Get Rid of your Allergies and Migraine Headaches With Hypnotherapy

Date: January 11, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Uncategorized
Comments: Leave a reply

25 years ago I suffered from Migraine Headaches to the point that I would pass out from the headache pain.

At the same time I was seeing an allergist 3 times a week for allergies to grass, dust mites, mold, roses, 13 different plants and trees and 20 other items. I was a mess.

I tried various medications and treatments. None of these helped me. What helped me was Hypnotherapy. It completely eliminated all my headaches and allergies and for over 20 years, now, and I haven’t had even a hint of any problems, since. No drugs or medicine, either.

Americans, today, are suffering from a serious pandemic of diseases associated with dysfunction of the immune system. These include asthma, food and pollen allergies, mold, dust and chemical allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, eczema, and a host of other conditions. Read the list again of these conditions. Notice that all of them are growing rapidly in western civilization. Is there anyone among you who has not suffered from one or more of these conditions?

While Doctors have understood for years that chronic stress in our lives can trigger a wide variety of immune system disorders they don’t always explain to their patients what processes cause the normal stresses of daily life to turn into disease. Nor do they show us how we can deal more effectively with the stresses in our lives to eliminate these processes and the symptoms that result from them.

Hypnotherapy has the answers. Hypnosis is, first and foremost, a state of deep relaxation and peace and thus a premier remedy for stress.

Hypnotherapists know that even the most ordinary stresses can become overwhelming if the subconscious mind clouds these experiences and tasks with negative significance based upon childhood or other traumas.

While many of my clients express skepticism at first about the possibility of accomplishing something so farfetched, one session is all they need to feel the enormous power of the work in their own bodies, in their own beliefs…and in their lives.

If you suffer from Allergies or Migraines, consider eliminating them with Hypnotherapy, as I did.

Life Coaching for Women at Work

Date: January 11, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Uncategorized
Comments: Leave a reply

More and more professionals today are tired of the frenzied, highly demanding age we live in – the constant pressures brought about by the wish to succeed, be financially secure, fit and healthy, sociable, a good wife and parent. Career women, in particular, have to cope with the sometimes very emotional challenge of juggling family and work demands trying to maintain a work-life balance, which if not achieved can be extremely detrimental to their physical, mental and emotional health. There is a decreasing acceptance of an all-absorbing job; people are interested in a higher quality of life. Life where you have more time for yourself and your relationships, with more energy to invest in emotional, physical and spiritual well-being

As reported by the British Journal of Administrative Management, coaching ‘takes a holistic view of the individual’ ensuring that work, corporate values, personal needs and career-development are made to work in synergy and not against each other.

However, what started as a corporate client service has now become a valuable tool for any individual wanting to improve their life. It is quite feasible to imagine that having a personal coach will become an accepted norm.

Borne out of the competitive pressures of today’s economy, as well as the struggle to find balance in the frantic pace of modern life, personal life coaching is now rapidly attracting devotees worldwide. CEO’s, entrepreneurs, professionals, people in career transition and many others grappling with life issues are all turning to this new tool to guide them through life’s difficulties and help raise them above the ‘fog’ to the clear heights of peace and self-satisfaction.

Whilst Coaching supports all aspects of life, its ultimate aim is to achieve harmony and balance within the individual. For career women this means establishing a work-life balance that satisfies all the levels of emotional and professional needs. It’s about working to live, not living to work.

Work-life balance is a self-defined, self-determined state of well-being that a person can reach, or can set as a goal, that allows them to manage effectively multiple responsibilities at work, at home, and in their community; it supports physical, emotional, family, and community health, and does so without grief, stress or negative impact. For those striving to enjoy this type of life, coaching is an indispensable tool.

Women at work can recognise when they are suffering from an imbalance. Symptoms such as constantly being tired, feeling like you’re running uphill all the time and getting nowhere, feeling like you have no choices, no control; when life seems to be happening to you instead of you feeling that you’re managing it; when you can think of more things that aren’t getting done than are; when you see more negative in your life than positive.

Coaching is a powerful, collaborative relationship between the coach and a willing individual, which helps that individual through the process of discovery, goal setting and strategic action-planning to help realise an extraordinary result. It is also a body of knowledge, a technology and a style of relating that focuses on the development of that person’s potential.

Most people spend considerable time planning their annual holiday but how much time is spent planning a far more crucial journey, one you don’t get a chance to revisit if things don’t work out the way you hope? How much time do you spend mapping out where you want to go in life?

Just as Olympic sports men and women rely on their talent, determination and coach to give them the best chance of reaching Gold, your Coach can make you a medallist in life.

In the security of this collaborative alliance with your coach you will reach clarity of purpose, identify goals and develop a plan of action. You will establish an understanding of what is really important to you in life, take charge and realise your priorities. Put simply, coaching is about helping you to create and work towards the grandest version of the greatest personal vision you have; to achieve success – success being the continuous realisation of a worthy goal or ideal.

Written by Gerard O’Donovan Founder of Noble Manhattan coaching Ltd

DOWNLOAD 5 Free Coaching Reports at

www.coaching-reports.com

http://www.noble-manhattan.com

CEO of the European coaching Institute

http://www.europeancoachinginstitute.com

Europe’s leading executive coach

http://www.gerardodonovan.com

Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Training for Body and Mind Wellness

Date: January 10, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Uncategorized
Comments: Leave a reply

How can self hypnosis and proper hypnosis and hypnotherapy training help you create body and mind wellness? Imagine a really messy house with lots of equally messy rooms in it. This house represents your wellbeing as a whole with each room representing a different aspect of your life; and of course all the clutter represents all your personal issues and problems.

What will be your next move? Will you tidy it up by just shoving all the mess out of sight and making it look nice for when the guests come? Or will you spring-clean it inside-out and from the basement up. Unfortunately, most of us choose the easy way out and go for the short term solution rather than the harder but long-lasting and more effective option.

Simply polishing the windows and counter tops while leaving the cupboards choc-full of junk creates only the impression of wellness, rather than true wellness itself. It’s like dressing up and putting on a bright, happy smile, when in truth you’re not feeling good inside. It’s treating the symptoms of the problem without getting to the root causes – sugar pills for cancer.

True wellness isn’t superficial. It’s feeling happy, balanced and content right down to the core. Reaching this state requires some inner cleaning, it involves pulling out all the closets in your house and weeding out all the stuff that no longer serves you.

This is where self hypnosis through an effective hypnosis and hypnotherapy training comes in.

Self hypnosis helps in clearing out all the old unnecessary junk in your unconscious mind and it begins with understanding that the capacity to change, lies within you. You, and no one else, are the source of your own health and disease. You have the potential to create wellness or illness through the power of your very own mind. Self hypnosis is the tool where you can access this potential, and coupled with your desire to change, transform your relationship with yourself and your life.

You might be asking “how?”. Well you might think that becoming well is a difficult, dragging process, or maybe even that it’s impossible. But the truth is, it’s not only easy and fast, it’s enjoyable and relaxing too! You may not realize it but it actually takes more energy to hold onto your problem and cover up your inner pain with a smile than to just let it all go!

So, how does it work? Here’s a good hypnosis and hypnotherapy training course for beginners. Basically, an effective self hypnosis for wellness routine involves three simple steps:

1) Learning relaxation, breathing and visualization techniques so you can move into a calm, watchful state and simply let go!

2) Using personalized imagery and suggestions, once you are in the hypnotic state, to transform negative problems into positive resources.

3) Planting post-hypnotic cues in your mind while in trance, so your level of wellness continues to increase on a daily basis, even when you are not in self-hypnosis.

How will you know if it’s working? You’ll feel better mentally, emotionally and physically, and will also see obvious changes in your everyday life! You may feel less overwhelmed by work, less bothered by criticism, or more drawn to exercise and more excited about life!

The best part here is, it gets easier as you go along. Just like when you’re done doing your spring cleaning, you only have to focus on keeping your house tidy. The wellness formula is simple, as you transform your relationship with yourself, you transform your relationship with life! Wellness begins and ends with you!

3 Things You Must Know About How Hypnotherapy Works Before You Try It!

Date: January 10, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Uncategorized
Comments: Leave a reply

Firstly, it is essential to know that everyone has experienced the state of hypnosis. For example, when you are absorbed in reading a book and are oblivious to your surroundings, or when you are driving home and realise that you are on automatic, that you are thinking about something else while driving. This daydream state is very much like the state of hypnosis that a therapist helps you achieve.

Just before you fall asleep, (that state between sleep and being awake) and again in the morning when you first wake up, you are in that daydream state. This is the state when your critical faculty steps aside and your subconscious mind comes forward. It is the subconscious that holds the key to change of habits and reinforcement of positive enhancements.By listening to the hypnotherapist’s voice,and his directions the client enters a state of relaxed awareness.

Secondly, all hypnosis is self hypnosis.Contrary to the myths that surround the subject, nobody can make us do anything we don’t want to do. If we refuse to cooperate, then no one can guide us to the state of hypnosis. The hypnotherapist will talk with you prior to the session, about your goal and reason for coming to see him. Together you will decide on precisely what you are looking to achieve or heal. The Hypnotherapist is merely a kind of facilitator between yourself and your subconscious.The client is always in control. If for any reason he decides not to cooperate by opening his eyes or not following the suggestions of the hypnotherapist, the session will simply not be effective.

Thirdly, hypnotherapy is NOT to be confused with stage hypnosis.Hypnotherapy is hypnosis with therapy. Many people have seen stage shows or TV hynosis programmes that have participants doing crazy things. What the public do not see is how the hypnotist, qualifies people before allowing them on the stage. Whilst everyone can be hypnotised apart from the mentally subnormal, young children and epileptics, there is a tiny percentage of the population who are very highly suggestible to hypnosis. Before the show, the hypnotist watches potential participants carefully and runs them through a series of exercises to ascertain which ones are more suggestible. You can be assured that those participants who ‘dance like Michael Jackson’ or cluck like hens, are perfectly aware of what they are doing.

The work of a hypnotherapist is a far cry from the entertainment value of the hypnotist. All genuine hypnotherapists belong to an association that has a strict code of practice. Should the hypnotherapist break this code, he is likely to face dismissal. His work has everything to do with healing and helping the client reach her/his goals.

Social Anxiety Can Be Beaten

Date: January 10, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
Comments: Leave a reply

I thought I was just shy for years and years, no really I did. I never thought that feeling uncomfortable in new social situations was any more than that I would get tense and start to feel agitated every time I had to meet new people. Later on when I got married, yes I actually met someone who understood, it was quite daunting when my wife would return from work stating that so and so had invited us around to have dinner with them. God, it was all very horrible. I was a nurse for many years and never felt this way when I was working, strange though that must sound. However eventually I started training as a counselor and therapist and had to undergo some therapy sessions myself. I finally decided to face up to this issue and revealed it to my therapist who was extremely understanding and told me it was much more common than you might think. In fact meeting new people is actually just behind fear of public speaking as a concern for many.
Eventually we utilized some techniques that to my surprise actually took the nervousness away, I mean completely. For the first time in years I felt free to
be myself and let go and be much more amenable in social situations. What were those methods some of you well may ask. Lets have a look.
Some years ago a new psychological technique emerged called Thought Field Therapy, it was created bu a clinical psychologist, Roger Callahan.
His new technique involved tapping with your fingers on certain acupuncture or energy points and doing a particular sequence whilst thinking of the issue that is unresolved. Imagine the surprise of the majority of people when deepest seated phobias, fears, anxieties of all kinds and even long term post-traumatic stress disorder vanish, and im not joking here or hyping this up. A friend of mine had terrible stage fright (similar to public speaking fear I guess) and he tried this method and in three rounds of tapping his stage fright left town and hasn’t returned. It is now being researched within psychological circles and of course the initial reaction of the psychological and psychiatric community was disbelief.
However, it does remind me of Francine Shapiros EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) technique which when it first became accessible to the public was scoffed at by the medical establishment worldwide. Now though it has had some very good research which shows that it is slightly better than traditional cognitive-behavioral treatment and is faster and more cost effective as a modality.
So if you want to try something new look up Thought Field Therapy or Emotional Freedom Technique which some practitioners use. instead. Look it never hurts to try something new, look it up on google to see if there is a practitioner near you, it might just work wonders for you, it did for me.

Facing our Fears – Overcoming Fear – Part 4

Date: January 10, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
Comments: Leave a reply

As human beings in the process of evolution, it is imperative that we overcome the bondage of fear so we may experience the security, peace, love, courage, faith, wisdom, understanding and fulfillment which we desire, deserve and which is our destiny. Fear binds us to a lower level of consciousness with less love and happiness.

Actual Contact

One way to overcome a fear is to gradually approach that being, object or situation in gradual but increasing doses. We will, in this way, by experience, learn that in reality it is harmless to us. Fear of the sea could be gradually overcome by immersing our bodies, allowing the water to come up to our ankles, knees and so on over a period of time. Fear of heights can be eventually conquered through exposure to gradually increasing heights.

This technique can be used with the fear of any real object or situation. The important factor to remember is to make the right dosage of contact. We should start slowly and bring ourselves just to the threshold of fear, just where fear begins and where we can still observe and work with the fear through breathing and relaxation.

Later, the experience can be repeated, this time increasing contact with that which is feared, playing with our limits, and learning to relax while in contact. We can relax by breathing slowly and deeply while reminding ourselves of the truth that we are not actually in danger, but that our mind is being controlled by some false conditioning, probably from some past experience.

At the moment we begin to feel fear, we can begin to breathe more slowly and deeply, while concentrating on relaxing the body and mind. We will notice that certain muscles begin to tense up. We can relax these muscles with the help of the breath and mental messages of relaxation.

We may remember thoughts that help us to feel more secure or bring to mind any frame of reference that allows us to feel security and protection, such as God, or various spiritual or logical truths. We can remind ourselves that our imagination is being exploited by our unfounded fears and that the danger we feel is not real.

Mental Contact

Contact with the feared can also be made through the subconscious mind and the imagination. Through methods of relaxation, self-hypnosis, mind control, and positive projection techniques, we can imagine having contact with the feared.

When we imagine ourselves in contact with the feared object or situation, we might find that we experience the same types of emotional and physical reactions as we do when actually in contact. We can then visualize alternative ways of feeling and reacting to that previously feared situation.

If we have feared certain animals, insects, or even certain types of people, we can imagine ourselves as feeling safe, secure and peaceful while in contact with them. We can imagine ourselves feeling safe, self-confident and courageous.

Such reprogramming of the subconscious mind will eventually alter our reactive mechanisms to life. Those who are already experienced in such techniques can do such reprogramming sessions alone, but some will need guidance in getting started.

Those, who choose to, can even imagine accepting (not desiring, but accepting) death. We can eventually reprogram ourselves to believe in our indestructible soul nature, thus removing all fear at the root.

There are three approaches here.

a. Some prefer to project that nothing unpleasant will ever happen to them. This is useful and will, to a large extent, send out positive energies to our environment, creating a positive reality. Of course, we will all eventually die and all lose our loved ones at some point. No amount of projection will prevent this.

b. Others choose to imagine all in God’s light and leave the specifics of what will happen to some higher and wiser power, such as God.

The first technique is an active projection of what we want to happen and the second is a passive acceptance of whatever is best.

c. A third possibility would be to project what we prefer in each situation and then offer it to God, placing it in light and completing our “prayer” with the thought, “May the Highest Good for all occur in this situation.”

“Energy Meridian Based Psychology” = EMDR – TFT – EFT

These initials stand for the latest techniques for freeing ourselves from unwanted emotions. These will be explained in greater detail in future articles. Let is suffice to say that:

1. EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (Francine Shapiro) needs to be applied by an experienced EMDR practitioner who will enable us to come into contact with the traumatic event which is causing our fear, pain, guilt, self-rejection or other negative emotion. After doing so, the memory will be discharged and then reinterpreted as we introduce the logic or truth we chose into this previously traumatic memory, thus healing us of this problem.

2. TFT or Thought Field Therapy (Dr. Roger Callahan) deals with the specific energy field which is generated by each thought and allows us to heal this energy field, thus removing the cause of that specific emotion. Thus we focus on what we fear and then tap on specific acupuncture points in order redistribute that energy field and thus collapsing the energy disruption (identified with that thought) which was creating the emotion. This, too, often requires an experienced practitioner

3. EFT of Emotional Freedom Therapy (Gary Craig) is a simplified version of TFT, which we can employ on ourselves. We bring to mind whatever causes our negative emotion (such as fear or anxiety) and then tap on specific points in order to correct that disruption in the energy field, which creates the emotion. The thought creates the energy field and the energy field creates the emotion. If we correct the energy field the emotion disappears.

In my 35 years of counseling, I have found no techniques more effective than these. You can change your life through them.

Stress Management: Medical Risks of Stress

Date: January 9, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
Comments: Leave a reply

What is Stress?

Stress may be defined as the three-way relationship between demands on people, our feelings about those demands and our ability to cope with them. Stress is most likely to occur in situations where:

1. Demands are high.

2. The amount of control we have is low.

3. There is limited support or help available for us.

Who is Affected Most by Stress?

Virtually all people experience stressful events or situations that overwhelm our natural coping mechanisms. And although some people are biologically prone to stress, many outside factors influence susceptibility as well.

Studies indicate that some people are more vulnerable to the effects of stress than others. Older adults; women in general, especially working mothers and pregnant women; less-educated people; divorced or widowed people; people experiencing financial strains such as long-term unemployment; people who are the targets of discrimination; uninsured and underinsured people; and people who simply live in cities all seem to be particularly susceptible to health-related stress problems.

People who are less emotionally stable or have high anxiety levels tend to experience certain events as more stressful than healthy people do. And the lack of an established network of family and friends predisposes us to stress-related health problems such as heart disease and infections. Caregivers, children and medical professionals are also frequently found to be at higher risk for stress-related disorders.

Job-related stress is particularly likely to be chronic because it is such a large part of life. Stress reduces a worker’s effectiveness by impairing concentration, causing sleeplessness and increasing the risk of illness, back problems, accidents and lost time. At its worst extremes, stress that places a burden on our hearts and circulation can often be fatal. The Japanese have a word for sudden death due to overwork: karoushi.

Medical Affects of Chronic Stress

The stress response of the body is like an airplane readying for take-off. Virtually all systems, such as the heart and blood vessels, the immune system, the lungs, the digestive system, the sensory organs, and the brain are modified to meet the perceived danger.

A stress-filled life really seems to raise the odds of heart disease and stroke down the road. Researchers have found that after middle-age, those who report chronic stress face a somewhat higher risk of fatal or non-fatal heart disease or stroke over the years. It is now believed that constant stress takes its toll on our arteries, causing chronically high levels of stress hormones and pushing people to maintain unhealthy habits like smoking.

Stressed-out men are twice as likely as their peers to die of a stroke. There are weaker such findings among women, which is likely due to the fairly low number of heart disease and stroke cases among women, rather than a resistance to the health effects of chronic stress. Women seem slightly more susceptible to the effects of stress than men.

Simply put, too much stress puts you at dire risk for health problems. Whether it comes from one event or the buildup of many small events, stress causes major physical alterations that often lead to health problems. Here is a list of some of these changes:

• Our heart rates increase, to move blood to our muscles and brains.

• Our blood pressures go up.

• Our breathing rates increase.

• Our digestion slows down.

• Our perspiration increases.

• We feel a rush of strength at first, but over time stress makes us feel weak.

These reactions helped our ancestors survive threats by preparing for either “fight or flight.” Today, our bodies still react the same way, but the events that cause stress do not require this ancient mechanism.

Stress can also greatly raise our risk of:

• Ulcers and digestive disorders

• Headaches

• Migraine headaches

• Backaches

• Depression

• Suicide

• High blood pressure

• Stroke

• Heart attack

• Alcohol and drug dependencies

• Allergies and skin diseases

• Cancer

• Asthma

• Depressed immune system

• More colds and infections

We have to learn ways to relieve stress, because when it goes on for very long or happens too often, it obviously can cause many serious health problems.

What is Stress

Date: January 9, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
Comments: Leave a reply

Be specific as to what is the definition of stress is almost impossible, as very complex to explain. Not all stress is bad for us – whatever many people may think

It is considered both normal and healthy to experience certain levels of stress in our lives. However, it is when stress starts to take control of our lives, or we feel as if we have become a different person, is when stress becomes both unhealthy and maybe even dangerous.

Basically the definition of stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our body’s response to pressure inflicted on it from the outside world. This strain varies in terms of severity and impact from person to person, as each person handles stress differently and responds differently to separate stressors – stressors being the factors in our lives that cause us the stress.

Our bodies respond in different ways to different types of stress. When we feel stressed our bodies releases chemicals into the blood stream. Sometimes this has a positive effect, and provides us with more strength or energy. However, the bad stress can have the opposite effect, and the chemicals released can cause us to feel sad or depressed.

Causes Of Stress

There can be a variety of causes to stress and it all depends on what is happening in our life, and how we deal with it on a daily basis. For example, anyone working in a high powered environment in a fast-paced job where they find themselves constantly annoyed and frustrated will find themselves feeling a lot more stress than someone doing a job they enjoy, able to work at their own pace.

It is also important to realize that there are a few different specific definitions of stress, namely: survival stress, internal stress, environmental stress, and then the stress caused by fatigue and overwork.

Internal stress is the most commonly experienced form of stress, and is one of the most important kinds of stress to understand and manage. It basically occurs when people make themselves ill by being stressed out, when they worry about things that they cannot control or put themselves in situations that they know are just going to end up causing themselves even more stress.

Treatment

Regardless of how severe your stress is or how long you have been trying to deal with it you should consult a doctor as soon as you notice any symptoms you think may have been caused by this stress. He or she will be able to recommend a course of treatment, though this may involve you having to take some sort of medicine. However, if you would prefer to treat your stress using more natural methods there are several helpful websites to be found online.

Are Life Coaches The Psychiatrists Of The 21st Century?

Date: January 9, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Uncategorized
Comments: Leave a reply

There are millions of students world-wide enrolled in psychology degree programs at this very moment. Spending years of their lives learning basic structures and principles of how the human mind processes feelings and events. Do all people actually fit into the framework of a set standard?
A fairly new phenomenon is starting to sweep across the globe, Life coaching. This reasonably new form of coaching ties its roots to executive coaching. The basic aim is to help realize, time-line, and achieve your personal goals. Sounds simple enough to do on our own, doesn’t it?
When you take into consideration the normal work load of an up and coming professional and then add to it the daily stress of everyday life, some aspect of his/her life will suffer.
This is where our life coach can become useful. Unlike psychologists, sociologists, and other degree holders, life coaches try to find the answers from within the person.
There are four self-accreditation bodies that are internationally recognized: the International Coaching Council (ICC), the International Coach Federation (ICF), the International Association of Coaching (IAC), and the European Coaching Institute (ECI). Each of these is privately-owned and is not monitored by an independent supervisory board.
They do, however, all follow the same industry standard. Mentoring, behavior modification, and goal-setting, are the core values of their teachings.
Many successful persons in the business world are believers in the positive affect that life coaching offers. We employ coaching strategies into most aspects of our daily lives. It can be as simple as a plan for the supermarket, progressing into something as intricate as a 10-year plan for our future.
In most psycho analytic professions, the past and why we are who we are is the main focus. Life coaching, on the other hand, looks into the clients’ future and tries to help them become the person they want to be.
The main plan of most life coaches is to ask their clients questions and teach them how to find the answer from within themselves. The majority of coaches believe that the persons they mentor have the tools to achieve their individual goals, but are focusing too much energy in the wrong places.
To simplify all of this into easier terms: imagine yourself as a car and your life coach as your steering wheel, you are the one in control of how fast or slow you go. Does that make sense to you?
Now, think of your career, your family, your goals, your successes, and your failures, as the road that lies ahead. Every road that we drive on always has hills and some bumps, but the majority of us always make it to our final destination just fine.
This is where a good life coach comes in handy again. It’s a good idea to have someone in the passenger seat when the road in our life comes to a fork. Do you turn right or do you turn left? Your mentor is there to help you understand what lies down each of those roads, but to let you make the decision for yourself which one to take.

Effects of Stress

Date: January 8, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
Comments: Leave a reply

Before we have a discussion about stress, let’s define our terms. What exactly, are the kinds of stress that we are talking about? There are the physical stresses like lack of sleep or working nine hours digging ditches. There are the chemical or nutritional stresses that are becoming more common every day in America. Just have a soda and pizza and watch the people for a while. Then there are the emotional or mental stresses. I bet you’re talking about emotional stress.

Okay, let’s talk about emotional stress, but understand that all three kinds of stress can create the same effects of stress.

There are certain patterns that take place during times of stress, no matter what kind you want to talk about. Here’s a list of stress effects: circulatory changes, skin rashes, adrenal gland fatigue, lymphatic system slow down, intestinal track irritation…almost every symptom of the body will show the effects of stress.

So instead of looking at all the symptoms, which won’t do you any good anyway, let’s get to the cause and the correction of the cause of stress. Because no matter what the cause and effects of stress are, there are some powerful ways to reduce them.

Emotional Stress

Some people never “get over” a loved one’s death, marital breakup, or other severe stress. Never. These people live their lives in the constant presence of the past emotional stress. Even extensive counseling doesn’t help some people. Counseling at such times can be most important for a person, but counseling does not reset the emotional stress overload circuit breakers if they have been short circuited.

How many stressful life events can you think about which cause your “stomach to tie into a knot” or a queasy feeling to occur or tears to fill your eyes? The presence of these symptoms when thinking about an emotionally stressing event are a surefire indication that the emotional stress overload points need to be “reset” by you or someone close to you.

Have you ever seen a distressed person or a person completely frustrated, clap their hand to their forehead? Maybe you’ve done it yourself… recently. Why over the forehead?

It is no accident that placing the hand over the forehead is an instinctive reaction. Your body knows what it’s doing.

It has been discovered that on the skin of the forehead are located neurological “circuit breakers” which are associated with mental and emotional stress overload. The instinctive reaction of the person’s nerve system is to draw attention to these circuit breakers.

Think about the last time you went through a stressful situation. How about a school assignment that you had forgotten? What about that person you have to talk to but don’t want to? What about that event that’s coming up that you have to attend—and it’s the last thing you want to do? Think of “that one thing” that causes you stress.

In each of these situations, if you think about the one that causes you intensity, you may very well slap your hand to your forehead. You might even add a shake of your head.

The point is this thought is causing you stress and the job of your subconscious mind is to minimize the effects of stress by attempting to reset your emotional circuit breakers. So let’s do this for real. It will take 5 minutes and may very well change your life.

Find something moderately stressful. Think about it for ten seconds or to the point that this thought causes you a “gut feeling” of stress. You know what I mean? If it’s not there, add some sensations like movement, sound, color, or brightness.

Now, place your finger pads on your emotional circuit breakers; they are the two bony points on your forehead. Make sure you are thinking about that stressful episode at the same time you are touching your forehead. Hold these points with a slight stretching or tugging on the skin and you’re going to reset these circuits. The contacts should be held until a slight pulsation (like taking your pulse on your wrist or your neck) is felt in both fingers simultaneously. This usually takes from 30 seconds to two minutes. Once the pulsation is felt, the contacts may be held for a few more seconds and then released.

This is a simple but powerful way for you to reset your emotional circuit breakers in relation to a specific episode of stress. It will dramatically reduce the intensity of the event. If not, do it again. Do it until the intensity goes down to zero.

How do you feel? You have just removed a significant effect of stress from your life.