The Art of Being Kinder to Yourself…

Over the last year, I’ve thought a lot about the topic of self-compassion. This isn’t to be confused with self-esteem. In many respects if we show ourselves more self-compassion then our self-esteem will automatically increase.

I've also come to realize we get confused by the term self-esteem and the way it's thought of today. For many it's come to mean increasing our sense of self-worth at the expense of somebody else without consciously going out of our way to "steal" from somebody so we get more.  We unconsciously look at like it's a "zero-sum game."

But back to self-compassion...

Many of us have grown up to believe that compassion is a virtue and something to strive to show to others, and I would venture to guess we do. Our natural reaction when we see somebody being victimized or in need of help is to step up and do whatever we can to ease suffering.

However, when it comes to showing ourselves compassion… we struggle. We tend to be hard on ourselves. Maybe feeling there’s so much suffering in the world how dare we “waste” our compassion on ourselves.

But the fact is… this is faulty logic.

Studies have shown when we’re kind and nurturing to ourselves then many of our emotional needs are met, and we are better positioned to focus and help others. It turns out being good to yourself helps you be good to others – what a pleasant paradox!

There are five myths that stop us from showing the self-compassion we deserve. These are thinking:

1. It’s a form of self-pity. 
2. It means weakness.
3. It’ll make me complacent.
4. I’ll be seen as a narcissist.
5. It’s selfish.

I don’t have the space today to tackle each of these myths here but I have written an article that covers the topic of self-compassion in more detail and explodes these dangerous myths, and I hope you take the time to read it and show yourself more self-compassion in 2017.

That is my wish for all reading this post today.

You can find the article: Practicing Self-Compassion – How to Be Kinder to Yourself here >>> 

I wish you a very successful 2017 and you achieve whatever goals you set for yourself.

Best wishes,

Erika Slater CH
Director
Free At Last Hypnosis
Massachusetts

Three ways to natural anti-aging… no tricks

There’s a lot of bad press about wonder products that leave your bank account "empty" and your body "flat out of years."

No snake oil I promise, no expensive facial cremes or surgery. Just some information to make you think.

Believe it or not there are Doctors and scientists in the world dedicated to understanding how we age and discovering if we can slow it down or stop it altogether. Their goal is to increase our life expectancy to 130+years!

The fact is you don’t have to wait for their research or studies to provide answers because there are some simple things we know today that can slow our aging process and they’re all natural.

Want to know what the big three are? Read on…

Now first, living to 130+years of age brings its own set of problems such as what is the real retirement age and how much money do you need for a retirement this long? Yikes!

I’m not an economist so if it’s okay with you I’ll gloss over this reality and instead assume that an extra decade or two of youthful life would suit you fine if you knew what you had to do and it is achievable for mortal.


THE EXERCISE ELEMENT:

Unlike your pre-historic ancestors, you’re not going to be eaten by a sabre tooth tiger so “flight or fight” isn’t a daily concern for you.

The bad news though is we’ve all got a little lazy – me included. Most people’s exercise these days consists of walking to the car from the house for their daily commute and doing the same on returning home.

Our body needs us to take care of it and so a little exercise each day goes a long way. 15-20 minutes a day walking at your own pace is good enough to start. Also, perform some exercises each day that improve your flexibility and help with muscle tone. Keep it simple.

Your body benefits from being “pushed” a little. Breaking sweat is enough but you set your own exertion level. Okay here’s the disclaimer… see your doctor first before entering any exercise program if you’ve been “dormant” for a while… like years.


THE NUTRITION COMPONENT:

Garbage in… Garbage out. The fuel we put in our bodies needs to be top grade and of our choice and not what the food industry wants us to eat to swell their profits and please Wall Street.

Our bodies age quickly if all we pump into it are sugars, carbohydrates and processed foods full of chemicals only spelling bees can get their tongues around. It’s okay to have a “few sins” such as a pasta meal occasionally or a cookie to close a meal.

Just not every day, right?

If getting and sticking to good nutrition is a “bridge too far” for you based on past experiences… then you’ll like this last final aging deterrent to help you over the bridge…


IT’S ALL ABOUT MINDSET:

I’ve saved the best for last… and its mindset.

Mindset is all about your attitude and what you think. If you crave only sitting on the couch or eating unhealthy body fuel, then you just have to realize you’re making a choice to be susceptible to disease. What’s needed is a different perspective on exercise and food.

Getting the right mindset means in time you’ll look forward to exercise and find the time to do it consistently. Getting the right mindset means in time choosing healthy food alternatives will be natural to you.

So how do you get this mindset?

Well you can read books about it – Jamie Smart’s books "The Little Book of Clarity" and most recently "Results" explain what is going on and how to think different and then use this information to achieve the results you want.

If you hate reading self-help books, then hypnosis will help install the mindset to get you on the path to natural aging and enjoying exercise on the right diet for you.

There are self-hypnosis products you can purchase or you can skip all that and see a local hypnotherapist to kick-start the new YOU.

I’ve written an article at our blog about Natural Anti-Aging and Turning Back the Clock to Feel Younger here >>> 

If you look at photos of yourself today or catch a glimpse in a mirror and don’t care for what you see, then go beyond the expensive cosmetic products and start making foundational changes to your mindset to help reduce and reverse your aging… and start today.

Let me know how you enjoyed this email.


Erika Slater CH
Director
Free At Last Hypnosis
Massachusetts

FREE Self-Hypnosis Workshop in North Grafton MA

For those of you living in the Central Massachusetts area you may be interested in a free 1/2-day self-hypnosis workshop I'll be running in September 2015. This will be aimed at people who are serious about learning how to blast through barriers and beliefs holding them back from getting what they want out of life.

I've been in my hypnosis business now for over a decade and in that time have seen many people push past their own barriers to achieve amazing results.

Self-hypnosis allows you to access the wonderful resource you were born with - your subconscious mind. This is where your habits, beliefs, and barriers are stored. Some of these support you as you go about the day - others can get in the way without you realizing.

The fact is your subconscious mind doesn't distinguish between good or bad habits or beliefs. They just are there.

Hypnosis allows us is to "talk" directly at our subconscious mind and erase habits and beliefs not supporting us any longer, and replacing them with positive ones.

My self-hypnosis workshop will provide you three basic techniques to get yourself into self-hypnosis. You'll have a chance to practice thee during the workshop and then attend a follow-up to get feedback and guidance on any stumbling blocks you've met along the way.

The first workshop will be in September 2015 and you can learn more about it along with the date by going to the registration page here >>>

There is a limit of 10 for this workshop as that's the capacity of the room. I'm also not sure if I will run a second so if you think this interests you - and don't forget it's free - and you live in the North Grafton MA area then do please check it out to see if it will work for you.

There are some conditions so you'll won't to check those out as well.

Once more here is the link to the registration page with all the details here >>>

Erika Slater CH
Director
Free At Last Hypnosis