Having been a teeth grinder and not really understanding why I did it, finding out more about the root causes of 'bruxism' really opened my eyes to simple steps you can put in place if this is happening in your life...

Being a good, active listener is the bedrock of my solution focused hypnotherapy practice with clients, and this of course, included feedback throughout and after programmes, workshops or talks.

What if you 'have' to do exams, but you find yourself doing anything but the revision or you are doing all the revision you can, but nothing seems to be sticking?

 Let's face it, there won't be many of us who don't struggle with our own self esteem from time to time. Sadly.
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And blimey what a big question to ponder,  about a subject so close to each of us, yet when it comes to being open to talking about our self esteem we are often daunted. 

Blimey food, eating and how each of us has our own unique, and ever changing relationship with food is literally mind blowing to me. I know my own ways of eating or not eating, "treating" myself and the ways I frame food can change almost daily. This is often to do with how much sleep I am getting and I am definitely a seasonal eater around cold weather snaps or what the supermarkets stuff the shelves with around Christmas or Easter, that I "choose" to buy.

So in thinking about how to become more self-compassionate and caring to ourselves, and more supportive to our loved ones; here are some kind steps to consider cherry picking to add to your toolkit.

Are you a hugger or not?
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Would you hug more if you knew about the mental health boosting
benefits of hugging?

Part of the reason I really enjoy being a solution focused hypnotherapist is the key element of brain science and revision each session, after the initial consultation session. Clients find they are inspired to find out more about what make their brains work and how they can work with their brain to feel more in control.

I have written out a few key brain science facts to get you thinking a bit about your brain and hopefully put a smile on your face too!

• Duchenne smile ​
• ​​Mirror neurons
• ​Rapport

As a young person or parent or carer of a young person navigating being in your teens into early adulthood can be a bit daunting, to say the least.
It's like a red rag to a bull when anyone is told to "calm down" let alone when you are figuring out who you are, trying to keep up with school or college work, friends, social networks and so much more...

So if you could be more in control of your mood, and choose when you want to be more calm and relaxed, what could you do?

​Not an exhaustive list, but some useful ideas which I wished I'd know about more about when I was stumbling my way through my teens.

It is very common to believe we are not able to relax or be 'good' at meditation.
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If you think you a person who feels that they are unable to relax, it might be helpful for you to try different relaxation techniques, such as;

• deep breathing exercises
• meditation
• yoga or some form of slow, gentle embodied movement
• Or progressive muscle relaxation, similar to the gradual trance state experienced during a hypnosis session