Ten Steps To Improve Your Life

When addressing either anxiety or stress we are forced to acknowledge something. Things are not working the way they should. If we do nothing, they will continue to ‘not work as they should’. This is one of the most common causes of depression.

In each of the following steps hypnosis has a role to play. Even if it is purely to motivate you to address each step, we can help you through this tough time. Many of our clients have successfully conquered depression based on the steps below. Using hypnotherapy to address depression can take as few as 3 sessions. Contact us for further details.

Step 1: Change what you do. It will change how you feel.

Much of life is trial and error. If what you are doing already isn’t working, that’s ok. It just means you have to do something very differently. Our first step is to acknowledge that we do need to change.

Many people fail to see this. They continue doing what they have always done, and so they feel the same. And then they are surprised. Allow yourself to try doing life differently, after all what do you have to loose?

Step 2: Commit to translating the thought to deed.

Deciding to change, and then doing nothing about it is the same as ‘doing nothing about it.’ If you are serious about changing your life you have to commit to the idea. That means embracing the frightening possibility that you don’t know how it will turn out. It means taking a leap into the unknown. Well, do you want to change or not? If you are happy being where you are, just continue doing the same stuff. Otherwise, you are going to have to embrace the change.

Sure, it’s frightening. So what? We all live with a bit of fear. Our victories are found by getting past those fears. It’s fine to be afraid - it certainly doesn’t have to stop you.

Step 3: Start small…But Start Now!

Einstein said ’Nothing happens till something moves.’ My son, Lance, said “Stand still and die”, just before he nailed me with his paint ball gun. The human body and the human mind demands motion.

However small, even if you’ve never exercised, this is important. Even if it is a 20 minute walk at lunch time, it means actually doing it.

If you are already exercising, it means stepping it up a notch (assuming you are not obsessively in the gym 4 or 5 hours a day). At Vancouver Hypnotherapy Inc., we suggest at least a 15% increase in physical exercise in a typical week, as you get past depression issues. The increase has to be sustainable and beneficial.

If you are looking for ways to exercise the list below is one that has proven very valuable and successful for clients.

Exercise ideas:

1. The evening walk (every evening). Listen to a pod cast, or your Ipod, but commit to doing it every evening for a couple of weeks.

2. Yoga. Two classes a week, if you’ve never done it. Don’t wait for a beginners class (you need sol,utions NOW) - just jump right in. Ask for a hatha yoga class, or go to hot yoga, if that appeals.

3. Get into the local swimming pool. Many recreation centers have a good pool, a hot tub and a sauna. Use all three once or twice a week.

4. Ballroom dancing. Do a beginners drop in lesson. Even go as far as taking a friend. It’s pushing both the physical and psychological comfort levels for many people, but this is the kind of thing that will move you to a happier place if you embrace it.

5. Cycle to work. Take a shirt to wear once their if you work up too much of a sweat.

You are going to have to do something - make a choice and go with it. Don’t delay, this is something that has to happen right away.

Step 4: Take control of the communication in your life.

Start to be selective about which calls you take. Do a little gate keeping. There are calls you can always take, sometimes take and never take. Sort the callers into groups and then apply the rules strictly. Your default position should be that the phone goes to voicemail. Doing this you can choose when to return calls. You get control back.

If you accept calls from people you don’t need to, you will end up wasting a great deal of time. When you waste time, you have less time to do the things that need to be done. This is a simple fact of life. We have voicemail for a reason. Use it.

Do the same with email. Some emails never need to be read, let alone responded to. Your time is precious. Recognize the fact and impose your rules.

Step 5: Uncomplicate your life.

Reduce the amount of time you spend on people who do not positively contribute to your life. Some people hang around with us, but do little to contribute to our life. While we are in a precarious state, these individuals are a drain on our energy.

Create a list of your best friends. This is your ’A list’. It should have no more than 5 or 6 people on it. These people you can prioritize. For a couple of weeks at least, these are the only people you need to feel any need to be with.

About the ‘A list’. For the purposes of this exercise, only people you are actually close to can find their way onto this list. Someone you haven’t seen in the last month may be dear to you, but does not get on the list. It’s about people who are actually participating in your life directly today.

Step 6: Ensure you are eating at least three meals a day.

Breakfast is essential. Lions eat early in the day. Are you a lion or are you breakfast?

If you are not eating breakfast there is one reason. It’s because you are managing your life badly. Grow up. Eat properly.

Step 7: Spend less time at work.

It’s your life. Either through better organization, delegation or automation you should be able to reduce your workload a little. Some tasks are likely less important than you think. By addressing this you will be in better shape to do those tasks that actually are important.

List the top ten tasks you have to do. Arrange them in priority order. Take the bottom three and see if they can be handed off. Chances are there’s someone that will likely want the additional responsibility. Remember, you got into this state because you are probably doing too much. Make smart choices, and unload some of the workload.

Everyone likes to think they are essential. Most of them are wrong. Give yourself a break, and catch your breath.

Step 8. Get through a day without spending any cash.

Try to be less of a consumer. You’ll find it liberating. As a student or a teenager you managed it everyday. Just for a change see if you can return to that state of mind.
Once you’ve done this once or twice, look for a few simple means of reducing expenditure. This could be as simple as driving less, or using public transport or your bicycle.

Did you know that in London, it’s not unusual to sit on a bus and find yourself next to a cabinet minister? Put aside your prejudice about public transport, and enjoy the cash you save.

Step 9: Throw away or sell some things you no longer need.

Letting go of the things that are redundant is a healthy thing to do. After you have tried it once or twice, make a point of doing it once a month.

Step 10: Tell someone you love them.

Even if they already know it. Tell them anyway. They may need to hear it.