Lacking that Creative Spark?

Are you lacking that creative spark and need help with creativity? It’s the ability to think out of the box. It is a trait that is difficult to pinpoint, but it is apparent in works of art, well written novels and other forms of creative work.

The importance of creativity within certain fields cannot be underestimated and it can become a serious problem, when someone who is working within a particular creative industry has a creative block and is unable to come up with new ideas for a project.

Imagine a writer, who has been commissioned to write a book, who suddenly finds themselves in front of their computer screen unable to think of anything to write, or a choreographer, working with talented dancers, unable to think of a suitably stunning dance routine. The point is that creativity pervades our lives and for those who rely on it, for the profession, then having any form of creative block causes a wide range of problems that can effect their livelihood.

What can cause problems with creativity? For one, it is a well known fact that stress affects creativity. Stress has the affect of diminishing our ability to think clearly in several ways that then has an effect on creative thoughts. Other forms of psychological issues such as depression can also adversely affect creativity and cause what is known as a creative block.

The reasons behind a creative block can be much more complex and are not always evident. This is why many are seeking help of a hypnotherapist to help them find the root cause of the problem. Hypnotherapy helping to unblock creativity. The key to a successful outcome is to find out what is causing the problem and eradicating it. As well as reprogramming the mind for stimulating new ideas and solutions. Hypnosis has the power to do this quickly and effectively. As with any form of therapy, a qualified hypnotherapist should always be used.

Alix Needham

My techniques guarantee that you remain in control at every session. These techniques, developed over 25 years, are so effective that many issues can be addressed in as little as three sessions and my location in the very heart of London means you can book sessions to work around work.

8 Job Interview Tips: Stress Free Interview Prep
The key to being successful at interviews is a high degree of self confidence which often comes from thorough interview prep and good interview tips. Most of us face this challenge at some point in our lives. Job interviews are high stress situations where even the most seasoned professionals can experience panic, shyness and fear. Fear of Job Interviews Not only do we have to conquer our fears and actually make it through the door. But even once we’re at the table our stress response often works against us. Combatting our ‘fight or flight’ response well enough to ensure we can communicate confidently and effectively is a real challenge. The signs are easily recognised – sweaty palms, fidgeting, tight chest, dry throat, stuttering and inability to focus. Fortunately there are things that can help us with clarity of thought, persuasive speech and effective communication. As well as building rapport and appearing confident and capable. These are all things that help us succeed at interviews. So what can we can do to overcome the fear of interviews and ensure we perform at our best? Job Interview Success Firstly, it’s all about changing your mindset. Hypnotherapy works by helping us reprogram our minds by building positive visualisations and expectations. By preparing for interviews in this way, you can enter feeling confident, prepared and positive. A skilled hypnotherapist will help you understand your fears and improve your ability to feel safe and calm,. This allows you to connect with your interviewers and present yourself well. Job Interview Tips 1. Preparing – Nerves are only made worse when we feel underprepared. Making sure you research the company and the people you’re meeting calms the mind. Unnecessary stress is avoided if you know exactly where you’re going. Finding out beforehand who you’re meeting and what you can talk about, will improve your confidence. Try researching the people on LinkedIn so you know a little about their professional history. 2. Practising – Spend time reading about a company and writing out prepared answers. Under stress, speaking out loud can be tricky and we stumble over our words. Practise a few answers out loud and get used to speaking clearly. 3. Empathy – People who have conducted interviews themselves are often more successful . This is because when its there turn to be interviewed they are feeling more mentally prepared. And in touch with the feelings of the interviewers. They want you to succeed .Some are nervous themselves. Picture yourself as one of the interviewers – what would you want to hear? 4. Staying calm beforehand – Especially important if your interview is towards the end of the day. Don’t let nerves take hold. Spend some time reading your notes. Then put them away and relax. You might try yoga, meditation, breathing exercises or light exercise. Listen to some uplifting or relaxing music. Repeat positive affirmations to yourself. Arrive at the interview with plenty of time to avoid any unnecessary stress. 5. Positive visualisation – Before your interview, visualise yourself arriving, feeling comfortable and confident. See yourself answering the questions well and enjoying the experience. Teach your mind to expect you to succeed, rather than fearing failure. 6. Being rational – It’s easy for us to let our emotions take hold when we feel uneasy or threatened. Try to take a step back and think clearly. What is the worst that can happen? You might not get the job. But then you’ll go on your way continuing with your life. With this is mind, what is there to be nervous about? You may as well give it everything you can. Perhaps view it as practice for future interviews to relieve some pressure. 7. Focus and breathe – When you’re in the interview stay focused .Try not to skip ahead, thinking about the offer or rejection call. Be mindful and present in the moment, Listen carefully. Answer honestly and authentically. It maybe a challenge but breathing deeply will help you in an interview. You’ll come across as more controlled and confident. You will speak more clearly, smile more and build better rapport. 8. Interview the interviewers – Interviews aren’t just an opportunity for you to be tested. Asking questions to determine whether this is the right opportunity for you will give you authority. When interviewers see you as confident and asking relevant questions it presents you in a positive light. Believing in your own self-worth will work in your favour. It might help to imagine yourself as the interviewer. What would you like to hear from a potential employee? Further Help with Interview Preparation I help many clients prepare for and succeed at job interviews. I have a popular clinic right in the heart of London near Regent’s Park, the perfect place to relax. Or, if you prefer I can offer online sessions at your convenience. If interview stress is something that you struggle with why not consider what hypnotherapy or coaching could offer you? To learn more please do get in touch. Further Reading on Interviews & Work 5 Ways to Overcome A Fear of Being Judged Overcome a Fear of Changing Jobs How to make a good impression at work 10 Ways to Get a Promotion at Work Public Speaking Tips – 10 Helpful Steps How To Be More Confident Speaking at Meetings
Performance Anxiety and Stage Fright Help
No matter how successful and seemingly confident an artist is, they could well be suffering with stage fright or performance anxiety behind closed doors. It’s a natural part of most of our personalities, especially in a career which involves giving so much of yourself. Amongst the artists who have spoken out about using hypnotherapy for stage fright are Olivia Colman and Adele. What Causes Stage Fright? Many people find that performance anxiety develops when they least expect it. Sometimes it’s present at the start of a career when auditions and rejection might be common. Other times it develops later as people find more success or become more recognisable. Olivia Colman spoke about suddenly developing stage fright after she had achieved success in TV and movies and was returning to the theatre. Adele reportedly saw a hypnotherapist to help her battle stage fright before her performance at the Oscars. Sometimes a big event can trigger feelings we haven’t experienced before. A previously confident performer can suddenly start to wobble under the new pressures they are facing. Stage fright is complex and can have many causes. It can be rooted in a fear of judgement, a lack of confidence, social phobia or anxiety. Even though a person might have made a career out of performance, human beings are not constant and unchanging. New outlooks and challenges can present new feelings. For example, many people are finding it’s not easy returning to the performance world after such a long break for the Covid pandemic. Especially when they might be working on film sets that feel empty or theatres half full of masked faces. Are You Suffering From Performance Anxiety? If so, you will know that this is a common fear for people appearing on stage, TV or film. Symptoms of performance anxiety include overwhelming anxiety, panic or fear prior to or during performances. It is often at its worst when performing at an audition. For those working in the performing arts, this anxiety can have a detrimental impact on their future career. Those of us not working in the performing arts may still experience performance anxiety in our lives when faced with the challenge or public speaking. Whether it’s standing up giving a keynote address, a big pitch at work or giving a speech at a wedding or funeral, these are all performances. So, how can you deal with the nerves? Bring Out The Best In Yourself When Performing Are you feeling anxious at the thought of performing? Have you ever choked or lost focus when performing? Are fear and nervousness affecting your performances? Looking for a simple tried and tested solution? Fortunately, hypnotherapy can be helpful and is a natural drug free and safe treatment. How Does Hypnotherapy Relieve Stage Fright? Stage fright is an unfounded fear (in that it isn’t physically dangerous to you) but the fear feels very real. When under stress, the body reacts with a fight or flight response. This feeling of panic can be extremely debilitating and will prevent you from giving your best and authentic performance. In order to overcome performance anxiety we need to get to the root of the fear and unravel it. What has caused it? If it was a past event we can undo the fear by processing the event itself. Perhaps negative thought patterns have taken hold and are becoming more and more real. We need to unpick these unhelpful patterns and reprogram the mind with positive ones. We can use positive visualisations to train our mind to believe things will go well rather than worrying that things will go bad. This will give you a new found belief, confidence and calm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtctjpx9ORY The Benefits of Anxiety Hypnotherapy Gaining control of your anxiety Feeling more confident in your abilities Performing at your very best Experiencing greater enjoyment when performing Gaining confidence in your ability Help For Performance Anxiety If you’d like to learn more about how I can help you overcome performance anxiety and stage fright please do get in touch. I am happy to offer a no obligation free initial consultation either in my central London clinic or online. Why not contact me today? Learn More Further Reading on Anxiety Generalised Anxiety Disorder How to Reduce Anxiety with Online Hypnotherapy How to Deal With Anxiety Case Study – Anxiety Hypnosis Anxiety Hypnotherapy Hypnotherapy for presentation anxiety
How to Avoid Burnout When Working From Home
Knowing When To Stop Many of us have had to work from home during the Covid pandemic. Now, as things slowly return to ‘normal’, some of us may be going back to the office, but others are finding that working from home has become a permeant situation. As many self-employed people already know, there are a number of challenges to this. How can we ensure our work doesn’t take over every minute of our lives? How do we ensure we dedicate adequate time and effort to maintaining our relationships, health and well-being? With technology allowing us 24/7 access to our emails, how do we set boundaries? In short, how do we avoid burnout? End of the 9 Till 5? For many of us it used to be that you went into the office on a morning, you focused on your work for the day, and then went home on an evening and completely detached. This down time was for us, our family, our own hobbies and pleasures. Of course, sometimes the stresses and strains of the office came home. But modern technology and expectations make this so much more common. Out of hours zoom calls, emails pinging on your smart phone and bosses expecting an immediate response. Is this really the new norm? Looking After Mental Health & Wellbeing There are many benefits to the nature of the 9-5 working day. Keeping work and home life separate allows the brain down time to rest and recuperate. When we feel like we’re always on standby, the brain can become overworked. We find ourselves feeling the ‘fight or flight’ response often which can lead to stress and anxiety. Sleep can become an issue and insomnia is common. We might neglect our own wellbeing, forgetting about healthy eating and exercise. Relationships might suffer as we become more irritable and distant. When we feel like we don’t have enough time for everything we can react in a number of ways – procrastination, anger, stress, victim behaviour or loss of control. And, interestingly, our productivity whilst we are at work tends to suffer too. Some of my clients are finding they are struggling with other issues whilst working from home. These can include feeling like a fraud, demotivation and a lack of confidence. Productivity When Working From Home You would think that this new instant technology and access to communication and information would have dramatically increased the nation’s productivity. Actually, data shows that productivity has remained pretty flat over the last few decades despite all the new technology available. So why is this? It could be something to do with the type of workflow that instant access technology and 24/7 availability can encourage. Feeling like you have to always be available actually means you are only able to give a little of yourself to everything you do. A buzzing, ‘hive’ mind trying to deal with multiple things at once. Our workflow becomes chaotic and reactive rather than planned and considered. Working from home, perhaps we struggle to concentrate. Distractions are all around and we aren’t sure how to prioritise work during work hours and home outside of these. How often have you worked late because you don’t feel like you got enough done during the day? The opposite of this chaotic workflow is a more careful, considered and planned approach that allows for a deep focus. This is ideal for increased productivity, creativity and clarity. But how can we achieve this? How to Set Boundaries Working at Home Set a Routine Get up at the same time each working day if possible. Look after yourself with breakfast, showers, getting dressed and going to work on time. Get to bed at a healthy time. Ensure you take regular breaks and eat and drink enough. Funnily enough, many people have less breaks at home than when in the office. Physical Boundaries If you can, have a home office space and keep it separate to your personal spaces. Keep it neat and tidy. When the working day is over, close the door or put the laptop away and switch off work phones. Avoid Isolation Try to connect personally when you can. Zoom or phone calls are a great alternative to email. It can be lonely working from home. Many people like to go work from a coffee shop or shared space occasionally or organise face to face meetings where appropriate. Set Boundaries With Others Share your schedule with others so they know when you can and can’t be disturbed. But then make sure you stick to it. Finish when you say you will. If you need a little time to decompress between work and home life schedule in some exercise or relaxation time. Be Creative With Working Methods When working from home you have more freedom to set up your own day, schedules and workflow. Find something that works for you as an individual whilst still keeping colleagues happy. Be proactive and creative. Discuss any issues that arise or changes you may need. Find what helps you be more productive. Further Help & Advice If you are working from home and feel like you would benefit from a change in mindset, stress reduction, practical tips and advice or a coaching relationship, please do get in touch. I can offer both face to face or online hypnotherapy. I can help you be more productive at work and feel more relaxed at home. We need to change our mindset when working from home and allow ourselves permission to switch off at the end of the day in order to avoid burnout. In turn, this makes us more effective, creative and driven. Further Reading on Work and Professional Performance Do you have a work obsession? Ways to overcome procrastination How to overcome writer’s block 5 ways hypnotherapy can improve your work performance How to cope with work stress
Improve Your Time Management With Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching
Are you looking to improve your time management? With the help of hypnotherapy and life coaching you can achieve much more . Moreover using these powerful tools is an effective way of unlocking your true potential. As well as changing behaviours and altering mindsets. Results have proved they are the best techniques for improving time management. There’s always the same amount of time in the day. But effective time management involves learning to manage yourself. Moreover, fighting against lack of motivation, distractions and competing priorities each can be draining. Unfortunately, poor time management leading to stress, and fatigue as well as depression and guilt. Life Coaching is a useful therapy as it takes a goal-orientated approach to time management. Sessions helping you refocus your mind. As well as using your energy in a more effective way. Moreover you will be achieving much more in both your work and personal life. In this way creating more quality time . Let me help you figure out how. A Life Coach acting as a dedicated partner. In an open, honest partnership working together creating new ways of operating. No more hopelessness or wondering where to start. We will find the answers together. Hypnotherapy for Time Management Hypnotherapy will help you in discovering the deeper causes of your time management struggles. Perhaps you’re feeling like the problem stems from your indecision. Or maybe negative habits. Are you lacking passion for what you’re project. Whatever you’re feeling, hypnotherapy can be helpful in bringing about change. Hypnosis is an effective tool, enabling you to achieve what you want in life. In conclusion, working together in creating a unique, fast-acting plan for you .And you’ll be in control at all times. What Next? Would like help with time management? With expert help success can be achieved in a few sessions. Please do get in touch. Further Reading Online Life Coaching Online Hypnotherapy Unblocking Your Wealth Potential How To Get Motivated
Managing Conflict at Work
Managing conflict at work can be challenging, causing stress, anxiety or damaged motivation. At worse, leading to bullying, low mood or even the losing a job. Hence, solving work conflicts quickly is important. Otherwise creating an escalation to the problem. As well as making the problem more difficult to manage. 7 steps for dealing with work conflicts Causes of the conflict? What’s making this conflict difficult resolving? Any of the above? If so seeing things from the other perspective. And what are they wanting to achieve? Is it personal? Sometimes a person’s behaviour or personality jar with our own. And this making it harder to see past this. When personalities clash it can be hard working together. Other times, the problem is harder to define. Due to competing pressures or priorities. Communicating Taking time thinking about your issues within the conflict. And ideas for resolution. Arranging a time to meet with the person. If possible, giving them time to prepare. Otherwise they may feeling threatened or taken off guard. Don’t get defensive. And try discussing the problem positively. In addition focusing on moving things forward. Such as “I’m feeling excluded and disrespected when you’re choosing not to invite me to the meeting.” Asking questions Asking what’s not working ? As well as discussing how to improve working better together. Stop assuming people are doing things just to annoy you. Taking into consideration they may have competing pressures. In short, making inquiries without being accusatory. “I was wondering why you didn’t invite me to the meeting with Bob?” Listening Avoid rushing to get a resolution quickly. Or focusing solely on your own point of view. Moreover, listening carefully is a key step, even if you don’t agree. Asking further questions and responding in a calm manner. “Is there anything else you’d like to add?” Finding middle ground Try focusing on the areas where you do agree or what you both need improving, and go from there. “It sounds like we both agree that communicating is not out strong point – what can we do to improve that?” Moving on Sometimes it’s possible to resolve the conflict alone. But at other times involving managers or HR. Depending on the nature of the situation. Developing a plan for resolution and following through. Checking back regularly .And tweaking if it isn’t working. Communication skills, stress management and resilience all proving valuable in this process. Further help Conflicts at work can vary enormously .Therefore, depending on the situation it’s useful getting support. I help clients through coaching to understand the nature of their conflict. In addition, developing an action plan for dealing with their unique situation. Alternatively, using advanced hypnotherapy techniques for assisting people with relaxation, motivation, anger and resilience. To learn more please do get in touch. Further Reading Online Life Coaching Improve Conversation Skills Using Hypnotherapy Fear of Authority Figures Confident Communication 5 Ways Clinical Hypnotherapy Can Improve Your Performance At Work
Do You Have A Work Obsession?
Are you obsessed with work? Our society places a lot of importance on drive, ambition and achievements at work. But when does a passion for work become work-obsession? Our happiness depends on us balancing out all aspects of our life, including work, recreation and relationships. Work becomes an issue when it is an all-consuming addiction. It may not even bring you happiness anymore and can become just as much of a problem as alcohol addiction or smoking with wide-reaching negative health and well-being implications. It can be difficult to tell when dedication becomes work-obsession so here are a few of the signs to look out for. Worth is measured by workplace achievements Those of us who are work obsessed tend to measure our self-worth by our achievements in the workplace or other directly related things such as status or wealth. If you were asked to list your top ten achievements or moments of pride – how many of them would be work related and how many would involve family, friends or your activities outside of work? Work weeks regularly exceed 40 hours Workaholics will regularly work long days, putting in extra hours by choice. Some jobs do require longer hours but we all need time for ourselves too. If a person regularly stays late at work, goes in on days off or works extra from home, this is going to interfere with other priorities. Long work hours also leave very little time for relaxation and can lead to stress and other health issues. Relationships struggles When you put so much of yourself into work, there’s often very little left for other people. Work obsessives find that other relationships struggle. Relationships with spouses, friends or children may become more and more difficult. You may feel like you have little energy left for them or that you can no longer relate to them. This is especially true of those who work in very stressful jobs as it can become difficult to relate to another person’s priorities and daily life. Dependence A dependant workaholic may not even enjoy their job anymore. Instead they may experience an urgent feeling to do more work and to please their managers and colleagues. A small moment of relief might come when that report is finished, but it’s never enough, and the next task is soon found. Other workaholics are addicted to the feeling of importance or recognition they get from work and may find it difficult to deal with the unstructured nature of the rest of their lives where meaning and objectives are often less clear. Stress, anxiety and control issues Those who work too much might find they struggle with stress, anxiety or control issues. This can lead to health problems and insomnia. If you constantly feel drained, exhausted or empty at the end of the day you may well be overworked. Inability to detach Work-obsessives are often thinking about work, even when they aren’t there, so they may seem detached or distracted. They may talk about work a lot and struggle to engage in other activities or discussion topics. Getting help for work obsession Whilst work can give structure and meaning to our lives, most people regret spending too much time at work later in life. If we don’t take the time to step back, relax and enjoy the things our hard work has given us, many would ask what the point is. If you’re struggling with work addiction, stress or obsession or you’d like to explore what work gives you that the other areas of your life can’t, please do get in touch. I can help you find a new healthy relationship with work and to re-engage with other areas of your life to find a healthy work/life balance. Further Reading on Work/Life Balance Are you a workaholic or do you just work hard? Treatment for Stress Improving your relationship with money Signs You Need Relationship Therapy Can Stress Cause Hair Loss? Working From Home: Knowing When to Stop
How to Overcome Writer’s Block
How to Overcome Writer’s Block is a question many people ask. There’s nothing worse than the feeling of writer’s block. As we sit staring at a blank page or screen, feeling uninspired, lost or unmotivated. So what can we do to get our creativity and productivity flowing again? The solution depending on what’s causing this. At the root of this problem there’s usually something deeper. This could be the stress of a big deadline, the emptiness of depression or the fear of failure caused by low-self-esteem. Alternatively, writer’s block caused by an inability to focus and create. Moreover lacking motivation, concentration issues or feeling out of control. All these factors contributing. Simple ways to re-spark your creativity. Switching it up – Sometimes the mind needs a little kick start to begin thinking differently. Try using a different writing tool – switching from your PC, to a laptop or to paper. Or changing your office or desk space around. Moving to another room or go write in a café. Sometimes a new perspective often helps. Skipping to the middle – Starting is often the most difficult part. We can have so much to say we don’t know where to begin. Another way is beginning where the ideas take you – you can always go back later. Using exercises or prompts – There’s lots of writing exercises online or fun ways for stimulating ideas or getting prompts. These are good ways for giving you a new starting point or angle on the topic. Reading – If you really can’t write anything don’t give up. Instead finding inspiring by going back over some of your best work. In this way reminding yourself what works and rebuilding your confidence. Getting out – Exercise and fresh air helps by clearing the mind and refreshing us. As well as going for a run or walking. In this way stepping back. Calm down and de-stress. Yoga or meditation may also help. Clear the mind and when you feel ready return to the task feeling refreshed. Mind-maps – If you don’t feel ready to try complete sentences try visual exercises or mind maps. Just get some ideas down – however disjointed they may feel – and see where they take you, Just start writing – The pressure of getting everything exactly right first time can get you down. Writing is a process and it has to start somewhere. Just write – even if you think you can’t, even if the words don’t flow at first. Just put something down and see where it goes. Further Help What’s causing your writer’s block can be many and complex. Whilst the techniques above may provide a short term solution, hypnotherapy is effective at unblocking creativity and increasing productivity. Together we can uncover any unhelpful beliefs. The sessions can uncover the causes of the writer’s block, clearing the mind. As well as stimulating new ideas. My treatments are quick and effective whilst being a freeing and enjoyable experience.
5 Ways Clinical Hypnotherapy Can Improve Your Performance At Work
Directors, executives and entrepreneurs have used hypnotherapy for performance development for years. Recently, hypnotherapy has become much more mainstream and we are all realising how helpful this treatment can be. Everything from stress, confidence and motivation can be improved effectively with just a few sessions of professional hypnotherapy. Presentation Skills Many of us need to present or speak whilst at work. Whether it’s a handful of people in a meeting room or a full conference delegation, nerves are extremely common. Get ahead of colleagues by improving your public speaking skills and establishing a new found confidence with communication. Stress Reduction More and more people are coming to me for help with stress. It’s easier to treat when caught early so it’s worth giving hypnotherapy a try as soon as you start to feel the strain. Symptoms might include feeling overwhelmed, fatigue, weight changes, disturbed sleep, anxiety and panic. Stress can severely affect your performance at work if left untreated. Hypnotherapy can help you regain control, build resilience and learn new techniques to manage stressful situations. Confidence Building It’s no secret that it’s the confident people who often get ahead at work more easily. Confidence makes other people feel safe putting things into your hands. It reassures them that you have everything under control. Confidence and self-esteem also tend to aid clear and concise communication and will help you build relationships with colleagues. Hypnotherapy is effective at treating confidence issues because it gets to the root of the problem to instigate real, long lasting behaviour change. I can help you feel more positive, relaxed and self-assured which is sure to help you progress in your career. Self-Motivation Motivation is the key to achieving more. I help my patients gain control, break old negative patterns and habits, become more focused, feel more fulfilled and reach their goals. Sometimes work can be difficult and we might feel unappreciated, but when we are self-motivated and feel rewarded by our own accomplishments, rather than others’ reactions, we can remain positive and keep moving forward. Peak Performance We all want to perform well at work but stuck with our own established methods, attitudes and perspectives, it can be hard to make changes. I help clients with all aspects of their professional performance – time management, control, overcoming fear and risk aversion. Clinical hypnotherapy is one of the few proven ways to change deep-set attitudes and trigger new behaviours. To unlock your full potential, why not give a session a try? Learn More If you’d like to find out more about how I can help you at work – whatever job you do – then please do get in touch.

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