I have made many speeches over the years. I enjoy it but I know that the mere thought of public speaking sends many people into sheer panic and they’ll avoid it through all means necessary. The fear of speaking in public is extremely widespread, and if you are affected by it then rest assured that you are not alone in your suffering. This doesn’t mean you should accept it.

A fear of speaking in public is linked to certain insecurities. Some people have low self-esteem, while others are too self conscious. No matter the reason, if you find yourself sweating too much, having your throat go dry, or even feeling nauseated when you are about to talk in front of strangers, consider using our self-hypnosis recording ‘Public Speaking Confidence’ – because hypnosis is a very effective tool in treating public speaking anxiety.

Here are a few tips to help you improve your speeches:

Rehearsal

In our public speaking confidence self-hypnosis session we use mental rehearsal as a tool. People are often scared of things that are new to them. Speaking in front of an audience is the type of thing that does not happen every day, which means that you need to reduce that degree of novelty. Rehearsing in your own mind is great, but you can do it in public too. Ask a friend to assist you while you are rehearsing your speech. If you have more friends that are willing to help you, well, even better. You could have a small audience in front of you and you’ll be able to reproduce at least part of the conditions for giving your speech.

Knowledge

It’s important that you understand what you’re going to be talking about. If you just repeat some words that have no meaning to you, you’ll soon discover that you cannot remember these words when the situation requires it. Learn your speech by cutting it in smaller chunks. This way, you will allow your brain to digest it, and to incorporate it in your thoughts, so you can naturally remember it when you will be in front of an audience. Better yet, become the expert!

Get Some Rest

A well rested mind can work wonders for public speaking. It’s important to get enough rest so that you don’t feel strung out or stressed. Your brain will function better and you’ll find it easier to identify the information you seek. Any of our self-hypnosis recordings will help with this.

You should also avoid any kind of tiring activities the night before you need to give an important speech. This will allow your mind to relax better and to keep all the things in order. Just like before an exam, don’t consume too much alcohol the night before either.

Look Your Best

It is easier to feel confident when you look good. Take some time picking out your clothes. Make sure they are presentable, but also comfortable. People tend to think better of you when you are well dressed. Be sure to look like someone that takes good care of their appearance.

Silence Breaks Are Allowed

One mistake that many people make is to try and fill in the breaks that occur naturally during a speech. Silence breaks can often be considered a sign that the speaker is thinking about what to say next. This is considered thoughtful by the audience. Filling in the breaks with hesitating sounds shows weakness. Take the opportunity to drink a bit of water, especially if your throat is dry, before getting back to your speech. Your audience is not your enemy. If you need a few seconds to recollect your thoughts, it is alright to do so.

Make a note of these public speaking tips before you’re due to do a speech. Some of these tips might sound obvious but they can be very effective, particularly when combined with our hypnosis for public speaking session. If you do have a problem with speaking in public, then you should start using my self-hypnosis session right away. That should be your priority. With the help of hypnosis, you can become a charismatic public speaker and motivate others to follow the same path.

In my previous blog post I wrote about Trance - a Danny Boyle film that I thoroughly enjoyed being involved with. Movies and television shows have a habit of portraying hypnosis as scary and people tend to think a trance is some sort of dangerous or controlling state of mind. I believe the word trance has negative connotations and as such it’s not a word I use when describing the state of hypnosis. That’s a topic for another day, because I want to explore some of the professional and ethical issues raised in the Trance movie.

In the real world, professional and ethical situations are rarely discussed openly between therapist and client, although many dilemmas can and do arise. At the forefront of people’s mind when seeking therapy is whether the person they are looking for can help them with a particular issue. It is usually taken for granted that the therapist will be ethical and professional.

In any professional ethical relationship between a therapist and a client, complete confidentiality should be in place. In Trance, the therapist shares revelations with other members of the heist gang. In real life, this would not happen. A professional and ethical therapist would not work with the other members of the group. The therapist’s role is just that, ‘a therapist’. They should not be a friend, a personal confident or someone to be socialised with outside the therapeutic setting.

In Trance, the hypnotherapist gets particularly intimate with the fine art auctioneer as well as the heist gang leader – understandably, this brings with it an amount of intensity and drama and is very effective in the make believe world of ‘the movies’. However, in the real world, an unethical therapist is rightly frowned upon because anything other than behaving ethically and professionally is manipulative and potentially dangerous. Any therapist who leads a development other than a client/therapist relationship is lacking true self-awareness and is unaware of the bigger picture. Such relationships can cause complications and are not in the client’s best interest.

The idea of working with a professional hypnotherapist is to promote independence within the client, having clear boundaries in place so that each party know exactly where they stand. Without clear boundaries, the relationships can become messy, unclear and unhealthy. Quality change work cannot be expected if boundaries are not in place – a client should always be a client to promote their personal change and  be fully independent. The last thing the hypnotherapist should do is provide a need for their help outside of the professional setting.

Despite the ethical and professional indiscretions, Trance is a fantastic dramatisation of a robbery, client / therapist relationships, killings, car crashes and violence and so far as an action movie and psychological thriller is concerned, it proved to be very successful. I certainly congratulate its writers and producers in making a film well worth watching.

Trance is a British drama thriller film directed by Danny Boyle and starring James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson and Vincent Cassel. As you might have guessed by the name of the film, it involves hypnosis.

Earlier this year I was approached by a production team associated with Trance to provide an insight into clinical hypnotherapy. I got to see an exclusive preview of the movie and was then interviewed on film, where I offererd my knowledge and experience of hypnotherapy. I was subsequently invited to attend the World Premiere in London’s West End, Leicester Square on Tuesday 19th March 2013.

The Storyline

The plot continues to unfold, with cleverly put together scenes of Simon’s confusing flashbacks – are they real or imagined? We are also left to wonder who was actually involved in this crime in the first place, and who has the painting? Any trust we may have developed during the film towards any of the characters is soon diminished. It all gets rather complicated and just as soon as we think we have an understanding and know the truth, it takes a twist. Could what we are seeing and experiencing be real or imagined? If it is real how, do we really know? Eventually, after more drama, more therapy and more violence, discoveries are made and there is a brilliantly thought out and powerful conclusion to the story.

Trance is a fantastic, mind bending, psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, with many intelligent twists and turns. You can learn more about the film over at IMDB, where I’m glad to see it has received plenty of positive reviews. It’s well worth a watch so catch it while you can!

The movie does bring a number of ethical issues to light in regards to the client / therapist relationship. I will address the ethical and professional issues of Trance in my next article.

I often like to refer to our self-hypnosis CDs and downloads as ‘Personal Change Programs’. They are personal because they are intended for use by one person, you. They are also private and you can work on personal issues without having to tell anyone. Privacy is important, particularly for some sensitive issues that you might prefer to keep to yourself. However, if you’re using our self-hypnosis programs to help motivate yourself on reaching a certain goal, then consider reaching out for peer support.

One of the nicest and simplest things about peer support is that there’s no specific formula and no single way to do it. A phone call from your mother, exercising with your best friend and chatting with your partner about the day’s events are all forms of peer support. Some people seek out more extensive forms of peer support. This sort of peer support occurs when you work with people who have similar goals. 12-step programs, which help people recover from addictions, are classic examples of more structured peer support.

Programs like Alcoholics Anonymous use sponsors as a form of peer support. Sponsors are people who are relatively far into the journey toward sobriety; a new member picks a sponsor and can call the sponsor when he needs help or is tempted to use. Unlike mental health professionals and other experts, a sponsor has been there. Not only does the sponsor serve as clear evidence that it gets better; a sponsor can also offer specific strategies that worked for him.

One of the most challenging aspects of working toward a goal is feeling lonely. Particularly when you hit a stumbling block, it’s easy to get caught in a spiral of negativity and feel like you’re the only person who has struggled with a particular issue. But peer support reassures you that you’re not alone by helping you weather the storm alongside others who are struggling with the same issues as you.

The benefits of peer support vary depending on your specific goal. A workout buddy can help keep you motivated and reassure you that slow weight loss is normal; a writer’s group can share ideas and critiques. Peers are often more likely to recommend non-traditional remedies (like hypnosis!). A peer who has struggled with sleep problems, for example, can share nutritional and lifestyle changes that helped her, enabling you to achieve better overall health and wellness. The list of possibilities for peer support is truly endless, but here are some specific benefits of peer support:

• Increased motivation to achieve challenging goals.
• Reassurance that a goal is possible.
• Insight and opinions from someone who has struggled with the same issue.
• Less isolation, depression and hopelessness.
• A sympathetic ear.

Peer support begins with reaching out to your social network. Talk to family and friends who might be willing to help you with your goals. Ask people with similar goals if they’d be willing to work with you. You could, for example, invite your best friend to join a gym with you. If your problems are more complex or you can’t find someone in your social network willing to help you, the Internet can be a powerful tool. Try locating a message board dedicated to your specific goal or issue; peer support doesn’t have to be in-person.

Websites dedicated to specific issues also frequently provide lists of resources. Try joining a support group, volunteering with a group of people or contacting a national organization dedicated to a specific goal you’re interested in achieving. The key for getting good peer support is putting yourself out there. Once you do, you’ll begin expanding your network and may be surprised by how many people are willing to help you achieve your goals.

Don’t forget that peer support also works both ways. There will be times when people close to you need help reaching their own goals, so be sure to be there for them too.

January has always been our busiest month of the year and this year is no different. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions for 2013? The follow through can be tough and as we approach the end of January it’s all too easy to fall back into familiar routines and wait for next year before doing anything.

Many people are aware of the benefits of hypnosis and how it can be used as a tool for change. Now is the ideal time to use self-hypnosis and our products help empower you to create the changes you desire, in a timeframe that is safe and suitable for you. We hope you’re sticking with your New Year’s resolutions, but if you’ve fallen off track then don’t worry… just get back on it today!

We have set a few goals for 2013 and unlike last year, we’re planning on sticking to them. We set some goals last year and for one reason or another we didn’t see them through. Firstly, we recorded a series of new products at the start of the 2012 but we ran into a few technical issues and in the end we decided to put them off for a later date. We did manage to revamp the website, which took a lot of time and effort. Our plans to celebrate our 10^th anniversary with a series of competitions for our loyal customers didn’t happen either. Being totally honest, 2012 wasn’t a very productive year for us here at hypnoshop.com.

This year we’re going to up our game and get back on track. We’re going to be building a new recording studio, starting in February. That will take a couple of months. Once that’s completed we’ll start expanding our product range, starting with the new titles we initially recorded last year. Then we’ll crack on and make plans to record some new titles in the summer. We intend to spend a lot of time this year producing new products and spending time in the studio.

You’ll also notice improvements to the website and this year we’re going to run some fun competitions and try and be a bit creative when it comes to promotions. Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter – or better yet, sign-up to our email newsletter.

Finally, we’re going to write more top quality blog posts this year than we did in 2012. We’d also like to share more of your success stories on our blog so if you’ve benefitted from our self-hypnosis products and have a story to tell, please get in touch.

Have a great 2013!

After the wonderful and awe inspiring London Olympics we’ve just enjoyed, it feels right to explore how psychology goes hand in hand with sports excellence.

Some of the sports men and women we saw over the past couple of weeks crumbled under the pressure of performing at the Olympics. However, others achieved personal bests when they needed them most, many managed to win medals – gold, silver and bronze, world records were smashed by some, and a few superstars achieved sporting immortality.

How and why did some of these sporting heroes achieve their goals while others faltered under the pressure? The power of the mind has a lot to do with it. Of course, skill and natural ability is paramount to sporting success. If you believe you can run the 100m sprint in under 10 seconds but your body isn’t in the shape to do it, then it doesn’t matter what you think – it just won’t be possible. Let’s not get carried away – there are limitations to the power of the mind. However, psychology surely played a major role for those who were in top physical condition and had realistic expectations of winning. For these people it came down to absolute self-belief or lack thereof.

Self-belief is critical to sporting success, but it’s the performance on the big day that matters most. If you watched any of the Olympics then you surely would have heard commentators say things like “he’s in the zone”, “tunnel vision” or “she’s on fire”. These are all buzz words which represent what psychologists would call the ‘flow’ state. This term flow was coined by the psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, and it means complete focused motivation. In sports psychology this would be when someone is fully energized, emotionally and single-mindedly immersed in the process of their sporting activity.

What does all this have to do with self hypnosis? Well, hypnosis is all about concentrated attention and it can be used to successfully tap into and access the flow state – that state of effortless, unconscious skill. With the help of repetition and anchoring, these positive feelings can be called upon when they are most needed. The more you do it, the stronger the association becomes. Another successful sports hypnosis technique is that of mentally coaching yourself – which means to mentally rehearse your sports performance in a more general manner. Both mental rehearsal and tapping into the flow state can make a big difference – which is why sports psychology is so important these days and it’s also why many of the world’s top sports men and women use hypnosis.

We have developed a number of different sport hypnosis products over the past 10 years.  These CDs and downloads contain many powerful techniques, including those already mentioned. Other techniques include modelling excellence. What does this mean? Well, as an example, if you listen to our golf hypnosis session you’ll be guided into a state of deep relaxation and using the power of your imagination power you’ll be able to gain insights from your sporting heroes. As strange as this might sound, it involves stepping into the body of your favourite golfer, such as Tiger Woods, and getting a feel for his pattern of play and overall brilliance. This is just one of many very effective techniques used within our golf session and replicated across our other sports hypnosis products.

Of course, we don’t for one moment profess to make you some kind of sports superstar. But, we do have the tools to help you become the best you can be and develop your sports skills, agile body and productive thinking in a way to achieve the goals you wholeheartedly desire through regular listening to our self hypnosis recordings. Who knows, we might see you in Rio in 2016!