In the same week a taxi driver called Derrick Bird went on a killing spree in the north west of England and killed himself. We will never know what tipped Derrick over the edge, from being an average family man with no violent history, into a multiple killer. There has been a lot of conjecture over the last couple of weeks as to the reasons why he might have committed these murders but no one will ever know what was going through his mind before and during the killings. The idea may have been formed a long time ago but what tipped him over the edge on that day?

We could look at the Tipping point from a more global perspective, in relation to the environment or over-population. For example, what happens when the worlds population reaches a level where we don’t have the resources to cope, what happens when we reach that tipping point?

There is a book, written by Peter Gladwell, called ‘The Tipping Point’ http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html which is a book about change that presents a new way of understanding why change so often happens as quickly and unexpectently as it does sometimes.

One of my concerns is the number of people being prescribed and relying on mind altering drugs such as anti-depressants. Peter Hitchens wrote in The Mail on Sunday last week about the possible link between these types of drug and violent acts carried out by people like Derrick Bird. I am aware that Anti-depressants are necessary and appropriate for some people but I believe that many people taking these drugs don’t need them and that there are better and more natural treatments available. Personally, I look forward to the day when people use hypnotherapy as their first choice for dealing with their emotions and that anti-depressants become the last resort.

If you feel that you might be getting close to your tipping point talk to someone; a friend or family member or a professional therapist. Seek help and do it now! Is there anyone in your family or circle of friends who has been behaving strangely recently. If so talk to them and find out what’s going on before its too late!

Now, a gastroenterologist, Dr Valon of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital told the BBC recently that of the first 100 IBS cases he referred for hypnotherapy, he found that the symptoms stopped completely in 4 out of 10 cases and a further 5 in ten patients reported feeling more in control of their symptoms and therefore much less troubled by them. He said “it is pretty clear to me that hypnotherapy has an amazing effect. For more information see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8572818.stm

Traditionally, Doctors have looked to a body mass index (BMI) score to measure obesity. BMI is a height -to-weight ratio which classifies people as either; ideal, over-weight, obese or clinically obese. Critics argue that BMI on its own is not a good measure of health. The BMI score does not take into account body composition, including muscle and bone mass. Muscle weighs more than fat, but fat takes up a bigger surface area than muscle so an athlete could have a high BMI score without having any fat and being overweight. Some experts believe that waist and hip measurements are a better indicator of potential health risk.

For someone trying to lose weight, using scales as a measurement can be misleading, because an increase in exercise and protein, for example, may have increased their muscle and reduced fat resulting in a healthier body but the scales might not reflect the improvement leading to despondency and a “whats the point” attitude.

So if you know of anyone who is obsessed by weight, diets and/or calorie counting The Spence Practice weight control programme may be the solution. No diets, no scales and no calorie counting. See http://www.thespencepractice.co.uk/lose-weight.html for more information.

 You may know your body really well and when you get a headache, for example, you may know that you are de-hydrated and by drinking more water your headache clears. You might recognise the symptoms of low blood sugar and adjust your diet accordingly. If your sleep is regularly disturbed it might be a sign that you are suffering from the effects of stress. 

Clearly it is important not to become obsessive about your health and become a hypochondriac but important to check regularly for any signs that things are not working the way they should be. Its no good burying your head in the sand. Rest when you are tired and visit the Doctor when you are unwell, even if you are self-employed!

A condition that affects many people under stress is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and you might be interested and surprised to know that an effective treatment for IBS is Hypnotherapy. See our website for more information http://www.thespencepractice.co.uk/ibs.html

You may do this already without even being aware that this is what you are doing. For example if you are a smoker you might use your smoking habit as an excuse for having a break at regular intervals at work. We all need breaks from routine tasks like sitting in front of the computer for long periods. Most employers will accept that smokers can have a cigarette break but imagine the response if you asked for a meditation break or time to re-charge your batteries by power- napping!

The same applies to holidays especially if you are self-employed. Business coach Julia Miles http://www.qedcoaching.co.uk/index.html recommends, that if you are a business owner, the first thing you should do at the start of the year is to schedule and diarise your holidays for the year.

When you take time out for yourself during the day or in the evening  try and avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, drinking caffeine or eating sugary foods because your brain will begin to associate pleasure and relaxation with these activities  and before you realise it you have developed a habit that can be hard to break. Instead do something that makes you feel good and re-energises you.

Self-hypnosis is a powerful tool for relaxation and an aid to re-energising and boosting your performance. If you would like to learn how to use self-hypnosis to improve your life contact The Spence Practice today http://www.hypnostressmanager.co.uk/contact.php

Acceptance is also an effective way of dealing with negative emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, hurt and guilt. Acceptance is a neutral word, you are not saying that it is good or bad to feel angry. You are acknowledging the emotion at which point you can decide on the most appropriate way to deal with it.

If you struggle to handle your emotions without resorting to cigarettes, alcohol or other recreational or medicinal drugs contact the spence practice today to find out if we can help you naturally without the need for pills, patches or potions. 

If you have any tips on how to minimise stress and you would like to share them on this blog please contact us.

If you don’t talk about your problems what will happen to your internal thoughts and dialogue? You might act on them which could be fatal if your thoughts are very negative.

Talking is going to solve more problems than guns, bullets and bombs as we have witnessed in Northern Ireland. There is now a realisation that the Taliban will not be defeated with bombs and bullets in Afganistan and ‘winning hearts and minds’ is now the main goal. Talking to the Taliban and their supporters with the aim of persuading them to put down their arms  is the best way forward for a lasting peace.

It is also important to recognise that talking needs to be followed up with action which is why we combine life coaching with hypnotherapy at TheSpencePractice. Whatever is learnt in a therapy session needs to be acted on post therapy to ensure that change becomes embedded.

If you don’t have the right people to talk to in your life we may be able to help you. Please get in touch.

The London clinic is at The Cavendish Health Centre, 53 New Cavendish Street, London (between Harley Street & Wimpole Street) http://www.cavendishhealth.nhs.uk/  and appointments will now be available in the afternoon and early evening. For appointments call 01273 509793. 

We will continue to provide a service in the Brighton & Hove area.

Plan ahead and manage your time more effectively. How many times have you said “there just aren’t enough hours in the day”. The number of hours in a day are outside your control, they are not a variable so accept it and realise that it is what you do with the time available to you that counts. Two of the biggest time wasters are procrastination and distractions from emails and telephone calls.

To help you prioritise consider Pareto’s principle called the 80/20 rule  http://www.timemanagementfordummies.com/ which states that 20% of tasks can give you 80% of the results. It has been said that if you fail to plan that you plan to fail. Learn to make time work for you, not against you. Develop systems that work for you at work and in your home life. There are many self-help books and programmes to help you improve your time management. I can recommend Time Management for Dummies by ClareEvans http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?productId=9780470777657&shop=10004&type=Froogle .

Are you someone who manages their time at work effectively by being very systematic but live in a world of chaos in your home life, which means that you have the resources to manage your time but don’t choose to use them.

If you struggle with your time and don’t have time to read self-help books then maybe you need some coaching. If that’s the case please call us to see if we can help.