a few easy techniques to help you do this.

·         Square breathe. Draw a deep breath through your nose and hold it for the count of 4, 3, 2, 1…and release the breath slowly through the mouth. Continue breathing like this to/until you feel centered (relaxed, patient, focused and confident) to deal with the person or situation that is affecting you.

·         Use these seconds that you are drawing and expelling each cleansing breath to think about what you will say or do in response to the emotionally charged person you are dealing with and/or to actually change the energy around you.

·         If you feel overwhelmed (negatively or positively) by the energy around you, hold your right (or left) forearm in front of you and make a quick slicing motion in front of you. (You can also perform this action to each side and behind your body.) I use this technique every time I conclude a Reiki (energy) healing session to ensure that I separate from the other person or animal’s energy, when we are done. You should immediately notice a sensation of release and greater relaxation once you have literally cut off the connection with the intrusive energy.

·         Match your level of activity (tone and cadence of speech, intensity of the same behavior, etc.) and then slowly, gradually start to lower or raise your level of energy. As you change your energy level, the other person(s) will subconsciously start to match your behavior in a similar way to how you consciously matched their behavior to effect this change.

 

 Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Weight Loss and Hypnotherapy

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

It is important to be personally motivated to achieve your weight-loss
goal in order for this program to be successful.

 Whenever I work with a hypnotherapy client to help the person lose weight, the first thing I do is to establish the motivation for losing the weight. Is there a health reason such as diabetes control? Does the person want to improve his or her physical fitness or just take off a few pounds after indulging during the holidays? Sometimes friends or relatives in the person’s social circle put on pressure to drop the pounds. Or, a client may use excess weight as a “shield” to protect against emotional rejection or even a subconscious fear of returning to a previous lower weight where an emotional trauma may have occurred, said John G. Kappas, Ph.D., founder of Hypnosis Motivation Institute.

“If you are not personally motivated to achieve the weight-loss goal, the weight-loss program is unlikely to be successful.”

Once the client identifies what is motivating him or her to lose weight, I help the person to resolve any previous issues or resistance to losing weight* and develop a strong, positive self-image about being at the desired weight and feeling comfortable with being physically attractive. When appropriate, I also refer the client to be examined by a physician for guidance about an appropriate exercise and nutritional regimen, which I will reinforce during the hypnotherapy sessions. All hypnotic suggestions would incorporate the client’s feeling motivated to feel physically, emotionally, mentally healthy and happier every day and to project positive feelings and ideas of successfully losing weight in a healthy way.

*California law allows access by California residents to complementary and alternative health care practitioners who are not providing services that require medical training and credentials. The purpose of a program of hypnotherapy is for vocational and avocational self-improvement (Business and Professions Code 2908) and as an alternative or complementary treatment to healing arts services licensed by the state. A hypnotherapist is not a licensed physician or psychologist, and hypnotherapy services are not licensed by the state of California. Services are non-diagnostic and do not include the practice of medicine, neither should they be considered a substitute for licensed medical or psychological services or procedures.

 

 Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

I Am Not a Wallflower, But...




Photo courtesy of Microsoft

When you are at a party, take the opportunity to hang out with
new people that you otherwise probably never would have met.

                This morning, I had brunch with relatives I had not seen since I was about 10 years old. It was a family reunion of sorts, and it was a lot of fun to get reacquainted with them. I really did enjoy myself; but I bet some of you would wonder about that if you had been there. You see, when the size of a group (or party) gets big, I tend to get very “small.” If I am in a group larger than three people—and even that may be pushing it sometimes—I tend to hang back. I prefer to watch and listen to the interactions going on around me. Maybe you are the same way. Here are some suggestions to help you enjoy the company of the other people there—albeit in your own way—and on your (smaller-scale) terms.

·        Do not pressure yourself to interact with everyone—or anyone—right away. Narrow your focus of interaction to chat with the person sitting/standing immediately beside you or across the table from you.

·         Remember (and remind) yourself that you were invited to the event because the host likes your company. Not only do you share at least one common interest with the person, so do the other guests. Trust that the host values your friendship/relationship and wants his or her other guests to get to know and appreciate your special qualities, too!

·         Offer to help set up or serve the food or even clean up, afterward. These activities are a great way to let you ease into the party by interacting with the guests without necessarily having to say too much at first. While you are helping out, your subconscious can “people watch” and listen to other guests’ conversations that will help you identify the individuals who appear to share your interests. Meanwhile, you will probably have many opportunities to communicate with them one-on-one as the guests wander in and out of the kitchen or serving area.

·         If you are still really having trouble getting into the event, try this mental game: Visualize, imagine, picture or pretend that you are someone else whom you really admire and respect. Perhaps this person is a role model in your life—a public figure, mentor or even a celebrity—whom you know is very comfortable interacting with a lot of people. If you don’t have a specific example in your life, a diplomat or a foreign ambassador make great examples for your large gathering/party alter-ego in this exercise. No matter where they are or whom they are with, part of their job is to make small talk to help others feel at ease.
 

You may be very comfortable and relaxed just hanging out (and hanging back) while everyone else interacts. However, it is important to remind ourselves that the reason we accepted the invitation to attend this event is to meet and talk to the other guests! Take this great opportunity to hang out with new people that you otherwise probably never would have met, and demonstrate to everyone around just how interesting and fun you are to be around!

  

 Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Happy New Year!

Photo courtesy of Photos.com 

As 2013 draws to a close, I want to thank my clients and everyone who has supported me and Calminsense Hypnotherapy® this year—and since I launched my hypnotherapy practice in 2005. It is hard to believe that nine years have gone by!

In addition to helping equestrians achieve their competition goals and improve their relationship and communication with their horse, I help people quit smoking, lose weight and maintain motivation to achieve a variety of vocational and avocational self-improvement goals. In 2014, I am also expanding the focus of my hypnotherapy practice to help individuals overcome performance anxiety in various areas: public speaking, preparation for school and state examinations, overcoming writer’s block, etc. I am also starting to work with individuals to deal with pain management*, hypnosis for pre- and post-surgery*, immune disorders* and post-traumatic stress disorder.* I continue to hone my skills in various techniques to increase my experience and expertise in applicable hypnotherapy techniques. I have recently earned certifications in: Emergency Hypnosis, Hypnosis and PTSD, Hypnosis for Crisis Intervention, Hypnosis and Eating Disorders and Hypnosis and Substance Abuse.

Finally, I revamped my website (www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com), which launched right before Christmas 2013. Please check out the new features, including a Questions & Answers section (Hypnotherapy tab), a list of my certifications, a description of the services I provide and more. As my hypnotherapy practice expands, I am now offering hypnotherapy sessions via Skype so I can work with you “virtually” even if we are not in the same state or even in the same time zone. Please contact me at calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com or call (661) 433-9430 for more information.

I hope you and yours have a very happy, healthy and safe New Year. I look forward to working with you in 2014!

 

*Requires a referral from a licensed medical practitioner and/or licensed mental health worker.

 

 Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

What Will the New Year Hold For You?

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

It is important to associate positive emotion with positive energy/intent
to see your goals manifest the way you want them to.

                As the New Year approaches, many people begin take stock of all they have experienced this year. Some of us have experienced excitement and joy; some of us have experienced sorrow or disappointment. Some events were unexpected. Other events were planned. You may want to do some things over and over again…others, perhaps, not so much.

                As you think about all you have experienced in 2013, now allow your thoughts to turn to what you would like to do next year. What goal(s) do you want to achieve? With whom you want to spend time—and how much time—in the next 365 days? Take a few minutes to visualize, imagine, picture or pretend how you will spend the next year. Is there some place you want to visit or would like to live? What do you need to do get there? Do you want or need new to learn new skills? Is this the year you are going to quit an unhealthy behavior or habit? Set a reasonable and realistic timetable to achieve your goal, including specific plans to achieve it. Your goal(s) should be worded in such a way that your subconscious mind hears and understands that you are in the process of achieving them: i.e., I am quitting smoking, I have dropped (my goal of) pounds, etc.

Remember, the subconscious cannot differentiate between positive and negative, fantasy and reality. Use positive imagery and bring up positive emotions (confidence, enthusiasm, joy, etc.) to associate with these images. It is important to attach positive emotion with positive energy/intent to see your goals manifest the way you want them to.

 

 Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.