As if being in a stressful job was not enough of a problem, it is also now being recognised as a contributor to weight issues.
In today's Daily Mail newspaper they carry a short article about how the combination of emotional eating and stress can make you put on weight.
The stress tends to increase the amount of Cortisol they body produces and this in turn leads to more fat being laid down in the body. It's likely to an evolutionary defence mechanism that allowed humans to survive stressful situations. By laying down a good fat reserve we could survive even if food supplies were short.
What's the answer?
Learn techniques to de-stress, remember to eat only when hungry (not because you feel lonley/sad/depressed etc.) drink enough fluid so that you do not confuse the sensation of being thirsty with being hungry.
Exercise is a good way to relieve stress, as is yoga, walking, self hynosis or relaxation tapes/cds/mp3s. I should add I have a nice range of my own MP3s available at www.gift4life.com.
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Jim Rohn passes away
I learnt from Frank Kern's blog that Personal Development mentor Jim Rohn has passed away.
I only recently discovered the work of Jim Rohn, it seems he's been a guiding light in the world of personal development since the mid 1960s when he began giving talks to business clubs in his local area.
The simple ideas that he put forward help to set you on a path of personal success. Through CD copies of his talks I have also become aware of other speakers like Dr. Dennis Waitley and Brian Tracy.
He always attributed his sucess to the simple but effective ideas of his mentor Earl Shoaff, but that was deny the skills he had in presenting an idea so well that couldn't not understand.
If you have never heard Jim speak then give him a try. Simple truths that will set you thinking about your own path in life. Jim used lots of stories from the Bible to illustrate his points but even if you are not a Christian you'll find so much value in what he says.
I only recently discovered the work of Jim Rohn, it seems he's been a guiding light in the world of personal development since the mid 1960s when he began giving talks to business clubs in his local area.
The simple ideas that he put forward help to set you on a path of personal success. Through CD copies of his talks I have also become aware of other speakers like Dr. Dennis Waitley and Brian Tracy.
He always attributed his sucess to the simple but effective ideas of his mentor Earl Shoaff, but that was deny the skills he had in presenting an idea so well that couldn't not understand.
If you have never heard Jim speak then give him a try. Simple truths that will set you thinking about your own path in life. Jim used lots of stories from the Bible to illustrate his points but even if you are not a Christian you'll find so much value in what he says.
Monday, 7 December 2009
How many on Anti-depressants?
This article about anti-depressant drug use was originally post in June this year (follow the link above).
According to the article, there are now some 36 Million prescriptions issued each year for anti-depressants in the UK. That number is up 2.1 million since the last numbers were released in 2007.
Clearly something is very wrong here. 36 million is basically one prescription per adult in the UK population. Either there are a huge number of very depressed people in the UK (always a possibility) or the drugs are being used a universal panacea for the ills of modern life.
I wonder if some of the those people simply have unrealistic expectations about what they may achieve and the clash of the actual and desired outcomes prompts a rush to the GP. (I'm not trying to limit life expectations, merely recognising that not everyone will do what is required to get the glitzy lifestyle.) Contrast the glitz, gloss and glamour of TV lifestyles with your own life and the difference may be too much to bear.
GPs are used to dealing with drugs and relatively speaking, drugs are cheap. Three months of Prozac will be less than 3 months of talking therapy, not really more effective, but cheaper.
The only people gaining with this approach are the shareholders of the drug companies; the people (I hesitate to call them patients) may get some relief but their situation is unchanged, the Doctor may know that the issue is a bad marriage or poor life choices but be left with few alternatives and the we as the shareholders of the NHS pay the bill.
What a waste; a waste of potential, a waste of money, a waste of lives.
Surely it's time to change. Surely we should hold back on the pills and start prescriptions for seeing a therapist or a life coach. How about a prescription to eat a diet that is actually healthy and contains the natural minerals, vitamins and oils that we need to function effectively.
I have no idea where this should start but perhaps one small change might be to promote the idea of non-drug based treatments to Doctors whilst they are still in training. It would be a long task to changing the current situation but it could start one Doctor at a time.
It's also possible that perhaps Doctors should not be expected to have the answers to life problems. We need a new way to deal with life problems for those who choose not to pray or have a religion. A Humanist approach to living a positive life?
Who knows? What is certain is that the status quo will result in all of us being on the drugs and that just can't be right.
According to the article, there are now some 36 Million prescriptions issued each year for anti-depressants in the UK. That number is up 2.1 million since the last numbers were released in 2007.
Clearly something is very wrong here. 36 million is basically one prescription per adult in the UK population. Either there are a huge number of very depressed people in the UK (always a possibility) or the drugs are being used a universal panacea for the ills of modern life.
I wonder if some of the those people simply have unrealistic expectations about what they may achieve and the clash of the actual and desired outcomes prompts a rush to the GP. (I'm not trying to limit life expectations, merely recognising that not everyone will do what is required to get the glitzy lifestyle.) Contrast the glitz, gloss and glamour of TV lifestyles with your own life and the difference may be too much to bear.
GPs are used to dealing with drugs and relatively speaking, drugs are cheap. Three months of Prozac will be less than 3 months of talking therapy, not really more effective, but cheaper.
The only people gaining with this approach are the shareholders of the drug companies; the people (I hesitate to call them patients) may get some relief but their situation is unchanged, the Doctor may know that the issue is a bad marriage or poor life choices but be left with few alternatives and the we as the shareholders of the NHS pay the bill.
What a waste; a waste of potential, a waste of money, a waste of lives.
Surely it's time to change. Surely we should hold back on the pills and start prescriptions for seeing a therapist or a life coach. How about a prescription to eat a diet that is actually healthy and contains the natural minerals, vitamins and oils that we need to function effectively.
I have no idea where this should start but perhaps one small change might be to promote the idea of non-drug based treatments to Doctors whilst they are still in training. It would be a long task to changing the current situation but it could start one Doctor at a time.
It's also possible that perhaps Doctors should not be expected to have the answers to life problems. We need a new way to deal with life problems for those who choose not to pray or have a religion. A Humanist approach to living a positive life?
Who knows? What is certain is that the status quo will result in all of us being on the drugs and that just can't be right.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Lyme Regis Christmas
I was out nice and early this morning; at Lyme Regis I saw their tree and for the first time this season I felt a bit Christmassy......
Lovely tree on a cold and frosty morning.
Lovely tree on a cold and frosty morning.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Customer service..what customer service?
Imagine, it's Saturday night, you've had a tough week and decide that tonight you and yours will not cook; you will use the take-away delivery service.
There are plenty to choose from in Yeovil, so out come the leaflets that they regularly stuff through the door.
Go with the usual? No their food seems to have gone downhill recently. Go with this one then, they deliver? Yes, GREAT.
Phone in order at 7.30pm.........how long? One hour; OK no problem.
Wait for delivery.
One hour later no food.
One hour ten minutes, get on phone to takeaway. He's 20 minutes away. OK.
One hour forty minutes; Now I am annoyed, I've been patient but honestly now I'm annoyed.
Wife calls takeaway.......Very sorry....bad weather (WHAT? look out of the window, check for typhoons, none found), driver sick.........it's not even cooked!?! Would we like to cancel?!!!
Cancel order......get bread and cheese out decide to 'out' the Takeaway.
For utterly hopeless service in the Chinese take-away restaurant market in Yeovil Somerset, step forward (wait for the fanfare)
The Hing Lee Chinese Take Away of 24 South Street Yeovil
Who completely and utterly failed to meet their own 45 minute standard waiting time, who invented new weather related excuses for not doing what they said they would do and for wasting their own money promoting a service that they clearly are not able to deliver.
Welcome to the hall of shame.
Leaflet in bin........don't bother asking if I'll give you another chance.
There are plenty to choose from in Yeovil, so out come the leaflets that they regularly stuff through the door.
Go with the usual? No their food seems to have gone downhill recently. Go with this one then, they deliver? Yes, GREAT.
Phone in order at 7.30pm.........how long? One hour; OK no problem.
Wait for delivery.
One hour later no food.
One hour ten minutes, get on phone to takeaway. He's 20 minutes away. OK.
One hour forty minutes; Now I am annoyed, I've been patient but honestly now I'm annoyed.
Wife calls takeaway.......Very sorry....bad weather (WHAT? look out of the window, check for typhoons, none found), driver sick.........it's not even cooked!?! Would we like to cancel?!!!
Cancel order......get bread and cheese out decide to 'out' the Takeaway.
For utterly hopeless service in the Chinese take-away restaurant market in Yeovil Somerset, step forward (wait for the fanfare)
The Hing Lee Chinese Take Away of 24 South Street Yeovil
Who completely and utterly failed to meet their own 45 minute standard waiting time, who invented new weather related excuses for not doing what they said they would do and for wasting their own money promoting a service that they clearly are not able to deliver.
Welcome to the hall of shame.
Leaflet in bin........don't bother asking if I'll give you another chance.
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Saturday, 14 November 2009
November 14th-Life
I seem to have loaded myself with more work than seems reasonable for one man. However promises have been made and deadlines are not very flexible, so reading, TV and similar activities will be off the agenda for the next couple of weeks.
My evening appointments calendar continues to get busier, it's nice to be able to work with new people every few weeks, it challenges my abilities in a very constructive way.
A former Hypnotherapy student of mine got in touch this week. After a couple of years of doing other things, he has set himself up in practice and crafted a new web site to go with it. If you are in the Swindon area then take a look at the site www.zen-hypno.co.uk which belongs to Tim Butt. Good luck Tim.
One of my sons took himself off to the USA this week. When he wanted to extend his stay by a few days he suddenly became aware of the bizarre world of airline ticket pricing; a world where a single ticket to somewhere can cost more than the return to the same destination. I think it may have been an expensive learning process for him.
My evening appointments calendar continues to get busier, it's nice to be able to work with new people every few weeks, it challenges my abilities in a very constructive way.
A former Hypnotherapy student of mine got in touch this week. After a couple of years of doing other things, he has set himself up in practice and crafted a new web site to go with it. If you are in the Swindon area then take a look at the site www.zen-hypno.co.uk which belongs to Tim Butt. Good luck Tim.
One of my sons took himself off to the USA this week. When he wanted to extend his stay by a few days he suddenly became aware of the bizarre world of airline ticket pricing; a world where a single ticket to somewhere can cost more than the return to the same destination. I think it may have been an expensive learning process for him.
Friday, 13 November 2009
Great quote from BBC Radio 4
I heard this on a radio program (BBC Radio 4) about the pottery industry in the UK today.
It was about two guys who had cut loose to start their own specialist ceramics company.
I think I have it correct.
"I'm swimming through the ashes of all the bridges I have burnt!"
Brilliant!
It was about two guys who had cut loose to start their own specialist ceramics company.
I think I have it correct.
"I'm swimming through the ashes of all the bridges I have burnt!"
Brilliant!
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Smokers?
I've had a sudden flurry of would be non-smokers booking sessions with me. Is the cold weather finally driving people to regret puffing on the little white stick?
Answers in the comments please.
Answers in the comments please.
Saturday, 7 November 2009
What creates apathy?
This is by nature a slightly political post.
There has been for some time now a view that UK voters have become apathetic about exercising their right to vote.
The turnout in local elections often struggles to achieve 25% and even in general elections rarely achieves 50%.
Media commentators wring their hands and write essays on what should be done. They suggest everything from lowering the voting age to making voting compulsory.
Here's some suggestions for all those media pundits and hacks;
Stop treating the adults of the UK like children and they'll stop behaving like children. (I suppose
we could call this the transactional analysis approach). Who the hell needs to be told how to blow their nose and dispose of the paper tissue who is over the age of 6? Patronising video here.
Stop giving outrageous levels of snooping power to any man jack and his dog with RIPA and SOCA laws. Absolutely ludicrous use of powers example here.
Let the voting public have a real choice about the future path of the country instead simply choosing from one bunch of money grubbing politicos dressed in red and another bunch of money grubbing politicos dressed in blue (or possibly yellow). Outrageous money grubbing here.
When we all get a real choice apathy will disappear.
Apathy is only evident when choices are notional rather than real.
Given a real choice people will use their power; it won't happen because the levers of control and power would be ripped away from the current political classes. It would probably take a revolution for that to happen.
There has been for some time now a view that UK voters have become apathetic about exercising their right to vote.
The turnout in local elections often struggles to achieve 25% and even in general elections rarely achieves 50%.
Media commentators wring their hands and write essays on what should be done. They suggest everything from lowering the voting age to making voting compulsory.
Here's some suggestions for all those media pundits and hacks;
Stop treating the adults of the UK like children and they'll stop behaving like children. (I suppose
we could call this the transactional analysis approach). Who the hell needs to be told how to blow their nose and dispose of the paper tissue who is over the age of 6? Patronising video here.
Stop giving outrageous levels of snooping power to any man jack and his dog with RIPA and SOCA laws. Absolutely ludicrous use of powers example here.
Let the voting public have a real choice about the future path of the country instead simply choosing from one bunch of money grubbing politicos dressed in red and another bunch of money grubbing politicos dressed in blue (or possibly yellow). Outrageous money grubbing here.
When we all get a real choice apathy will disappear.
Apathy is only evident when choices are notional rather than real.
Given a real choice people will use their power; it won't happen because the levers of control and power would be ripped away from the current political classes. It would probably take a revolution for that to happen.
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