Recommended reading: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying
by Marie Kondo

This book is a must have for any person struggling with clutter or letting go of their excessive possessions. Give it to your fellow "hoarders" for Christmas and free them and yourself from being surrounded by overcrowded space. It is for children as well as adults. Marie's talent for tidying will bring joy, energy and more space into your life.  I can't recommend it highly enough.

Available to purchase on Amazon and at all good bookstores.

Ideas for Christmas made easy

Okay, so Christmas is coming and the stress levels are too, so here are our tips on making it go smoothly.

• Make lists for what needs to be done (decorating, food shopping, gifts) and start early. 
• Use a calendar and get family involved. 
• Make your list on a notebook that you can use again next year and even list names of babysitters and taxi companies.  
• Make sure you prioritise what is most important to focus on first.  Is it ordering party food to be delivered or lining up the babysitters?
• Set a budget and stick to it.  
• Schedule in quiet / quality “me” time.
• Gift buying made easy.  Gift tokens are great gifts and easy to buy.  Or take advantage of Snappy Snaps special offer of 3 for the price of 2. Last year we took a memory stick and created a personalized travel bag for everyone.  Everyone loved it.  It looked great and didn't cost a fortune.
• Do it all on one day as it will focus the mind and it will be another thing off the list.  You will get the best prices on line.
• Christmas card list.  Make it a family event and make sure you have enough pens and stamps.  Or you can each do 5 cards a night until it is done.  To save money, hand deliver the cards and get some exercise as a bonus.
• Get family members to help and allocate tasks over the whole Christmas period.
• Don’t go to a Christmas event or party out of guilt.  Save your energy for the most important ones.
• Have a cut off point.  Then you can stop planning and start enjoying the spirit of Christmas.  If you work towards a goal you are more likely to stick to it.

Hypnotherapy to reduce anxiety

If you are feeling anxious, it will be the result of what you are thinking about the situation that is causing it.  The best way to reduce the effects the anxiety causes is to get focused on how to improve the situation.

We discuss two anxiety case studies below: work and illness.

It could be you are anxious about being made redundant, so instead of just living with it, ask yourself “what can I do to take control?”.  You can get your CV updated and start sending it out.  You can network on LinkedIn.  Try sites like Gumtree or Peopleperhour.  You don’t have to accept an offer if you go on the job interview but it could be a good experience to practice interview skills.  Be flexible about job positions.  Consider getting your foot in the door by taking a lower position and ask to be reviewed in 6 months.  Or retrain while you still have work in the evenings or weekends to add to your skills.

If you are constantly worried about ill health -  yours or that of a family member  -  again, ask yourself “what can I do to improve this situation?”.  If you have an illness like cancer, get active and do research on things you can do to help your body fight it.  My brother-in-law was given 4 months to live and surpassed it by almost 5 years by changing his lifestyle habits and following The Rainbow Diet.  He got active in his own cancer research.  There is a whole community online of people who have had the same experience.

You can also try new therapies, like acupuncture or cranialsacral therapy.  You can use hypnotherapy to change your thinking and get motivated to take action.  The time you waste “worrying” is draining and non-productive.

If you have pain, again, try other therapies and take exercise classes to keep your other muscles moving.

Remember most importantly, you do have a choice.  To worry or not to worry.  Enjoy your success.

Stress Management Workshop: Thursday 5 November

Learn Stress Management and Self-Hypnosis with MG Hypnosis

THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER, 6-8PM

You will learn how to take effective control of your emotional and physical well-being by learning stress reduction techniques and self-hypnosis. You'll leave with powerful skills to use in your daily life. We anticipate that the techniques you learn will help in other areas of your life, such as:

• Reduce reoccurring physical symptoms of stress in your body (i.e. shoulders, neck, and back pain. Also IBS, headaches, and anxiety attacks)
• Increase motivation and goal setting
• Stopping old unwanted habits
• Building self-confidence and increase self-esteem

ABOUT MARYGRACE ANDERSON

Marygrace Anderson is an expert in stress reduction, and is an experienced professional in the area of hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and life coaching.

VENUE

The Putney Clinic of Physical Therapy
2nd Floor, Putneymead Medical Group Practice
266 Upper Richmond Road,
Putney,
London SW15 6TQ

COST

This workshop costs £30.00, which includes handouts and a free CD.


BOOKINGS

Booking is essential as spaces are limited. To book your place, call us on 020 8789 3881 or send an email to info@putneyclinic.co.uk.

“Clive Lathey, Director of The Putney Clinic, suggested I see Marygrace.  I put it off for months, and then after our session, I kicked myself as I felt so much more relaxed.” –JP

How do you get what you want in life

My top suggestions on ways to get motivated – we always need to be reminded.

Ask yourself - What good is not going forward? Then write out a “positive and negatives list”; i.e. I want to get fit for 50 so I need to do the following:

If I don’t move forward, I will continue to gain weight, feel bad about my body image and self imagine. My clothes will be tight and I won’t feel comfortable wearing them. I will have less energy to do things. My health will deteriorate and could add potential health risks to my life, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, etc. I will be a bad role model for my daughter. I will let myself down. I will eat rubbish food and my body deserves better.

Positive	Negative
Lose weight	All of the above that I don't want!
Feel better
Look better – body firmer
More energy
Longer health
Sleep better
Self pride
Set a good example
Encourage others

How can I do achieve this?

• Trial – set out daily goals of exercise – try something new or do exercise slightly longer. Write exercise time in my diary!
• Take action before motivation and motivation will follow
• Being, Doing, Having will get you there.
• Clear values run motivation–what is important? My health and well being physically and mentally

How do you get it?

• Make it a game – get rewards.
• JFDI (Just F_ _ _ing Do It) Excuse the “F” but in some cases it is necessary.
• Investigate on what works best
• Self talk – well done
• What could you achieve? Set goal.
• Life time – die in horrible way Diabetes/can’t move
• Alcohol – 6 month challenge & you will lose a high amount of weight and when you drink your resolve will go down
• Biggest common fear with change – You are frightened your life is going to be terrible and no more enjoyment and I am taking the fun away. But you know what, my clients all have had the best 6 months of their lives. Feel better, more energy, look better. No one has ever regretted making this change.
• Unconscious mind will hard on you but it is not impossible and you will feel better
• Project – what if you had a boss who said you have to lose it – how will you do it?
• You must agree what you are and are not willing to do.
• What got you to do stuff before – make lists
• List rewards – holiday/TV/Walk/Drinks/Clear desk
• Keep your focus on the “near” future and you will be rewarded daily.