Anticipatory anxiety is the feeling of worrying about or dreading an event or situation in the future. It often builds as the anxiety-inducing event gets closer and may cause weeks or even months of insomnia and anxiety symptoms. Very often, the anticipatory anxiety is much worse than the actual event, which, if you brave it, is never as bad as you imagined it would be. When you really break it down, anticipatory anxiety is just our minds attempting to travel into the future.

Health anxiety is a condition that causes healthy people to worry that they are seriously ill, even though they may have no symptoms or very minor symptoms. It used to be known as hypochondriasis but as that term has such negative connotations, it is now rarely used. Health anxiety is a serious condition and can have a huge negative impact on the life of the sufferer and their family.

The physical effects of anxiety are known as the "stress response". You have probably heard it described as the “fight or flight” response. It is designed to protect us by preparing our bodies to fight the danger or run away from it. What happens when we perceive a threat takes place very quickly and automatically before we even have a chance to consciously assess the situation.

Make a list of all that negative clutter. What is worrying you? What is making you anxious? Split that list into two; things you can change and things you can't. If you have no control over it, there is no point in worrying. Read more about clearing your mind of worries in this blog post.

One thing many people ask me is what I do as a hypnotherapist and what happens in a session. So, I thought perhaps it would be worth explaining a bit more about hypnotherapy and what you can expect from our work together. Of course, it will depend on what you are coming in for and what your goals are, but this blog post will hopefully answer some of those questions for you.

What is it you fear about social interaction? Do you avoid certain social activities, such as parties or dinner invitations? The Social Anxiety Institute state that people with social anxiety disorder usually experience significant emotional distress in the following situations...

Hypnotherapy has been shown to help with many different aspects of cancer treatment. It is a very relaxing and empowering therapy and can assist you in taking back some of the control you may feel you have lost since your diagnosis.

The story of the pear tree and lessons we can all learn from nature.

Whilst hypnotherapy can help, these practical steps can also be useful in creating good sleep habits. If you find you get tired in the afternoon, it is tempting to use sugar or caffeine to give you a quick boost. However, these will stop you sleeping well and just exacerbate the problem. Think longer-term and tackle the cause of your tiredness through correcting your sleep pattern. Keep all electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets out of the bedro

So, you have spent all year watching what you eat and trying to be healthy. Why let it all go to pot over Christmas? You can enjoy yourself and have the odd Christmas treat here and there without going completely off the rails. Here are my top ten tips for a leaner, healthier Christmas season.

Stress is a survival mechanism that affects each and every one of us at times. When we feel under attack our bodies are flooded with hormones including cortisol and adrenaline that make us more alert and ready for action. We experience this as fear or anxiety. Stress is a normal reaction to certain events and can actually be very helpful. It triggers that fight or flight response that humans have relied on for thousands of years.

Separation anxiety is a normal part of childhood development and can start from the age of around 6 months. It is usual for young children to feel anxious at being left by a primary caregiver (usually mum or dad), especially in a new environment such as nursery or playgroup and they often settle quite quickly when they become more familiar with their new surroundings and the trusted adult who looks after them. Read more about separation anxiety in this blog post.

Over the past 20 years there have been many studies into the importance of gratitude and we are beginning to realise just how much it can improve our mood and change our thinking patterns. The more we focus on the negative aspects of life and all that we don’t have, the worse we feel. It is amazing how much better and more positive we feel when we start to look at what we do have and focus on all the great parts of life.

This is a short relaxation exercise that will take just a few minutes of your time. Remember while you do this that it is perfectly natural for your thoughts to wander. The important thing is not to get frustrated or angry at yourself or your thoughts. Just accept that your mind is doing its job, congratulate yourself for noticing and then bring your focus back to your body.

OK, so I have a confession. I used to be a perfectionist. When I say that, I don’t just mean that I expected a lot of myself or I was very well organised or that I just worked hard. I mean, I would take hours and hours over things that should have taken me 20 minutes. I over-prepared and tried to cover myself for every single eventuality. I couldn't do anything without thoroughly preparing myself first. A lot of the time I would put things off because I was terrified of makin

How many times have you imagined the very worst-case scenario, worrying yourself sick over something that ultimately never happened? Just think, you could have saved yourself all that misery! Have you ever worried so much over something that you completely talked yourself out of doing it? Do you ever regret that decision? Was it based on fact or was it just your over-active imagination replaying horror stories in your mind of what “might” happen? We have all done it, haven’t

There is an ancient Chinese parable about an old man who knew he would die soon. He wanted to know what heaven and hell were like. He visited a wise man in his village.

How do you take care of yourself? What do you do to keep your body in shape? What about your mental health...do you give that as much attention? Take a look at your life and daily routine and make sure you are making time for regular relaxation which is so important for your mental and physical well-being.

There was once a wise old man who used to go to the beach every day to write. He used to enjoy walking along the beach every morning before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and noticed that it was covered in starfish. There were far too many to even count so the old man continued his walk, lost in his own thoughts.

Your heart races, you feel dizzy, your mind goes blank and you begin to shake all over. Is this a life or death situation you are facing? No...you have been asked to speak in public. It is called glossophobia and it is one of the most common fears we humans face. Read more about how hypnotherapy can improve your self-confidence when it comes to giving speeches or presentations, or just speaking at social events.