Stop Listening and Start Listening

Every morning come rain or shine, I go out for a walk with my dog and even before I leave the house, I am aware of the weather. Is it raining, if so, do I need waterproofs? Is it frosty, if so, do I need a heavier jacket, what footwear do I put on because the ground may be wet, muddy, slippy but the one thing I do day in and day out is to put headphones on and decide what music I want to listen to on my walk. This can be sad and introspective, it can be happy and upbeat or it could be an eclectic mix and it seems that the music I listen to can affect my mood OR does my mood affect what I listen to?

Off I go in my own little world with the music playing in my head and it is strange, sometimes I find myself singing out loud, forgetting that others outside of my 'world' have no idea what I am listening to. I feel like I am playing a part in a musical where I am the only actor and everything else is one step removed.

Regardless, I am always acutely aware of what I see. The weather, perhaps some deer, a fox, some rabbits and then as I stomp off down by the riverbank to the beat of the sounds in my ears, I may be lucky enough to see the otters fishing for their breakfast but I am always guaranteed a wealth of native birds, on the river, in the trees and flying overhead.

Today, my headphones had no charge. Today, I didn't get the lead part in the musical. Today, it was foggy and I couldn't see very far and certainly couldn't see any of the wildlife that normally surrounded me. Today, it was just me, my dog and my thoughts, and then, I had a huge moment where I realised what I had been missing out on. The cacophony of natural sounds, the sound of so many different birds singing, cawing of crows, quacking of ducks, the incredible bird song of our native species. It was absolutely incredible.

Tomorrow, I will leave my headphones at home, tomorrow I will listen to the natural sounds that surround me each and every day because I realised that when one sense is inhibited, the other senses compensate and you can tune into a whole new world that has been there all along.

Sometimes, the smallest change in behaviour can lead to the biggest changes in our lives.

What changes would you like to make that will change the way you live your life going forward?

Email me at info@room101therapy.com to discuss how I may be able to help you make those changes

Menopause linked to forgetfulness - now where did I read that?

According to Forbes article published in January 2021 "Research published in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) said that, while it’s assumed that your cognitive ability changes over time, menopause may play a big factor in this."

For those of us that have experienced perimenopause and menopausal symptoms, we believe that things such as brain fog, forgetfulness, mood swings are associated with menopause so it is interesting to read that there is research that appears to confirm this. Although the article goes on to say that it is difficult to assess memory and focus because individuals experience menopause differently there is enough data to suggest that there is cognitive decline during this phase of women's lives but, Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director said in a statement, “Additional research is needed to confirm these findings and to identify the factors responsible for individual differences in cognitive changes.”

"Perimenopause and menopause have both physical and mental effects. 80% of people have reported experiencing some form of hot flash ( hot flush) making it one of the most common symptoms. Similarly, night sweats and mood changes have been linked to perimenopause. This can cause mental and emotional fatigue. "

Whatever the symptom, the fact is, those pesky hormones levels are changing and this results in all sorts of uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating symptoms.

If you want to understand more about what changes are going on, the symptoms you may experience, what simple changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle to aid your wellbeing, and to find ways of dealing with menopausal symptoms, then email me at info@room101therapy.com

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicebroster/2021/01/27/menopause-is-linked-to-forgetfulness-suggests-new-study/?sh=f71316a6da18

#menopause #womenshealth #perimenopause #hotflushes #nightsweats #wellbeing

Where to Guvnor?

Hello!

Today is a momentous day!

Why is it momentous? Today is the day I admit to my anxiety but I write and publish my very first blog on my website.

That may not mean much to you, but it means a lot to me, let me explain.... I am a very private person and don’t like feeling exposed and opening up to ‘strangers’ on social media. I include my website into that category as it is public, and I don’t get to control who reads my words.

Sometimes though, for all sorts of reasons, we have to step outside our comfort zone and do things that we would prefer not to do.

Hypnotherapy can help you harness your fears and put you back in control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours for example weight management, how to stop smoking, reducing anxiety and stress or conquering those fears!

Some people have anxiety about hypnosis and that it is about mind control and that they will be made to do things they don’t want to do, in fact, it is quite the opposite.

A good analogy is that I am simply the taxi driver, you are the passenger, and you are the one that decides the destination. I find the shortest route and we travel the journey together.

Where would you like to go today?

For a free no obligation chat to see if hypnotherapy might be right for you, please email me at info@room101therapy.com