The Harbor Hypnotherapy Blog

Hypnosis Saved Someone’s Life

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 20:34:00 GMT

I applaud the author, Ilana Kaplan, for sharing her personal journey in this recent NY Times article . Ilana’s experience through hypnosis is just one of the ways hypnotherapy can significantly alter someone’s life to overcome anxiety and insomnia. There is a study cited from Stanford University.

Here is the link to the article, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/07/opinion/sunday/hypnosis-treatment.html

Enjoy!

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Be Kind To Yourself Through Hypnosis

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 20:32:00 GMT

Often you are very hard on yourself. When you think of words such as kindness, loving, caring, compassion even congratulations, you would never think they pertain to yourself. Yet, it is so easy to feel that way or say something kind to someone else. When it comes to the way you think about yourself, if you are like other people, you are probably quite negative and and hard on yourself. Why? Why are you so hard on yourself ? It is so easy to give someone else a break, but again, not yourself.

Now, imagine day after day, month after month, year after year being constantly critical of yourself. If you grew up with parents who were very negative all the time, what do you think happens? What happens is over time you have low self esteem, lack self confidence and actually believe all the negativity you hear in your mind.

How can that be changed? Can it be changed? It absolutely can be changed. Get ready, the way to change from negative thoughts to positive thoughts is simply by changing that script in your head. Wala, you are all better. That would be so easy, wouldn’t it? The problem is after thinking in a negative way for so long and having that same negative script, it takes time to change your attitude about yourself. You see, all that self criticism has evolved over the years into a bad habit, an addiction if you will. Just like any addiction, such as smoking or overeating, a new habit/voice has to be changed to rewrite the story you were raised to believe. Then it takes time, generally at least 28 days to change that negative mentality to thinking positive and feeling good about yourself.

It is often hard to do it on your own, yes, this is where hypnosis comes in. Hypnosis is a state of relaxation where you are highly open to the power of suggestion through your own subconscious mind. Hypnotists use hypnosis to put you in a very relaxed state and help alter your subconscious mind through positive suggestions.

It is important to know that a hypnotist can’t force you to think or act a certain way, you have to be open to the idea of changing your thought patterns.

By rewriting the script in your mind to think you are a wonderful person and will be confident and successful, you will actually believe it to be true after a habit of thinking positivity develops. A hypnotist studies many different ways to help a person change a thought or behavior. Let’s say, for example, you are overeating and decide to diet for just one week; the chances of you going back to overeating are pretty high whereas if you stick to a diet for at least 28 days, chances are you will continue.

Kindness to yourself is very similar to the overeating example. By only thinking positive thoughts about yourself and always believing and loving yourself for 28 days, what might happen? The critical, harmful thoughts will in fact change. It is easier said than done. With a lot of practice and a hypnotherapist helping you, you can literally change your life and how you feel about yourself.

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Happy Birthday Mom

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 20:32:00 GMT

My mom died a day before Mother’s Day, 12 years ago. Today 9/11/19 she would have been 78 years old. After that horrible day, 9/11/01, I used to half joke with my mom about having the worst possible date to have a birthday on. Interestingly, my son was intentionally born on 9/12/02. Anyone who had a scheduled c-section right after 9/11 did not want their child to have that birthday.

As always, I post a picture of my mom on Facebook wishing her a Happy Birthday. I am not sure exactly what I believe in, regarding what happens after someone passes away. In my gut, I know my mom is up there taking care of all the kids (she sure loved her than young grandchildren). She is also making sure everyone is settling in, to whatever it is they need settling in to.

I think of her often, more so on her birthday. Rather than being sad, I am so glad she is up there taking care of anyone who needs taking care of.

“I am good mom, there are a lot of people who need you more than I do now. You keep them safe, loved and protected, the way you did with me and everyone who had the privilege to know you.”

“You will forever be 66, enjoy your special day. Happy Birthday!!”

“Love now and always,

Robin”

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10 Scientifically Proven Ways To Stay Happy All The Time

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 20:29:00 GMT

Author: Robert Locke

How do you stay happy all the time? Is it possible and is there any proof that these ways can work? In this post I want to show you 10 ways that are scientifically proven. If this does not convince you, then I do not know what will!

1. Exercise more

Lots of studies on this one. Exercising releases the good mood endorphins so that you are always in a better mood after a workout or simply a walk to the supermarket. I have never met a person in a bad mood after a workout! But where is the scientific evidence?

The University of Toronto did a great job on this and analyzed no less than 25 research studies.[1] The conclusion was that physical activity can and does help to keep depression at bay.

The best study I know is where three groups of depressed people are put on a regime of anti-depressants, exercise or a combination of the two. No surprise to know that all three groups were happier, but did it last? Six months later, the group who had been treated with exercise only, had a very low relapse rate of 9%. The other two groups had relapsed and how! Their rates were ranging from 38% to 31%, so about a third of them were now depressed again.

2. Positive thinking affects your performance

“Happiness is the precursor to success.” – Shawn Achor

Sounds like pie in the sky? Well, according to Shawn Achor , if he knows everything about what factors are impinging on your happiness such as stressors, hassles, successes, economic circumstances, relationships and so on, then he can only predict 10% of your long term happiness. The remaining 90% is how you process the world around you. If happiness is on the other side of success, it is unlikely you will get there as you continually strive to get better grades, higher salaries and so on.

Positive thinking raises energy levels, creativity and productivity by as much as 30%. The secret is to use positive thinking now , rather than when you are rich and famous. Watch the video below for a very entertaining outline of this.

3. Trash your negative thoughts

Some people are overwhelmed by their negative thoughts and they have real problems in getting rid of them. A University of Madrid study found that by actually writing these thoughts down on a piece of paper and then destroying them was effective.[2] They recommended that you either tear them up, throw them in the trash or burn them!

The fact of discarding them physically does help in reducing their toxic effects. Psychologists suggest doing this on a regular basis.

4. Treasure your experiences more than your possessions

Thomas Gilovich, a psychologist at Cornell University has done quite a lot of research as to why it is better to treasure memorable and pleasant experiences rather than the material things we buy. There are many reasons for this as outlined in his study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.[3] Comparing possessions and looking at better objects after purchase can be demoralizing and ruin the initial pleasure we got when purchasing and taking possession of that new car, TV or computer.

But treasuring experiences is not nearly as destructive. They belong to us, they are special and they provide longer lasting happiness. We should always aim to visit a new place or just go trekking. Local authorities should be able to provide the facilities in towns and cities so that people may experience more enjoyable and pleasurable activities, rather than building more shopping malls.

5. Write down why you are grateful

Feeling and thinking about the things you are grateful for as you wake up is a great way to build more happiness.

Research on our brain shows that we always tend to focus on the negative things of life like those worries, tragedies, failures, and discontent. Negativity is the default position.

“We’ve got this negativity bias that’s a kind of bug in the stone-age brain in the 21st century,” – Rick Hanson, neuropsychologist.

This is why we need to focus on the good and more especially, we need to hone in on what we should be grateful for. There are various ways you can do this. Here are some ideas:

When you wake up, remind yourself mentally of three things that you can be grateful for.Some people prefer to write down three things and keep the list to remind themselves every now and again.Use Twitter or Facebook if you feel inclined. Useful to remind your followers that this does actually work.Express gratitude by phoning your significant other or by treating a colleague to coffee for their help with a project or task.Try giving back by helping a person or by volunteering for a few hours a week.

But is there any scientific proof that this actually works? Check out this link to see just some of the numerous studies on gratitude.[4]

6. Practice mindfulness

What does mindfulness mean? It just means that you concentrate and pay full attention to the present moment and accept it in a non-judgmental way. This is now becoming a popular trend in psychology and medicine. When done regularly it can boost mood, reduce stress levels, and lead to a better quality of life.

Focus on the present moment means that you can savor touch, smell and other physical sensations but also happy feelings. Concentrate on the joy they are giving you. It is really effective in forgetting about the past and not fretting about future, fearful scenarios.

But can this really make us happier and what is the scientific evidence? Watch the video where Harvard researcher Matt Killingsworth explains that we are happier when we are mindful of the moment and the least happy when the mind is wandering all over the place. He has come to this conclusion after studying 15,000 people!

7. Don’t forget your beauty sleep

When you do not get enough sleep, your negativity takes over big time. This was the conclusion researchers came to after several experiments. One of these is particularly interesting. The researchers homed in on the hippocampus which is the part of the brain which processes our positive thoughts. When we are sleep deprived, this function starts to creak and negative thoughts muscle in much more than before.

To illustrate this, researchers asked sleep deprived students to remember a list of words. They were getting a high score on all the negative words (81%) but when it came to the positive ones or neutral ones, they were only getting about 31% of these right. Dr.Robert Stickgold has conducted similar experiments on sleep and memory.[5]Now you know why people are always in a bad mood when they do not get enough sleep.

8. Dedicate a little time to helping others

People buy bigger houses, cars and phones but it does not seem to increase their overall happiness in the long term, although it might cause a brief spike in happiness. That is short lived. Researchers have found that when we dedicate a little time or money to helping others, this has a significant effect on our own happiness.[6]

9. Focus on the life you want to live

“The heart goes where the head takes it, and neither cares much about the whereabouts of the feet.”- Dr. Daniel Gilbert.

We often talk about winning the lottery and where we would go and above all what we would buy. We might even talk about giving to charity. But we never or rarely talk about what our state of mind would be and how much happier and carefree we would be. This is why focusing on priorities to get the life you want to live is so important.

After all, there is more to life than _______ (fill in the blanks yourself) .

10. Focus on your strengths

Are you curious, open-minded or brave? How are you using these strengths to improve your life and that of others? These are key questions but people who exploit their strengths rather than dwelling on their weaknesses are generally much happier.[7]

Being able to realize our full potential through exploiting our strengths is one of the best ways of finding happiness and helping to make the world a better place.

Final thoughts

All these 10 ways are scientifically proven to help you feel happy. If you think your life is full of responsibilities and you’re too late to live a different life, think again! It’s really never too late to live a happier and more fulfilling life:

Reference

[1] Psychology Today: 25 Studies Confirm: Exercise Prevents Depression

[2] Universidad Autónoma de Madrid: Treating Thoughts as Material Objects Can Increase or Decrease Their Impact on Evaluation

[3] Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: To Do, to Have, or to Share?

[4] happier human: The Science of Gratitude: More Benefits Than Expected; 26 Studies and Counting

[5] Healthy Sleep: Sleep and Memory

[6] News Harvard: Money spent on others can buy happiness

[7] Tayyab Rashid & Afroze Anjum: 340 Ways to Use VIA Character Strengths

Robin’s personal take on happiness:

I don’t believe happiness is automatic. There are little tricks I have discovered along the way to get my negativity out of my head.

1 – A breathe of fresh air or in the warmer months, opening up the freezer

2 – Gargling

3 – Looking up

4 – Concentrate on my breath

5 – Headstands

6 – Splashing cold water on my face

7 – Ho’oponopono

8 – Before I step a foot out of bed, set a positive intention for myself

9 – Dance, dance, dance

10 – Singng loudly

11 – Making a gratitude list

12 – CBD Oil

13 – A list of all the things that make me happy

14 – Random Acts of Kindness

15 – Simply, smiling at other people

16 – Positive Hypnosis

Robin Gensburg

www.harborhypnosis.com

robin@harborhypnosis.com 914-450-8877

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How Do We Get Over Another School Shooting

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 20:01:00 GMT

* This article was written in 2018 *

My thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends effected by the shooting. This piece is dedicated to them.

Robin Gensburg

How Do We Get Over Another School Shooting

Another school shooting, the 18th one since Jan 1. Lives lost, hearts broken, families destroyed. How can anyone, especially a loved one, come to terms with such a horrific tragedy again?

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida is where the school massacre took place. Parkland and Coral Springs are two beautiful suburbs in South Florida. The neighboring town of Coral Springs also has children going to the local Parkland High School. Coral Springs is where my parents and siblings lived for many years (I was already in college) and where the killer was staying. Both suburbs now have to deal with such horror, such sadness, and such incredible grief.

An old high school friend of mine and his wife were among the many parents who lost their children in February 14th shooting. Hundreds of people have been expressing their heartfelt wishes toward my friend through Facebook, many of whom he does not know. Often, people who have not been directly affected by such loss feel the only way to help is by letting their friend know their thoughts and prayers are with them and their family. In my friend’s case, there has been an outpouring of Facebook comments from friends to people he had never met. Although words of kindness can be very supportive, it can also be unbelievably overwhelming.

Such a tragedy affects everyone. People ask how can anyone possibly get over the loss of a child? It is very important to know that many parents feel victimized at the end of another mass shooting. This is a tremendous loss that can last a lifetime. As with other feelings of victimization, this does not mean that the emotional pain of this loss needs to forever destroy their lives. Right now everything feels so raw, so impossible to imagine ever getting to a point where there will ever be a sense of normalcy again. It is so important to get to the point where the families of the victims can enjoy their fond memories of that relationship without always reliving that moment of the loss or always feeling they should not ever be happy again.

Everyone deals with grief differently. For many people, a loss like what happened on February 14th can bring up emotions from former losses, often unrelated to the recent loss itself. Grief not addressed will not go away, its power often takes control of all logical emotions.

It is incredibly important for the loved ones not to feel guilty about anything that they could have possibly done that might have changed the outcome. It is equally important not to feel guilty about going back to some type of normalcy again. It is also okay not to cry every time they think of their loved one. People tend to feel they have to feel sad every moment, or else they are somehow not honoring their loved ones memory. There is absolutely no wrong way to grieve. As a friend of the family going through such a tragedy, it is okay to grieve as well. Be careful not to put your grief on the family grieving. Remember to listen with your heart, not your head. Don’t try to analyze, judge or advise the direct grievers. The grievers might not want to talk to anyone or they might want to talk to everyone, both are correct. It is also very important, as someone who wants to comfort the grievers, not to take anything personally. Grievers are very caught up in how to deal with their own grief and it is important to let them do so. There is no time limit on grief. Time goes by and friends tend to think that things should be better but they might not be. Be very sensitive to any comments made to the grievers. Well-intentioned friends might say the wrong thing, thinking they are saying the right thing.

Remember, a mass shooting like what happened on February 14, 2018 can affect thousands of people, like a wave having a ripple effect on the ocean. No one should judge anyone on his or her level of grief toward any tragic situation, whether directly affected or not.

Every one has a right to grieve.

Robin Gensburg

Robin Gensburg is a Grief Recovery Specialist, trained through The Grief Recovery Institute.

The Grief Recovery Institute is an internationally recognized program, established in the mid 1980s. It has been guided by a primary principle, to deliver grief recovery assistance to the largest number of people in the shortest period of time.

www.griefrecoverymethod.com

www.griefrecoverywithrobin.com

Cherry Creek Hypnosis.

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The post How Do We Get Over Another School Shooting appeared first on Cherry Creek Hypnosis .

The Use of Hypnosis for Treating Anxiety

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 19:59:00 GMT

If you struggle with anxiety , have you considered hypnosis as a treatment option? Hypnosis is showing promise in treating people with anxiety. According to Oxford Academic, a study in 2016 found that 57 people under hypnosis had changes in the brain area that supports greater control of emotions and self-consciousness. Learn more about how hypnosis works and how it may help you get your anxiety under control.

What Is Therapeutic Hypnosis?

Unlike hypnosis in entertainment, therapeutic hypnosis will not have you waddling around like a duck or crowing like a rooster. Hypnotherapists use hypnosis to get you to a deep state of relaxation. In this state, you are more apt to be open to suggestions on ways to manage your anxiety.

Therapeutic hypnosis is a teaching tool that helps you to find solutions to your anxiety triggers. It can help with past trauma by helping you to put it into perspective. Ultimately, you are in control at all times during your session.

How It Can Help

Many people deal with anxiety daily; anxious situations are always present. Avoiding anxiety is not the goal; learning how to process anxiety is. Hypnosis can help you to process anxious situations differently. It can help you to get your triggers under control.

Deep relaxation techniques combined with suggestions and a plan to better process anxious feelings is all a part of therapeutic hypnotherapy. It can help you to tap into memories that have been repressed that may be unrecognized triggers.

Zero Side Effects

Struggling with anxiety often leads people to rely on medication. Unfortunately, a medicine designed to help people deal with anxious feelings often has some negative unwanted side effects that can affect other body systems. Hypnotherapy does not have the risk of unwanted or dangerous side effects.

While this therapy does not work for everyone, it is absolutely worth a try to see if it will work for you. This is a method that is safe and has helped many people get a handle on panic attacks and more. For many people, this all-natural therapeutic approach is a better option than relying on potentially damaging pharmaceuticals. Learn more about the process and locate a hypnotherapist near you to get anxiety well managed and under control.

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My name is Arielle Joselson

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 19:58:00 GMT

My name is Arielle Joselson- it’s a delight to meet you! I am a devoted daughter, lovable sister to Danielle and Brandon, and adoring fiancée to the love of my life, Will.

I have been through a lot with my mental and emotional health. I know what it’s like to feel worthless. Worthless, now that’s a strong word. However, I believe each and every one of us feel this way at some point in our lives. What I wish for each and every one of you to know is that everyone has something. Life is like a book, there are days that are enchanting, boring, sad, scary- I could go on and on. It’s all a part of the process.

My passion for helping others, love of life, and strong desire to spread love are what drives me each and every day.

To get me through difficult times, I use meditation. Even if it’s merely for five minutes, I put the timer on my phone, close my eyes, and focus on my breath. This helps to re-ground me.

I am a strong believer in having a growth mindset. There is always something to learn, grow, improve, and to furthermore spread love. It is my goal to create a chain reaction of love and kindness.

Thank you Robin, for allowing me to share my website on your incredible platform.

Sending love to all of you!
Arielle Joselson

https://ariellejoselson.wixsite.com/blog

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