help people relax and relieve anxiety all the time, and yet I confess I had some trouble dealing with a health scare I recently went through. After all, we can define anxiety as “a threat to one’s safety” and in a way it’s natural, I guess, to experience some anxiety. Don’t get me wrong, I do understand that one can cross the street and get hit by a bus, life is so fragile after all. But, we all have to deal with uncertainty and accept that we are all just passing by.

We like to believe that we are in control of our lives but we are not, at least not entirely, and we have to be ok with that. At a certain point in our lives we have to choose between living life to the fullest or living in fear that one day something really bad could happen. I recently read this quote that I keep reminding myself of:

“Worrying doesn’t stop bad things from happening, it only stops you from enjoying the present”

So, what can we do to worry less and enjoy life more? The answer to this could be mindfulness. Mindfulness can be defined as: “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique”. I have been reading a book about aging from a holistic point of view. I was surprised to know that it mentions a book that was written in 1942: Fundamentals of Medical Dermatology, in which many pages are devoted to mindfulness. This book strongly recommends mindfulness as a way to look and feel younger and diminish wrinkles and other skin problems. Some of the things recommended are:

• Living in the moment and with detachment
• Live in the present from one day to the next
• Refuse to think of the past, stop planning for the future
• View the world with detachment, like a spectator
• Focus on things that take you out of yourself, like walking, watching the clouds, the trees, etc.

These are some of the things that I work on with clients who come to do Hypnosis to relieve stress or anxiety. We also work on increasing confidence to deal with life’s challenges, optimism: looking at the glass half full not half empty,  positive thinking, increasing both physical and mental relaxation, time management, organizational skills, learning to say no to others and setting healthy boundaries among other things.

I also highly recommend writing a gratitude list and going over it in the morning upon waking up and at bedtime. Doing deep breathing and meditation are also things I recommend to incorporate into our lives. It’s also important to keep things into perspective and to get the support of loved ones through difficult times. Now it’s time for me to go do some deep breathing. Until next time!

Blessings to all my readers,

Recommended Books and products by Amazon.ca:http://astore.amazon.ca/wwwnewlifehyp-20