Gary handing over an envelope last year: "I've got you a present"

Me opening envelope: "Oooh tickets to see Scotland play rugby at Murrayfield...yay!"

Gary:"I hope you haven't got anything on"

Me:"Only a Self-Hypnosis Course, but I can rearrange that!"

How excited was I!!!!  

Then the anxious niggles started to creep in.

How were we going to get there? Where would we stay? How long would it take us to get to Edinburgh? How far was the stadium from the station? What should I wear?What would my IBS be like?  Would the seats be at too steep an angle? (I went to the O2 once and the seats were sooooo high up and soooooo steep you could barely walk past people.  It actually felt to me like I was going to fall forward over the people in front of me)

People often think that because I am a hypnotherapist and help people with lots of different issues, that I am some sort of superwoman who doesn't worry, or get anxious about anything, but truth be told, I do get anxious sometimes, just like everyone else.

In my pre-hypnotherapist life, I would have probably avoided lots of situations that now, I generally take in my stride, but I was worried about the seating.I was also slightly worried about my IBS but that aside, I coped within the 40 minute walk to the stadium (when I could have caught a tram or bus) and when I got there, and feeling a bit tearful and apprehensive, I went to see what theseating was like...and it was OK!  Weended up with some lovely people sitting around us who made us laugh and enhanced what was a fabulous experience!

Along with 67,000 other people, we enjoyed a really good game, I got to see my 'boys'do their stuff, and it didn't even rain until we were leaving the stadium(thank you Scotland!)

It is only in the past 5 years or so that we have been driving to Scotland for our annual trip.  We had previously gone via rail or air, mainly because it felt easier, but then we decided to drive.  Now for anyone who gets anxious on long journeys or who has IBS this 7-8hr drive might have seemed a bit of a nightmare but we now actually see this as the start of our holiday…our little road trip starts when we leave the house.  And the more we did it, the easier it got.  The ‘exposure’ increased my confidence in my ability to deal with the situation.

That’s the thing about anxiety, we over-estimate the threat, and under-estimate our ability to cope.

So what did I do to banish my anxiety? I faced the situation head on and just used the same tools and techniques that I give my clients...and that is how I know that they work!

If your anxiety or IBS stops you doing stuff, then why not come and see me, and we'll deal with it together!

‍