Life after Lockdown

The days of lockdown may be behind us, but for some, its legacy lives on

Lockdown. I’m sure we all remember the time of daily broadcasts from our senior politicians and scientists; the message was clear and simple: stay at home to stay safe. Just seeing that all-too-familiar logo brings it all back and makes my heart sink.

Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives
This press release from January 2021 warns us that “Around one in three people with COVID-19 don’t have any symptoms and can pass it on without realising, which is why it’s essential everyone stays at home...” The message is clear – the outside world is full of hidden danger; don’t go out! 

I remember how strange and how thrilling it was when the last lockdown was lifted after what seemed like the longest ever winter. People were wearing masks and we had to keep our distance from each other – it felt strange to be amongst people, and equally strange to be detached from them; life, it seemed, would never be quite the same again.

Jump to the present day – although Covid is still around, thanks to vaccinations, it’s no longer news-worthy. Very few people are wearing masks and, for most, life has pretty much gone back to the way it was pre-March 2020, when the first lockdown was announced. But sadly, for some, its legacy lives on and the fear of venturing outside has never lifted. The years of being told to avoid human contact beyond our own four walls has turned into something worse – a deep-set anxiety of being out in the world. 

The primary function of our brain is to keep us safe – to stop us coming to harm. It does this by making us feel anxious in certain situations so that we stop doing whatever it is that our brain is worried about. Every time we comply, our brain considers it a success and remembers to do the same thing next time and before long, habits are formed – this is a great system when there is a genuine danger, but not so great when danger has passed and the fear has become irrational. 

Hypnotherapy has, for many years, been both a quick and effective way of overcoming fears and phobias. By using a process called Systematic Desensitisation, all aspects of a person's fear are identified and, through hypnosis, they become ‘desensitised’ to them. This is done by imagining being in those situations whilst feeling relaxed. Through repetition, new feelings of being calm and in control are developed, which can then be taken into the real world. Positive and permanent changes are made as the brain’s experiences and expectations change and it no longer perceives danger.

If you or anyone you know have found that you’ve not been able to get back into the life you enjoyed before Covid, such as socialising, working in the office, or simply going to the shops, do get in touch. Life after lockdown is possible!

For more information on how I use Hypnotherapy to treat fears and phobias, click here

Popular posts from this blog

New Scientist Event - Consciousness and the Mind-Body Connection

Image
 Yesterday I spent the day in London at an event put on by the New Scientist  entitled Consciousness and the Mind-Body Connection. It was well worth getting up early for the 6:33 train, what an amazing day it was. We were treated to six fabulous speakers, all experts in various fields of brain science, much of which is directly related to my work as a CBT-Hypnotherapist. By the time I left my head was spinning! When I meet potential new clients, often one of the first things they tell me is how sceptical they are about hypnotherapy, but they're so desperate for help that they're willing to give it a go. Yesterday's sessions would hopefully have helped them see that they have nothing to be worried about, in fact, quite the contrary. Recent developments in brain science and our ability to see inside the brain through imaging, allow us to understand how the techniques I use with my clients are so effective. Brain science is catching up with hypnotherapy, which has been around ...
Read more

Feeling Grateful? Don't Keep it to Yourself!

Image
Gratitude . Such a simple concept -- feeling grateful -- but it happens to be one of the key factors in helping us to live a longer, healthy, positive life. Research has shown that people who consciously feel gratitude are able to fully enjoy positive feelings, have a stronger sense of self-worth and are better able to handle stress and everyday set-backs. They also find it easier to create and maintain meaningful relationships with people.  Simply put: gratitude focusses us on the good in life. By making gratitude a routine part of your day, you will automatically trigger a more positive, optimistic outlook on life. And the more positive you are, the more you will find there is to be grateful for. By adopting a positive outlook, you create the basis for life-long personal development and happiness. Not only that, but positive people tend to live 19% longer, are physically healthier, more successful in their jobs and happier in their relationships. And the great news is we can all ...
Read more

Revise Without Distraction!

Image
For many, the end of the Easter holidays means that start of revision for those all-important exams. Here's a question for you: where is your phone? Research has shown that on average, people the UK pick up their phones 85 times a day! How can we focus on our revision if we're constantly looking at our phone?! The research was split into three areas, and here's what was discovered: The worst place you can put your phone in front of you where you can see it (hardly surprising!). These people picked their phones up the most. Putting it in a bag or out of sight in the same room as you, even if it's switched off, is an improvement, but not as good as: Leaving it in another room. So, to maximise your focus and minimise distraction, put your phone in another room, or at least out of sight and silent. If you need to use it for your revision, consider downloading an app like Flora - Green Focus, where you can grow trees by staying off your phone, but are allowed to access apps...
Read more