Stress

Since 2005, I have been helping women with my hypnotherapy techniques to drink less alcohol. When I started my career in hypnotherapy, I didn't expect to be working with alcohol reduction. But, early on I realised that women were drinking more alcohol than they wanted. And so began my journey to help women by incorporating hypnosis alcohol reduction as part of their therapy session. Gradually word got around that I had the solution to help women reduce their drinking. Streams of women began flooding through my hypnotherapy clinic doors.

Dealing with the issues of why women drink

The hypnotherapy alcohol sessions, offered women a dedicated and safe-space to discuss their challenges and talk about their alcohol drinking. By tailoring each hypnotherapy appointment; to break the drinking habit and by dealing with the issues behind the drinking; women were being set free. My work changed the subconscious beliefs in the deep part of their minds. My job was becoming ever more rewarding as I saw endless women take back control of their relationship with alcohol. Over and over I discovered that the stresses in women's lives were causing them to drink.

More women asking for help with alcohol hypnosis

It was clear at this stage which path my career was going down. Day in day out I was helping more women to change their alcohol intake. By now I was becoming known as the hypnotherapy alcohol reduction therapist. In the early days, my clinic was a small room in my house. But as time went on I rented a room in a clinic and began to offer phone appointments. My clients were now finding my services from all over the Uk and from other countries around the world.

Approximately 70% of clients are women aged thirty and upwards, but the vast majority are in their forties and fifties. I think more women are drinking than before, but I don't think women drink more than men. It is more likely that women seek to find help more than men usually do.

Why do women drink a glass of wine as a reward

In my experience, I find there are quite a few reasons why women drink. For working women with relatively young or teenage children usually, they drink due to the pressure of juggling everything. Women regularly have difficulty with at least one family member, problems in their marriage or issues with a personal partner. It is common for mothers to find parenting a considerable strain. Relationship issues added to work demands and financial worries can create unbearable stress.

Women's lives are taking their toll

Reaching for a large glass of wine can seem like a good option. Wine becomes an alternative to sorting out the problems in your life. Ignoring the household friction or your feelings and needs takes a toll. Gradually one glass becomes two. Then two glasses become a whole bottle. Alcohol becomes a comfort like a reliable friend. Before you know it you have begun to lose yourself. As women naturally are nurturers they have no boundaries of knowing when to stop giving. Family, house chores and work take over. By now you are in so deep you don't even know how to run your life. Alcohol has become a quick way to switch off - my time - my escape - my reward. And an alcoholic drink helps women to sleep even though they are already exhausted.

Stay at home mum stress

For some women, the strain of parenting is because they are staying at home. For now, they have put their career on hold. They worked so hard to get a job which it turns out doesn't fit their family needs. Guilt feelings set in. Should you be working? Is it right you are a stay at home mum? What message does this give your children? Would being a working mum inspire your daughters? Will your son think women should stay at home? What do your friends think of you? Does your mother-in-law judge you for not contributing? The repetitive thoughts in your head dissolve with a glass of wine. So it's good to drink. Right? Everyone else drinks. It is normal or least it seems this way.

Drinking alcohol makes women feel worse

Slowly you feel worse when you drink. You may be affected by a hangover in the morning. In the beginning, you may have used alcohol to help you to get you to sleep, but now the effects of drinking break your sleep. But you can't break free from the cycle of alcohol drinking. You feel trapped. Drinkers also worry about their health and the effects their drinking is having on their already volatile relationships.

It is easy to have a drink

Then there is drinking more alcohol because you are bored or lonely. The kids are in bed. Perhaps you are single, or your partner is busy, and you feel alone and may as well be single. Then there are the women who don't have children, so they give their all to work. Drinking is part of their work culture. Alcohol is part of the job. And drinking is fun.

The kids have grown up and flown the nest which has left you with an emptiness in their life. There is a void that needs filling. What will you do to fill your time or to make something of yourself and career? The workplace has moved on in the last ten to twenty years. You can no longer hide behind the achievements of your children as the spotlight is now on you. What are you are doing? You might enjoy your freedom since your family have moved on or you may be retired meaning you can have a drink now as you don't need to get up early tomorrow. A drink fills the gap of whatever is going on.

Drinking has crept up over time

For some women, drinking has just crept up over time, and it has become a habit. You have always had wine or gin to celebrate or commiserate. The drink is a way of life. Life would be boring without alcohol. Everyone drinks. Your life revolves around drinking. You don't remember a time when alcohol wasn't part of your life. But alcohol is addictive, so there is that element too. When you do try to slow down, reduce or stop drinking you find it is not easy.

How can women break the cycle of drinking

Women's lives are constantly changing, and every woman is different. What is needed is to manage problems as they arise whatever your circumstances. Hypnotherapy offers support to help transform your mindset to steer your life in the best direction for you. One-to-one sessions or hypnosis downloads help to overcome challenges and break the habit of drinking too much. Hypnotherapy works by releasing cravings and adjusting your relationship with alcohol on a subconscious level so that alcohol becomes less attractive. By improving confidence, relationships, finances and career, you can create a brighter future while being in control of your drinking. Anything is possible with the right mindset. Letting go of alcohol is incredibly liberating.

You can find out more about one-to-one alcohol hypnotherapy phone appointments with Ailsa Frank or the hypnosis download Stop binge drinking for women Read the addictions chapter of my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing published by Hay House

5 step sleep guide

You may struggle to get to sleep, or perhaps you wake in the night. Insomnia can cause enormous strain. But, quality sleep is about prioritising. So, begin to prepare yourself for bedtime with my 5 step sleep guide using some hypnotherapy style techniques;

Step 1 - Slow your day down

Try moving more calmly and take deep breaths at intervals throughout the day. Then speak more positively to yourself. Tell yourself that you can, and you will efficiently complete everything.

Step 2 - Take control of your thoughts

Write down on a piece of paper your worries, or list tomorrow's tasks to be completed. By putting your thoughts on a page, you will free you from the clutter in your head, which will prepare your mind for bedtime and the morning ahead.

Step 3 Quiet-time visualisation

Find a quiet place to sit in a relaxed position with your eyes closed. Then visualise yourself walking along a beach, with the waves coming in and out on the shore. Imagine the beach represents your whole life, and each grain of sand symbolises your skills, talents and experiences. Imagine you are holding a handful of sand each grain depicts your stresses. Then see how small the sand grains are in comparison with the vastness of the whole beach. Now allow the grains to slip through your fingers as you imagine letting go of your problems. Visualise the waves washing them away. There will always be things we have to deal with in life. You will often find you have a small pile of sand in your hand. But imagine that you can let it go each day. (try this technique on the train or bus on the way home or after dinner in the evening).

Step 4 - Bedtime

Quietly and calmly enter the bedroom. Once you are in bed, feel the softness and protection of the bedclothes. Be aware of the feeling of being inside your body.

Step 5 - Rapid eye-blinking technique

This hypnotherapy technique relaxes you and tires your eyelids. Lay comfortably in the dark with your eyes open. In your mind begin counting backwards from 300. And, slowly count the numbers, until you feel you can't keep your eyes open any longer. Then blink rapidly, as fast as you can, for 30 seconds. Or until your eyelids begin to feel heavy and sleepy. When you can't blink your eyes anymore, close them, and feel yourself let go. Allow yourself to sink into the bed beneath you and drift off to sleep.

Further sleep solutions

Here is a short film with ideas for a good night's sleep which includes some hypnosis techniques to break insomnia.

Click to read more about my hypnosis Good Night's Sleep hypnosis download - Sleep Awareness Week

You can read more in my book about my hypnotherapy methods for relaxation, sleeping well, releasing anxiety and managing depression. Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing (published by Hay House).

Today I offer one-to-one hypnotherapy phone sessions to help clients sleep well. Because by break old sleeping patterns and restoring new habits, you can get a good night sleep again. When you are frustrated, you may say 'Help I can't sleep'. But over two and four hypnotherapy sessions you can change your feelings towards sleep. During appointments, we work on the factors which could be stopping you getting to sleep or interrupting your sleep. There are many common causes which prevent healthy sleep patterns which include; relationship strain, living with young children, work worries, financial stress and fear of not waking on time. Often excess drinking can disrupt sleep patterns. If people can't sleep, they can reach for an alcoholic drink to help them sleep better. But over time the effects of the alcohol begin to wake them up in the night. Hypnotherapy reprograms the subconscious mind by breaking both the cycle of drinking and not sleeping well.

There is always a lot to do in the last few days running up to Christmas and it can feel like you can't get through things. Tensions can run high in a family household. But remember you can and you will have a smooth Christmas if you take back control. You can follow my hypnotherapy style techniques.

3 tips to keep Christmas running smoothly;

1. Run events of the next 2 days through in your mind with everyone getting along fine, everything wrapped and opened, food cooked perfectly.... Imagine it is the end of Boxing day, you are getting into bed having had a great time with everything having gone well. What your mind sees your mind delivers, this technique will help you get the positive outcome you are looking for.
2. Smile your way through the next 2 days as smiling creates positive brain chemicals which stops you from slipping into stressed feelings. You will enjoy Christmas more if you smile more.
3. Tell yourself 'You can and you will and you are organised, on time, getting everything done easily and efficiently' By firmly self-talking yourself into the positive you will find your mind can't slip into Christmas drama mode and you will enjoy a perfect 2 days.

Try to enjoy the festive season.

Begin to transform your life with Ailsa frank's range of hypnosis downloads; break free from limiting thoughts, bad habits and create happiness and success on a deeper level. Hypnotherapy reinforces positive beliefs to move you forward with new inner confidence. Titles include Heartbreak and Loss, Take control of alcohol, Weight loss, Money increase your wealth, Debt free living, Build Confidence and Self-esteem,  Stop Worrying...

Stop worrying hypnosis download £9.99 or  Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing book by Ailsa Frank (published by Hay House) £10.99

Take the sleep challenge

I challenge you to a Good Night's Sleep with my new hypnosis download. If you don't sleep I will give you your money back. You can lie back and listen as your stresses dissolve into a distant memory. I suggest you listen regularly over several weeks to retrain your mind to sleep well.

I help clients to take back control of their sleep by reprogramming the mind on a subconscious level. People's lives can be blighted by regular lack of sleep often caused by worries or health issues. Hypnotherapy offers a quick way to shift your state of mind and create physical and emotional relaxation to get you back on track.

This hypnosis recording is carefully crafted to set you free from past sleep issues such as waking in the night, worrying in the night, bad dreams, difficulty getting to sleep or poor quality of sleep. It is suitable for anyone wishing to enjoy a good night's sleep. The exercises and techniques will tap into your natural sleep patterns so you can feel refreshed in the morning having had a full night's deep sleep. There are so many elements that need to be right for a good night's sleep, so the messages in this hypnosis download will allow you to restructure you waking day and pre-bedtime sleep preparations enabling you to get to sleep fast and cope with your waking day well. Press the play button at bedtime then drift off into a deep slumber. Also useful for night shift workers and for travellers to counterbalance time zone changes and cope with jetlag.

Testimonial: "After listening to the Good Night's Sleep hypnosis recordings I am out like a light and wake feeling refreshed like never before." 

Click here to read more about ‘Good Night's Sleep’ hypnosis download recording priced £12.99

One to one hypnotherapy phone sessions with Ailsa cost £150 each, usually, 2-4 appointments are required. Or listen to a combination of hypnosis download recordings from the Ailsa Frank .com website shop to tackle the various issues in your life.

Follow me on Instagram ailsafrank for daily inspiration

Follow me on Twitter for more tips and advice @AilsaFrank

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Watch my YouTube channel Ailsa Frank Hypnotherapy

Read my book "Cut The Crap & Feel Amazing" by Hay House

Buy hypnosis downloads from www.ailsafrank.com

Become aware of your worries so you can let them go

Are your words fuelling your anxiety? Is your automatic response to look for the drama or worry about things that do or don't exist?

To get yourself into new positive thinking make your phrase of the month "I am ready to find the positive in everything".

Here are 3 tips to help:

1) This is where I am - Simply accept this is where you are in life right now. Accept whatever has happened or is happening, hold your hands up and surrender to where you are in life. Then write down what is worrying you, or what you would like to change, so you can begin to make a plan of action to do things differently to enhance your life moving forward. By holding 'where you are' in your hands and accepting it exists you can begin to let go of the battles in your mind.

2) Be aware of what you are saying - Start to notice the conversations you have with yourself or other people. What topics are you discussing, are they negative and fuelling your stress, are they making you anxious? Try to focus on more positive things happening around you and turn your internal conversations with yourself into reassuring sentences such as "I can live a really comfortable life. I can feel comfortable in my life. I can create a happy life. I can be safe. I am safe and everything is fine."

3) Remind yourself when things worked out well - Everyone faces challenges in their everyday life, some more difficult than others but, by focussing your mind on previous times you overcame things it will remind you that life has a way of working out well. You can and you will get through whatever is going on right now.

You can read more about how to let go of worries in my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing (published by Hay House). Or try my Stop Worrying hypnosis download.

One to one hypnotherapy phone sessions with Ailsa cost £150 each, usually, 2-4 appointments are required. Or use a combination of hypnosis download recordings from the Ailsa Frank .com website shop to tackle the various issues in your life. To make enquiries about booking Ailsa as a motivational speaker or workshop host please reply to this email.

Follow me on Instagram ailsafrank for daily inspiration

Follow me on Twitter for more tips and advice @AilsaFrank

Like my Facebook page Ailsa Frank Author and Hypnotherapist

Watch my YouTube channel Ailsa Frank Hypnotherapy

Thank you to all those who emailed me testimonials recently. If you want to anonymously share your hypnosis success story or share how my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing has helped you, please let me know by replying to this email. In return for your story, you will receive a free download recording of your choice. Also, you can review my products on Amazon.

Buy hypnosis downloads from www.ailsafrank.com

Techniques for letting go of your worries

More people are worried about everyday life and the events happening in the news. We are more connected than ever before through every type of technology device which means we hear about other peoples worries and problems more too. In the past, if a friend or relative had a drama you may never have known about it or by the time you heard about it the incident would have resolved. But more people share a running commentary about the worries and problems in their daily life than ever before. Taking on board the stress of other people can cause you extra anxiety which can lead to over worrying. But how do you stop your mind from spiraling?

A worry is usually a lot of small worries, let's say like this bunch of balloons. Imagine each balloon represent a small worry. Lots of small worries added together can create an overwhelming anxiety. But if you break down the worries into small things you will find each small worry is manageable. I suggest you try to identify the small things that are creating the bigger worry. When you release the smaller things the bigger worry will eventually automatically release. Typical worries can be not sleeping properly, worrying about the future, worrying about a friend or relative, worrying about being too busy or too lonely, worrying about money today or your pension in the future, or debt such as credit cards or how you will pay off your mortgage.

Exercise

Imagine in your mind the bunch of balloons. Each balloon represents one of your worries. Then imagine letting go of each balloon one by one as you imagine letting go of your problems such as the sleep issues, money problems, family stress, work pressures or whatever is going on in your life. Practice releasing the balloons in your mind but also work on cutting the things out of your life which causes the worries. You can imagine the balloons floating up in the air any time you feel yourself worrying. Over time your mind will get into the habits of moving problems on by rather than being overloaded by them.

You can read more about my hypnotherapy methods for reducing stress and worries in my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing (published by Hay House).

One to one hypnotherapy phone sessions with Ailsa cost £150 each, usually, 2-4 hypnosis appointments are required. Or use a combination of hypnosis download recordings from my website shop to tackle the various issues in your life.

To make inquiries about booking Ailsa as a motivational speaker please email info@ailsafrank.com

Follow me on Instagram ailsafrank for daily inspiration

Follow me on Twitter for more tips and advice @AilsaFrank

Like my Facebook page Ailsa Frank Author and Hypnotherapist

Watch my YouTube channel Ailsa Frank Hypnotherapy

Thank you to all those who emailed me testimonials recently. If you want to anonymously share your hypnosis success story or share how my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing has helped you, please let me know by replying to this email. In return for your story, you will receive a free hypnosis download recording of your choice. Also, you can review my products on Amazon.

Buy hypnosis downloads from www.ailsafrank.com

Solutions to help you cope with anxiety in social situations

I think everybody at some point has felt slightly anxious or awkward going into a situation. Nowadays it's becoming more common with more people suffering from it.

Three things I would say to help you:

1. Change your state of mind.  The feeling is in your body because your mind has created it. So by changing your mindset, you will feel better in your body. So for this, you could imagine someone who is really confident - perhaps Simon Cowell who is really over the top. Imagine stepping into their body, imagine how it would feel, their posture, being relaxed. Then bring that feeling into your body.  Imagine yourself having that comfortable feeling. You can practice this anytime or place.
2. Learn to reassure yourself.  Remember you are not alone - someone confident can be feeling nervous too. This feeling is something that you have learned to do from the fear of the unknown. If you do feel any anxiety coming on, reassure yourself by saying "I am fine.  I am going to be ok. This is fine. This is ok, I am doing really well. This is really really fine. I am going to be ok". Consciously relax your body.
3. Before and after the event.  To help you feel comfortable about going to an event, see in your mind events going well, speaking to people, having plenty to say, and laughing.  It's always good to ask someone a question to get a conversation going. Imagine it is after the event, you are on your way out of that event, leaving and coming home and imagine it has gone really well, and you are really relaxed, you are smiling.

Something you can do when you are in social settings so that other people don't feel anxious is always invite people into your group if you are standing and chatting.  If you see someone there just make way for them to join in as well because if you do that for someone else, someone one day will do that for you.

You can read more about my hypnotherapy methods for reducing social anxiety in my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing (published by Hay House).

One to one hypnotherapy phone sessions with Ailsa cost £150 each, usually, 2-4 hypnosis appointments are required. Or use a combination of hypnosis download recordings from my website shop to tackle the various issues in your life.

To make inquiries about booking Ailsa as a motivational speaker please email info@ailsafrank.com

Follow me on Instagram ailsafrank for daily inspiration

Follow me on Twitter for more hypnotherapy tips and advice @AilsaFrank

Like my Facebook page Ailsa Frank Author and Hypnotherapist

Watch my YouTube channel Ailsa Frank Hypnotherapy

Thank you to all those who emailed me testimonials recently. If you want to anonymously share your hypnosis success story or share how my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing has helped you, please let me know by replying to this email. In return for your story, you will receive a free hypnosis download recording of your choice. Also, you can review my hypnotherapy products on Amazon.

Buy hypnosis downloads from www.ailsafrank.com

Releasing stress - what you need to know

The following 5 things cause stress
Once you know this, it will be easy to release the things causing you stress

1)  Feeling overloaded - you may identify with running in your life, chasing your tail, an overload of technology, over-stimulated brain, work and family pressures, a tired mind which is secretly causing mental health issues. You need to address your lifestyle and start to create different ways of achieving things in a relaxed way. You need to learn to say no to things. Listen to yourself and start putting yourself first.

Tip - Write down the hotspots of stress in your week so you can make new plans to avoid these next week. Then restructure the plans in your diary but be prepared to say 'No' to things.

2) Being tired - people are tired because they are just doing too much.  Children are getting caught up in the fast pace which makes them tired too.  You are creating your crazy life so it's you that needs to slow your life down, not speed it up.

Tip -  Visualise last week being very calm with everything done easily. Now visualise next week going smoothly, see yourself with extra time for yourself. Say to yourself 'AMAZING' even when it's going wrong you need to learn to find the AMAZING within it. By being persistent in saying 'AMAZING' no matter what is going on, you will begin to see the AMAZING in your life.  As your life runs smoothly you will be less tired.

3)  Feeling anxious - expectations are so high from employers, earning less doing more, job security is uncertain. Children are tested constantly and each year exam boards say the exams were too easy so they raise the bar pushing teenagers to work even harder. The teens I see are burnt out before they have even begun their adult life. Competitive parents get paranoid their kids need to do more, when in fact they need to do less. Notice conversations of 'Will I keep my job?  Will I get into the university I want? Will I catch my train? Where is my life going?....I teach hypnosis techniques to take control of your anxious feelings.

Tip -  Change your language from what if it goes wrong to 'what if it's amazing. What if it works out ok.' In your mind imagine putting your anxieties on to clouds in the sky and let them float on by. Rub your tummy area with the palm of your hand in a circular motion to calm any past churned tummy feelings as you see the clouds floating past. Your mind listens to your thoughts so a positive conversation will help create more positive feelings. Seeing your worries floating away will break the habit of worrying.

4) Feeling down - an epidemic of feeling down, because you are running on adrenalin then, when you stop, you crash down or your mind can't process life because you've lost the ability to feel contentment. 'Where is your life going'? Your mind is like your body, it needs looking after otherwise it will get strained. I teach hypnosis techniques to break free from depressed feelings and repetitive negative thoughts. Depression can be being caught up in an old feeling.

Tip - Visualise yourself climbing out of a black hole into the light. You can use your hands to pretend you are pushing yourself out of the hole. Keep repeating this in your mind until you only see yourself in the light. Then re-run events of your life in your mind as if everything has gone well. For example, if you failed to get a job see yourself getting the job. If you had an illness see yourself totally well through that time.  If you have had money worries see yourself financially stable with money in the bank back then. You are trying to re-write your past with a more positive memory to break out of low feelings.

5) Being time short - no time for yourself, not enough time to have kids, and once you have them, not having enough time to enjoy them.  Or work pushes you, which makes you ill and then, of course, you worry about health, cancer or other illnesses. All of these things can make people drink too much alcohol which will create more of the bad feelings and wasted time. When you are time short you ironically may sleep less well.

Tip - Take back control of your time by rearranging your week. Use your weekend to refresh yourself, don't burn yourself out on a weekend over socialising or getting drunk. Have warm baths, early nights, create nurturing routines. If you have children create happy relaxed memories like sitting playing a game together rather than rushing off to the cinema. If you are lonely, finding yourself with too much time, then find ways to fill your life with purpose.

You can read more about my hypnotherapy methods for reducing stress in my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing (published by Hay House).

One to one hypnotherapy phone sessions with Ailsa cost £150 each, usually, 2-4 hypnosis appointments are required. Or use a combination of hypnosis download recordings from my website shop to tackle the various issues in your life.

To make inquiries about booking Ailsa as a motivational speaker please email info@ailsafrank.com

Follow me on Instagram ailsafrank for daily inspiration

Follow me on Twitter for more tips and advice @AilsaFrank

Like my Facebook page Ailsa Frank Author and Hypnotherapist

Watch my YouTube channel Ailsa Frank Hypnotherapy

Thank you to all those who emailed me testimonials recently. If you want to anonymously share your hypnosis success story or share how my book Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing has helped you, please let me know by replying to this email. In return for your story, you will receive a free hypnosis download recording of your choice. Also, you can review my products on Amazon.

Buy hypnosis downloads from www.ailsafrank.com