Change Your Mind for a Better Life

Thoughts and insights on how to get the results in life you desire by the power of your subconscious mind.

[hypnosistherapy]

Age Proofing Your Brain...

I’m going to make an admission to you here. Full transparency and ready for you to throw a missile that dunks me in a large water tank!

I mislay things... like keys, my glasses and important documents!

I also forget things... like uncle’s birthdays and addresses, and which city did I really meet my first friend in? (You know those dumb types of mindless security questions you have to setup these days!)

What, you the same? You mean I’m not the only one in early stages of losing my memory as I get older?

So, I’m stringing you along. I know my memory lapses are normal as I get older.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I could talk about memory tricks stage artists use for performance reasons which discuss tips like “association”, “chunking” and the “Loci Method”, but today I’m going to focus on one method called “revivification.”

I like this method because it works for all ages but is especially accessible for senior folks who want to preserve their memories of the good and happy times.

Before I explore how revivification works and helps for memory I want to briefly discuss why the bad memories “stick” more than good ones.

We remember details about experiences where we were frightened or fearful or hurt, more easily than those happy moments spent with family or friends. This has to do with our genetic code. It was important for our ancestors to remember a bad experience to ensure it didn’t happen again or they handled things better. After all it could make the difference between eat or be eaten!

Most people can remember the first time they touched a hot stove and rarely repeat it deliberately.The detail is stored for ever.

But most happy memory details can easily fade away... if left alone.

So, revivification is a process to revive those memories and bring back the smiles and happy thoughts. It’s good for our memory and our well-being.

The process is not difficult but requires a trusted second party.

Recount the memory you want to revive and to relive. But you have to dwell on the specifics. Only by dwelling on a memory and having another party explore it with you will you begin to “remember” the detail. The amount of detail you’ll remember will be in proportion to the amount of emotion you attach to the memory.

Significant family events are opportune fodder for this revivification exercise.

Have your friend make sure to stop you as you recount to ask questions or clarify or comment on what you’re recounting. Have them ask you to repeat to ensure they understand and catch the happiness of the event but also force you to relive it in as much detail as you can. The point here is to “dwell” on the memory.

As I mentioned seniors who are struggling to hold onto their happy memories benefit from this exercise. It also helps their overall memory and expands their brain capability. 

Revivification is just one tool in the memory box of tricks. I have pulled together a richer article about how to reduce memory loss as you age and ways to age proof your brain here >>> 

Hope you enjoy.

Erika Slater CH Free At Last Hypnosis Massachusetts

[hypnosistherapy]

Check Your Body Language Here...

You’ve all heard by now that only 30% of what we communicate to people is through words. The other 70% is non-verbal cues. 

So if you’re not clued-in on these cues then you can be MISUNDERSTOOD in capital letters! 

We learn these cues through experience and modelling others as we grow-up. Some folks have learning disabilities affecting their social capabilities. Because they can’t read these subtle non-verbal cues they don’t understand sarcasm or jokes with word puns, etc.

Even those of us who think we have great command can send messages we never intended to share just by our posture, face or limb placement!

An element of body language got popularized by the Tony Robbins’ of the world who told us to mirror what others were doing purposefully to connect with them. The crossing of legs if they did it, the folding of arms or positioning of our body on a chair. This was under the umbrella of NLP - Neuro-linguistic Programming.

Does anybody really do this any longer? How did it work for you?

The fact is we give ourselves away if we feel one way but try to convey another, Better to be authentic than be caught “lying.”

However, it doesn’t all come down to lying or as black and white as being authentic. 

We all want to avoid negative body language and convey positive unless the intent is to be negative towards somebody - which there are times for this for sure. But in the business world most of the time we want to watch the negative stances. These tend to be crossed limbs conveying I’m being “close-minded about this topic.”

Maintaining strong eye-contact is a positive trait as it shows confidence and intent on understanding as long as its not a “glare” - which conveys something entirely different towards the negative.

Avoid what is called defensive language involving arms and legs if you’re with friends or colleagues. Open palms invite dialogue and show you’re interested in discussing more.

Men and women use different cues to show sex and love interest. Smiles convey a lot but there’s much more to this area and for another post.

I recently wrote a blog post on the topic of body language. You can read the full post What’s Your Body Telling Others? Positive Body Language for Success here >>> 

I hope you enjoy it and share with others.

Erika Slater CH Free At Last Hypnosis Massachusetts

[hypnosistherapy]

What makes a good life?

This is the time of the year when many people are wishing each other happy holidays or happy Christmas, or whatever the occasions are based on your faith or what you believe.

The common denominator though is the term “happy.”

Of course, we naturally want others to be happy and healthy, particularly those in our family and our close friends. But I also believe we want happiness and good health for those same people throughout the year, and essentially for life.

Dr. Robert Waldinger in his TED talk starts out by asking the question: what keeps us healthy and happy as we go through life?

What can one of the longest running studies tell us about answering this question?

I want to share some of highlights of the study today and hope it’ll not just stay with you through the holiday period but for the rest of your happy and healthy life.

We so often start out in adult life thinking being rich and famous will bring us happiness, and this was true of the folks in the study from 1938.

So, if that is what most of us direct our goals and energies towards then how does it work out for most?

Our life is a set of choices we make and which change for good or bad what we get out of life as regards happiness and health. Ask most people over the span of their life to recount the choices they made, and what happened because of those choices, then our memories let us down many years later, or as Dr. Waldinger suggests, we become a little creative about what actually happened and the reason for it.

But what if we could study the life of a group of people from all walks on a regular basis and see their life unfold based on the choices they made and what made them happy?

That would tell us a thing or two, wouldn’t it?

Well they’ve done this. It’s likely the longest running continuous study of its kind and is composed of a group of men taken from widely different circumstances in the Boston area. It’s called the Harvard Study of Adult Life. It started 75-years ago.

Dr. Robert Waldinger is the 4th Director of the study and of the 700 men involved in the original study 60 of them are stilled tracked yearly. Comprised of men in early adulthood, one group was Sophomore’s from Harvard University and the other from Boston’s poorest neighborhoods.

What did Dr. Waldinger and his researchers learn from the records of all this tracking of these lives through 75 years?

As Dr. Waldinger says “the lessons are not about wealth or fame or working harder and harder.” Instead he continues “good relationships keep us happier and healthier longer.”

Those who are active in family and the community are more likely to feel happy and live longer healthier lives. Whereas those who experience ongoing loneliness live a toxic life that takes them too early.

It’s also not about the number of friends you can boast but the quality of your relationships. Commitment in marriage and close friendships and to be supportive of others during the good, the bad and the ugly enhances the quality of those relationships.

I once heard as a joke by somebody who said “a friend in need is…. A bloody nuisance.” It got a good laugh from the group but it’s not true for friends that matter. The fact is it’s not a nuisance but a golden opportunity to help somebody and cement a relationship with another human being.

The study has also concluded those in good relationships in their eighties, not only is it protective of their bodies but also of their brains - their memories remained sharper longer. As opposed to those who in unhealthy relationships experienced memory decline earlier.

So, by now you’re probably saying okay, good relationships are great for our health and happiness, right?

I know all this because its wisdom we’ve known about for years.

Yes, this is true, but when we look around for health and happiness these days most of us look for a quick fix, right?

The Doctor can give me some medication to make me healthier, or if I win the lottery then I’ll be happier.

Most likely you’re also thinking, “All this close quality friendships stuff is a lot of effort to get there and keep it going and at times, well particularly with family, its… messy and hard work and lifelong.”

Yes, this is all true.

But there is no shortcut for a long happy and healthy life and the time to sow for that life is now. Those in the study who had strong relationships in their fifties where living healthy and happy lives in their eighties.

It’s the holiday season and it’s the perfect time to start building your foundation to be not just happy this December but for the rest of your life.

I’ve only shared a few thoughts from Dr. Waldinger’ s TED talk but you can listen to the complete 12-minute talk in Boston here >>>

Happy holidays and for the rest of your life.

Erika Slater CH Director Free At Last Hypnosis Massachusetts

[hypnosistherapy]

A wandering mind is not a happy mind but here's what to do about it...

According to research Eric Barker has uncovered “people spend 46.9% of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing, and this  mind-wandering typically makes them unhappy.”

The fact is we can’t stop our minds wandering. Even during meditation ( if you do it), you’ll have distracting thoughts. More on this later.

The challenge for most of us is many times the wandering thoughts we have outside or during meditation tend to be negative thoughts, and are destructive and make us unhappy.

But it doesn't, and shouldn't, have to be this way.

Another point Eric Barker makes is… you are not your thoughts. “Just because you think something doesn’t mean you are what you think.”

YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS:

Let’s use the example of anger to illustrate this point. No doubt you’re experienced the thought – I’m angry! Maybe a co-worker, friend or one of your children has provoked this emotion in you. Of course, in the moment you may not catch this realization and later regret what you said or did.

This impulse reaction then makes you unhappy once you realize you were really tired and not angry.

Unfortunately, damage done.

Separating your thoughts from YOU is important otherwise you end-up feeling and becoming an “angry person” or “frustrated person.”

From a practicality perspective, you separate your thoughts – and thereby your feelings - from YOU by giving them labels. Examples are “I’m feeling worried” or “I’m feeling frustrated.”

Eric Barker notes that “neuroscientists have shown giving an emotion a name can curb bad feelings.”

To expand the topic of FEELINGS even more then Jamie Smart teaches us to realize that your feelings are generated from your THOUGHT in the moment. We often fall into what he calls “contaminated thinking” by thinking what we feel is because of external events but as he says “it just doesn’t work that way.”and for us to recognize we generate all our feelings by our own THOUGHTS. 

But that’s a topic for another day to justice to Smart’s work.  

DON'T REACT TO THOUGHTS... DECIDE:

Barker talks about “training the heart.”

Some people think saying what is in their heart is being open and truthful and who they are, even if it gets them in ‘hot water.’ The point here isn’t to stifle one’s personality but more to train the heart to not impulsively react to a thought… but to ask the question “is what I’m about to say or act helpful to me or others?”

Of course, the answer can still be yes and you go ahead.

As Barker notes “telling yourself what you did was dumb might be harsh but it might lead you to get your act together."

Alternatively, telling your friend their "baby is ugly" metaphorically speaking that is... maybe not that helpful to you or them.

If you’ve surmised already this “in the moment thinking” smacks a lot like Mindfulness, then give yourself a “brownie point.”

For sure Mindfulness tends to be linked to meditation but making a decision in the moment after reflection is also Mindfulness thinking. Any situation where “being able to have a little bit of space so you can make a clear decision on whether you want to nurture something or to let it go” is in essence practicing Mindfulness as Barker muses.

HOW DOES MINDFULNESS BOOST HAPPINESS?

The final point on this topic from Barker is to “Be compassionate to yourself and others.”

By practicing Mindfulness in your thoughts, you decide how you can be of help in a situation. “Instead of getting angry or frustrated you can have the thought of helping yourself or others,and this act of Mindfulness lets in the thought of compassion and the road to happiness.”

Just a side comment on compassion – a much maligned word these days mostly because some folks link it incorrectly to a show of weakness, but it’s not… it’s a sign of strength. But my argument is more about self-compassion as a substitute for self-esteem. A person who can show self-compassion has high self-esteem anyway and frankly its less complicated a topic to understand than self-esteem.

As I mentioned earlier Mindfulness is often linked to meditation and the act of carving out quiet time in a controlled setting. As Barker notes “It’s like going to the gym for your Mindfulness muscles.”

In this meditation setting Mindfulness:

> Let’s you focus on your breath.

> When random thoughts pop-up – and they will – you can learn to let them go.

> You use “labeling” for negative thoughts and return to focus on your breath.

> Repeated dealing with distracting thoughts translates to less mind-wandering and more happiness.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

If you take one thing away today let it be in Eric Barker’s words: “… what’s most important is getting distance from your thoughts, deciding which ones are useful, which ones will make you and others happy, and acting on them.”

As you can see it’s not critical to mediate to practice Mindfulness. However, if you wish to, and want a free Mindfulness session then I created one last year, and if you’ve not downloaded it yet then you can get it for free here >>>

The thoughts for this article and quoted ideas and materials were first shared at Eric Barker’s article on Mindfulness at his blog which you can find here >>> 

Erika Slater CHT Director Free At Last Hypnosis Massachusetts

[hypnosistherapy]

Discover one of your 8 inner superpowers for getting massive RESULTS, with this amazing video from Jamie Smart: http://thndr.me/hPcpdC

[hypnosistherapy]

Insomnia and All Things to Do With Sleep...

Many hypnotherapist’s clients come with three problems - smoking, sleep and stress. We call it the Three S’s.

Of these three primary issues sleep problems tend to be most prevalent and also one  of the issues usually easily fixed by hypnosis.

Of sleep issues Insomnia is highest followed by Somnambulism or sleep walking. 

Hypnosis is successful at dealing with sleep issues because behind most sleep issues is emotional or mental stress and an active mind with worry or constant thinking. 

Hypnosis is all about relaxing and quietening the conscious mind.

INSOMNIA:

If you have insomnia for long enough then you begin to worry about being able to fall asleep. This leads to Night Time Worry - you can see how this can become a vicious cycle.

Remember sleep is a conditional response so going to bed should equate or sleep, not watching TV or hanging out in your bedroom all the time. If you are experiencing trouble sleeping then do the obvious first, go easy on snacks and coffee during the evening. Have a comfortable mattress and pillow. 

To help with sleep listen to a self-hypnosis or mindfulness session last thing at night. This will prepare you for a restful night.

If you wake up and its not bladder related then visit your Doctor to discuss. A few nights lost sleep isn’t anything to be alarmed about as we all go through this phases especially if an emotional event is happening.

There are medications to help people with insomnia but they’re prescribed way too early before other alternatives have been explored.

SOMNAMBULISM OR SLEEP WALKING:

By far the largest population who sleep walk are children between the age of three - seven years-old. Most in this age group grow out of it without any long-term harmful effects.

By the way sleep walking doesn’t necessarily equate to psychiatric disorder in somebody. This is just a Hollywood thing with no facts to back it up.

So if sleep walking persists into adult life then it likely should be addressed.

Common causes can ironically be sustained lack of sleep, consuming large portions of alcohol in the evening, and an incident or event in their life. 

For parents or partners of sleep walkers close windows  and lock doors. You don’t want them to be able to leave the house and enter a busy road. 

There is also medication available but these may also trigger sleep walking.

Once again hypnosis can aid Somnambulism as it relaxes and quietens the mind.

For all issues of sleep problems see your doctor and get his input and options. 

If you’d like to read more about these topics then you can find additional information and resources at these articles:

Insomnia - Why You Can’t Sleep and What to Do About It.

Causes and Cures for Sleep Walking and Somnambulism

Erika Slater CH Director Free At Last Hypnosis Massachusetts

[hypnosistherapy]

Awakening the Force Within You...

Last holiday period my family was all together and we went to see the Star Wars – The Force Awakens movie.

This coming holiday time there is another Star Wars movie on offer and again likely we will see it, and there will be significant dark force overtones fighting the good forces.

What I want to get across to you is you have an awesome force inside of you, waiting to be awakened.

This force is your subconscious mind.

Like the force within the Star Wars story it also has a dark side. But in order to overcome it you don’t need to fight with light sabers or battle a Seth Lord or battalions of Stormtroopers.

You see the dark side is the stories and words you remind yourself everyday about your life and failures. In time your subconscious mind will help you repeat the patterns and habits of before – it’s not evil it’s just doing what you ask by reminding it of what happened before.

You MUST change the story to what - YOU WANT.

In order to awaken the force of your subconscious mind to help you achieve everything you want then begin to speak to it differently, and install new habits of change for the better.

The force of your subconscious only needs to be guided in the right direction – one step at a time.

We all have changes we want to make in our lives, and it’s easy to go overboard and want to change everything that’s wrong all at once.

Don’t do this! 

Instead pick only ONE thing you’d like to change and give it all your commitment and focus for at least 30-days. Life will get in the way in those first 30-days which is why I want you to stick to one thing only!

If you need further help on making multiple changes read this article about Putting Your Octopus to Bed here >>>

After a few weeks the force of your subconscious mind will kick-in and you’ll notice a difference. Skywalker will be on your side!

Make a pledge to yourself today in 2016 - don't wait until 2017 - to awaken the force of your subconscious mind to change your life and move down the path to your happiness.

Erika Slater CH Director Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

Getting Unstuck From An Addiction Or Compulsive Behavior…

Today I’m going to take a chance and explore some tricky but important concepts with you.

There’s a fellow in the UK called Jamie Smart.

Jamie Smart lives up to his name – he’s smart.

He tackles difficult topics and makes you think.

Jamie is best known for his work around “Clarity.”

I’ll give you a resource later if you want to know more about Jamie and clarity.

But today I want to discuss his thoughts around addiction, compulsive habits and making changes.

I consider it important for people who are going through addiction of any type to understand what is going on. Jamie’s work helps us understand so we can move forward and make changes.

You see, it's difficult to move forward until you know what is going on. You’re stuck.

At the core is a misunderstanding people have about feelings and why they’re “tricked” into being addicted to a behavior.

Understanding how your mind works is key to finding freedom from life-damaging patterns.

Jamie explains the misunderstanding that drives addictive patterns is the mistaken belief our feelings can come from somewhere other than our own thoughts.

Jamie cites this common example:

For example, every adult knows a child’s security blanket involves a trick of the mind as there really isn’t anything about a blanket that can “give” a child a feeling of security or comfort. It just seems to the child as though the feelings come from the blanket – something from outside them.

Consider how often we look to adult “security blankets” or “teddy bears” such as work, possessions, money, food, relationships, substances and other behaviors, as though they’re different?

When you have feelings of stress, boredom, emotional discomfort it often seems these are coming from somewhere other than our current thoughts such as our workload, the boss, an argument, your bank balance.

We equally feel our feelings of relief, peace and excitement are coming from an external factor such as a drink, a drug, a cigarette, food, gambling, – which are all habitual behaviors.

Jamie argues both sets of feelings though are coming from our own thoughts in the moment.

Every good feeling you’ve experienced, including those you’ve attributed to a substance or behavior, have really come from a source within you. 

The same can also be said for any uncomfortable feelings. Certainly, external factors can trigger a feeling but the feeling itself comes from your thought in the moment and purely from within you.

Let’s pause here as this an important point in Jamie’s teachings. He’s trying to make us see the deceptive trick we can all get caught up in with this misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding is we associate many of our feelings with external factors but in reality these feelings come from our thoughts in the moment.

Thought in the moment is a term Jamie uses a lot with this topic. Simply put it’s the thought you have in the moment you generate the feeling.

So we all possess the ability for inner peace, security and well being and we already tap into this without realizing it to get the happiness feelings.

We may need help and guidance from others if we’re stuck in bad patterns but we have innate capacity within us already to "fix ourselves."

This last sentence is vitally important for you to recognize because it’s a primary role of therapists – including hypnotherapists - to help guide and coach people to the resources and tools they already have within themselves to solve their addiction problems be it: smoking, food, alcohol, drugs, etc.

As promised you can learn more about Jamie Smart and his Clarity work by going here >>>

Let me know your own thoughts about the topic discussed today, and do check out Jamie's information... it may just change your life.

Erika Slater CH Director Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

The Importance of Keeping Your Word

I’ve come to understand that keeping one’s word to somebody is one of the most important actions we can take to convey how much we respect others and cherish friendships.

Justine and I were friends many years ago.

Justine was lively and fun to be with and I valued her company.

However, Justine made promises she couldn’t or never intended to keep. She was always late or worse a no-show.

I made excuses for Justine and didn’t think much of it at first. But eventually, I came not to rely on Justine, and begun to find other friends and company.

You see I realized I took it personally when she didn’t keep her word to me, and thought she didn’t value me as a person and this hurt my feelings.

Whether this was true I don’t know because I didn’t stay around to discover but moved on.

Do you know a “Justine?”

Keeping your word to others shows respect, and even love for them.

But what of keeping your word to yourself?

You see it’s as important to keep your word and promises to yourself as it is to others. It’s the essence of a healthy self-esteem.

Keeping your word to yourself to quit smoking or lose weight or exercising shows a healthy respect for yourself.

If you can’t keep your word to yourself how on earth can you trust yourself to keep it to others.

Show me a person who has trusted friends and I’ll show you a person who keeps their word to others… and to themselves. And I’ll show you a person who has high self-esteem.

Low self-esteem is at the root of many people’s lack of happiness.

Start keeping your word to yourself and others and soon you’ll begin to grow your self-esteem – you’ll find it becomes a good habit that feeds itself and cultivates a healthy relationship you have with yourself... and you won’t tolerate a “Justine” in your life.

I invite you read the full article here >>> 

Enjoy the article.

Erika Slate CH Director Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

Why you can’t sleep and what to do about it…

Sleep is ultra-important for our well-being.

The recommended number of hours by the “National Sleep Foundation” for those 18 years-old and above is between 7-9 hours per night.

Depending on lifestyle and habits then some people may be able to get away with less, and others may need more. How much sleep you need is also “in your bones” or put a more scientific way determined hereditary and genetically.

Sleep is important for us as it provide restorative powers and as a means to work through issues.

Sleep has two aspects to it known as REM and Non-REM.

REM (Rapid-Eye Movement) is when we dream. During this stage your brain is active and helping to solve problems and conflicts presented during the day or “on your mind” as you fall asleep.

Non-REM contains the restorative phases where your brain is quiet. This is where your physical body “mends” so to speak. There are three recognized stages of non-REM sleep:

Stage I: A light doze – not restorative. Stage II: Middle sleep – restorative. Stage III: Slow-wave deep sleep – best restorative powers.

As we get older and our body changes then our rhythm can get messed-up causing insomnia and all manner of sleep disorders. Women in particular have phases when it seems getting to sleep is almost impossible.

Getting older also means aches and discomfort causing hours of lost sleep or lying awake because of pain.

So what happens when all this gets out of alignment and we struggle to get a good night’s rest? Quite a lot as it happens.

Being constantly tired can make us stressed and susceptible to illness or under perform at our jobs or caring for ourselves. Mentally, we may get more negative about our outlook on things and worry about our circumstances.

Life becomes a circle as we worry or feel despondent and this in turn impacts our ability to fall asleep and it becomes a vicious cycle.

Some people try to compensate by taking medication, but while this may get rid of the symptoms it doesn’t address the underlying reasons for sleeplessness. However, hypnosis can help you return to normal sleep patterns and break out of this vicious cycle.

If you’re suffering from insomnia or other sleep disorders or know somebody who is then I invite you to read or share a special blog post I wrote recently about this issue here >>>

Let me know if it helped by reaching out to me directly and sharing your thoughts.

Best wishes,

Erika Slater CH Director Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

Do You Have These Limiting Beliefs?

When you’re presented with an opportunity do you look at it and say: “wow, this has wonderful potential for me!” OR do you look at everything that could go wrong and instead pass on it?

It shouldn’t surprise you to discover how you respond to something is related to your belief system. These beliefs can be empowering or they can be limiting to us. Many of your beliefs are set during childhood or early years or they can be set anytime in your life.

But… and this is important… they can, and should, be changed if they’re working against you.

There are many common limiting beliefs but here are five I see time and time again, and if you see yourself in any of them then consider “unlocking the shackles” because they’re holding you back from being everything you can and want to be!

#1 – I’M NOT SMART ENOUGH:

Smart enough for what? I once worked with a guy who had a PhD in Mathematics who couldn’t write software to get out of a paper bag. Being smart has nothing to do with IQ but many times just common sense.

#2 – I’M NOT RICH ENOUGH:

So many people believe their lives are limited in terms of their financial wealth. Although that may be true in terms of having to live within one’s financial means, it doesn’t mean people can’t dream and set loftier goals and make plans for increasing wealth. Be content with where you are today but not satisfied.

#3 – THINGS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY FOR ME:

Sorry to burst bubble but… Things are what they are because you chose that as your reality plain and simple. The fact is you weren’t born with this belief. It hasn’t always been this way for you so make the choice now for it not to continue.

#4 – I’M TOO OLD TO CHANGE:

No you’re not. You can teach an old dog new tricks – I’ve done it! But also you’re not a dog. Many famous people have changed careers or achieved something late in life… they did it by changing.

Ray Kroc had passed his 50th birthday before he bought the first McDonald's in 1961, which he ultimately expanded into a worldwide conglomerate. Julia Child wrote her first cookbook at 39 and made her television debut in The French Chef at age 51. Enough?

#5 – I’M WAITING FOR THE PERFECT TIME TO CHANGE:

Too many people are looking for answers and change to come outside of them. They fail to realize they possess all of the tools for making change in their own lives. The perfect time to change is… today.  You have my permission!

There are many more limiting beliefs but hopefully you can see by now that we tend to put the limits on ourselves. So all change has to come from within, whether it is to stop smoking or lose weight or overcome a phobia or…. a limiting belief.

You can find out more about limiting beliefs and how to overcome them at this blog post at Free At Last Hypnosis Here >>> 

Please let me know how you enjoyed this and if I can help further.

Erika Slater CH Director Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

Three Steps to a Healthier You

We all want to be healthy right?

But are you willing to do what it takes? And I don’t mean just eat right and exercise? These are a given but frankly as you get older they get more difficult. 

If you’re single with no kids this post probably isn’t for you unless you haven’t seen a doctor in years and your exercise is mostly getting up and down to the pantry for a snack or calling Domino’s for delivery... did I really just say that?

Sorry.

You want better than that if you’re reading this... and I want better for you as well.

So here goes...

First thing... Notice I didn’t have the catchy marketing words of “simple” or “easy” or even “quick.” Because there are no shortcuts to getting healthy. 

But I have three steps I’ll share to get you moving in the right direction:

Step One is all about taking inventory of your health today, and knowing where you want to get to so you can decide on the changes you need to make.

Step Two is about committing to the changes you want and practice the mindset shifts you need to make to get those changes you’ve identified in step two.

Step Three is the final part. Everything up until now has really been preparation. This step is all about action and making the changes stick.

The fact is I suspect you’re got to step three a few times. This is where for most people without the right preparation and habits it can all unravel! You see steps one and two are mostly about preparation but step three is where the “rubber meets the road” so to speak.

Step three is where most people need help to keep the commitment and motivation going when real life gets in the way. 

I’ve written an in-depth article on these three steps and offered advice on how to keep the focus and momentum going to get and staying healthy.

You can read this deep-dive article about my three steps for getting to a healthier you and Making it stick by clicking here.

I hope you enjoy it and leave a comment for me about it.

Erika Slater CH Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

The Goal Behind the Goal

This is an except from a blog post I published recently and which you can read the full article here “The Goal Behind the Goal and How to Put Them on Autopilot.”

So maybe it’s timely due to approaching New Year to think about goals but frankly what I have to write about today is relevant any time of the year. I’d even say don’t set a goal as a New Year resolution because it’s almost the “kiss of death.”

What do you mean, I hear you say?

Well, think about it. How many goals have you set in January and still staring at trying to achieve them in March? Too many, right?

I see it all the time in my hypnotherapy business. Clients book an appointment in January to quit smoking, lose weight or motivation to get fit, and they just don’t have the commitment to see it through.

It was done on a whim or “I should do it” mindset - but no real purpose.

And purpose is important when setting goals and what I want to emphasize today to you. 

About Purpose...

Still reading? Good.

Well... I asked that because the word “purpose” makes some people’s eyes glaze over. “Enough of this motivational guru stuff Erika - purpose is for Tony Robbins and T Harv Eker - I have to live in the real world!” Yes I know you do, but it IS IMPORTANT and here’s why...

It’s the Goal Behind the Goal.

Because if you don’t have a purpose behind your goal then you may achieve your goal and feel empty because it didn’t give you the feeling you were looking for.

Oops... did I not mention feeling to you?

About Feeling...

You see the best way of expressing a goal is describing the way you will feel when you get it. 

When you can do this - and being able to state the purpose behind your goal will help you do this - well, now you’re talking to your subconscious mind, and this makes all the difference for putting your goal on autopilot.

Read the full article to discover how to get your goal on autopilot.

How the Heck Do I Get to Purpose...

I can help.

Simply put when you state your goal - example, drop two dress sizes or trouser sizes - then ask yourself “why?”

“Why” do you want to drop two sizes. 

You may answer at first “because I want to get into my favorite dress or jeans from 10-years ago.” 

Okay. But “why?”

“Because they remind me of a time when I looked good and felt good.”

Okay. Now we’re getting somewhere. But “why?”

Get the picture? You just keeping asking the question “why” to each of your answers until you really can’t answer it anymore. Likely, when that happens you’ve at the real purpose for your goal. You may even want to reword your goal. But at the very least you now have a purpose behind your goal - the goal behind the goal.

The purpose - once exposed - will lead you to the feeling you’re looking for, because they’ll be one and the same... or it will be obvious.

Next Step...

Make a goal. But now you know how to get to a better goal statement. 

Use whatever process helps you state a goal. Some people like SMART goals, frankly, I think they’re fine for corporate goals but miss purpose or feeling. But use whatever process works for you.

And once you have it, then beak it down into baby steps and pick the next one to achieve. Remember you can’t eat an elephant - even if it was politically correct, and it isn’t - in one swallow. 

One piece - or baby step - at a time.

Here’s to you reaching your goals.

Erika Slater CH Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

What is a Mental Blueprint and Can it Be Changed?

A Mental Blueprint is similar to DNA. It’s an automatic action or thought that happens without you really thinking about it.

There are good and bad mental blueprints. Bad blueprints are those that cause a negative outcome for you. They get in the way of you achieving what you want in both work, relationships, and life.

However, unlike genetic DNA they can be changed - if you want them to.

Mental blueprints can be formed at anytime and age, however, many are forged during our younger years when we are influenced easily by our environment - especially family life.

These mental blueprints follow us into adult life and impact our daily life in ways we many times don’t even know. 

If a blueprint is getting in the way of somebody getting to where they want to be in life - as in “I’m stuck and don’t know what to do” - then they should seek help. 

Two practitioners to seek out include those specializing in CBT - Cognitive Behavior Therapy - and Hypnotherapy. 

I’ve written a resource where I delve much deeper into Mental Blueprints and how they’re formed and what to do about them here >>>

Enjoy the resource and let me know how you liked it.

Erika Slater CH Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

Pattern Interrupt - Overcoming Bad Habbits

Ever tried to break a bad habit - even a itsy-bitsy one? Difficult right? 

Now take a big one to break - say you’re guilty of berating yourself, damaging your self-esteem and confidence on an ongoing basis. Ever done this? Of course you have - we all have. 

You know you do it but can’t seem to stop. 

Enter Pattern Interrupt. It is what it says - you interrupt the pattern, in this case berating yourself. You replace it with something else which in this case could be a 360-degree turn to perform positive-speak on yourself. Acknowledge yourself for all the wonderful things you add to life around you. 

There you go - simple. all done and dusted, right?

Afraid not.

This is where it gets tricky for a hard pattern to interrupt like berating yourself. You see you need to catch yourself doing it in mid-stream. This demands a self awareness of your thoughts almost at all times. This is hard for most of us that have been berating ourselves for years and have it as an ingrained pattern - just an example mind you!

There are people with this self-awareness level, but for most it can be frustrating to train ourselves to catch our thoughts in time before the damage has been done.

I have written a long article about Pattern Interrupt that goes into detail about how they are formed, what is going on, and options for doing interrupts easier than self-awareness avenue.

Check out this article on pattern interrupts here:  http://www.freeatlasthypnosis.com/pattern-interrupt-breaking-habit/

Enjoy

Erika Slater CH Free At Last Hypnosis

[hypnosistherapy]

Mindfulness - A Gift to You

This is a short post in order to give you something for nothing.

I recently did a self-hypnosis workshop in North Grafton, Massachusetts, and I provided attendees with a 20-minute Mindfulness MP3 session. 

Mindfulness is all about being in the moment but has become a growing form of meditation for many people. You can use it to help relieve stress, control pain, sleeping better, creating positive mood, and lots more.

I recommend listening to this session after you wake up to start your day, or directly before you go to sleep.

Enjoy - and pick up your Mindfulness MP3 session here >>>

Erika Slater CH

[hypnosistherapy]

10 posts!