This time of year it's very common to feel overwhelmed.

It could be due to how much was given to you during the festive season or it could be to do with how much YOU gave. Quite often it can be due to financial worries, after spending more in December how can I pay the bills in January?


This article from the Havard Business Review gives helpful tips that can assist you with coping better during this time.


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One of the tips is to Challenge your assumptions. It explains that by focusing on failure this only helps you feel worse and by doing so it could be easy for it to spiral out of control and lead you into a full anxiety attack or depression. 

This is where Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) is so good. SFH helps you focus on the solution instead of the problem. It helps you come up with a plan to help move forward instead of staying where you don't want to be. It helps you see hope instead of despair. 

If you feel you need some help and you think SFH will help you, please get in touch.

Happy New Year.

This article first appeared on Merryfield Hypnotherapy 03.01.2020  

Yesterday (Saturday 30th November 2019) I attended the first AfSFH Conference. It was held at the Novotel in Victoria Street, Bristol.

The event was attended by over 100 Solution Focused Hypnotherapist from all over the country and it was great to meet up with colleagues I hadn't met before. Also great to meet friends I had endured training with or met previously at Supervision sessions.  

I attended 5 presentations during the day, two of them from Dr David Hamilton. I had seen his books many times when searching for reading material that would help enhance my knowledge and skills but had never attended any of his talks. I was impressed. He engaged me right from the start and it was fascinating hearing what he had to say about the Placebo effect and, later on, how Kindness helps us become healthier and live longer. 

Deborah Pearce helped give me a kick up the rear when I attended her Marketing talk and the always entertaining Rachel Gillibrand reminded us of the science that backs up what we do. I also found Andy Workman's talk on Body Language really interesting too, giving me encouragement to learn more.

All in all it was a fabulous day, extremely well organised (thank you to the exec team at AfSFH) and thank you to Novotel for you excellent hosting and catering. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

This post first appeared on Merryfield Hypnotherapy. Photographs by Julie May and Anne Wyatt and used with permission.

So, we're halfway through Alcohol Awareness week. How are you doing? How are you managing? Is temptation becoming stronger? Is it a real challenge for you and are you finding it easy?

Awareness days or weeks are great for doing just that, making us aware of what we are doing or thinking. The problem comes after they finish. We tend to go back to our previous habits. We blame stress, anxiety, living for today, or sorts of excuses to justify why we went back to our old ways. 

The bottom line is we should be aware of everything we do at all times. Even if we are doing something too much or too little. Being aware of what we are doing means we are doing it through choice rather than habit. We are deciding to continue with the current pattern until we decide otherwise.

My mother passed away recently and I know I started drinking more alcohol afterwards. I like alcohol and usually have a few drinks at weekends and occasionally during the week. I know the risks and accept them. I like to think I am managing it and, most of the time I think I do. However, there are times when I've had a drink when I've given in and poured myself a second one, even though I knew it wouldn't be in my best interest. Then later I've been disappointed with myself because I'd done so. 

Before I registered it was Alcohol Awareness Week this week I had already decided to reduce my intake. I know I can do it as I've done it plenty of times before. I don't want to give it up as it's part of my life that I enjoy, and I shouldn't need to providing I take care of my drinking now. Making sure it doesn't get out of hand will go some way to help myself continue to enjoy alcohol in my later years. Unfortunately I have lost a number of friends over the years because they couldn't (or wouldn't) keep themselves in check. I don't want to wait until I'm told that I have to give up something due to my poor health. I'm responsible for what I do and I choose to look at the bigger picture.

Hypnotherapy has helped me in this. I don't actually have hypnotherapy but once I learned how the brain works and understood the reasons why I make bad choices It helped me. To be fair I was always reasonably sensible before I learned all this (anyone who knows me well will attest to this) but it certainly helped me further. Now I have a better understanding of the need to speak to myself in the correct manner, to avoid setting myself up for failure by using the correct words and thoughts.

If you'd like some help with changing your thoughts and habits to help yourself feel more in control please do get in touch.

If someone has a physical problem, like a bad back for instance, we accept it when a person says they had a bad night because of their back, or that they need a day off or  to see a specialist.

Why not the same with Mental Health?

Why should it not be acceptable to say we had a bad night's sleep because of anxiety or stress and we need time off to see a specialist? 

This article offers 5 things therapists wish you knew about Mental Health and for the need to get help if you are suffering from mental health issues. 

There are many types of therapy available aside from hypnotherapy. Please get in touch if you think hypnotherapy can help you.

Article originally posted on Inc.com.

Optimists are more likely to live longer than those who have a more negative approach to life, a US study has found.

Positive people were more likely to live to the age of 85 or more.

The theory is that optimists may find it easier to control emotions and so be protected from the effects of stress.
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And researchers said pessimists could benefit from doing things like imagining a future where everything turns out well. Continue reading.

Originally posted on BBC Health.

This year’s show was the last one to be held on its current historical site and, though it will be a shame to move the show away from the town I am pleased that the event is continuing on a new site near the Cannard’s Grave (Sheep) roundabout.

Setting up first thing was akin to a 1970’s comedy. Every time we put one side of the gazebo together the opposite side fell apart. That plus the wind and rain trying to scupper our attempts, it was with a mixture of determination, laughter and gaffa tape that we managed to get everything in its place and ready in time.

The morning was quiet so I took the opportunity to visit some of the trade stands handing out leaflets to offer Stress Awareness talks. I was pleased with the feedback I got from the people on the stands. It is good to know that businesses are taking mental health seriously at last. Here’s hoping I get some response.

The afternoon was much busier and we had a good number of enquires at our stand and, despite the intermittent rain and gusty winds we had a lot of fun. It was nice to get to know my fellow therapists in this environment. We are already looking forward to next year’s show.
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If you didn’t get the chance to visit our stand or come to the show then please pop into Mendip Chiropractic in Shepton Mallet High Street to find out what we offer. Additionally if you would like to know more about the Stress Awareness talks I offer for businesses or groups please do get in touch via alanwoollard@merryfield-hypnotherapy.co.uk or contact me on my mobile 07718975185.