So contact me today at
01563 528801 and 07980 849321
Email:- info@susanchan.co.uk
www.susanchan.co.uk

You can unlock your potential since you hold the key to success.

The key function of the voluntary regulator (CNHC) is to enhance public protection. This will be achieved by working with the complementary therapy professions to maintain and improve standards, by providing a route for enquiries about registered complementary healthcare therapists.

CNHC registered complementary therapy practitioners using the CNHC quality mark demonstrate to members of the general public and other healthcare providers that they conform to national standards of practice in their work.

If a CNHC registered complementary therapist has the CNHC quality mark it means that they:

• Have undertaken a programme of education and training which meets the National Occupational Standards and the core curriculum for the complementary therapy/discipline concerned, in this case the General Hypnotherapy Registrar

These will start on Sunday 20^thMay, running from 13.00 to 17.00 at 80 London Road, Kilmarnock, KA3 7DD.

The afternoon promises to be fun, enlightening and relaxing. Book your place either by phoning us at 01563 528801/ 07980849321 or through the email address at channewhorizons@aol.com

The price of £25 includes the workshop, a relaxation CD and refreshments.

Mindfulness taps into what you already have. The programme allows you to know what is really happening and to learn about happiness, calm, peace and tranquillity.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness underpins much of our current practice. It is a positive psychological technique with its origins in Eastern philosophy, and is becoming increasingly popular as people, in a hectic and chaotic world, search for a more calm and thoughtful way to live.

What are the benefits?

If you practise mindfulness, you will become more aware of your physical and emotional state.

You will focus on being ‘in the moment’ and become aware and in tune with your self and your immediate environment.

If you live ‘in the moment’, you need not live in the past or worry about the future.

Mindfulness can help you to make decisions that will change behaviour and lifestyle choices.

Mindfulness allows you to change positively. In a sense, mindfulness offers a different path, away from stress and anxiety and on a route in the direction of healing, calmness and awareness.

Mindfulness Programme

Self assessment tool for stress

Mindfulness based stress reduction techniques (MBSR)

Learn about ‘mindfulness first aid’

Learn how to relax and to be ‘in the present’

4 easy steps to change with mindfulness

Visualisation Training

Practise of mindfulness techniques

Personal happiness and ‘inner wisdom’

You can read more about Mindfulnesss in these Blogs.

Leisure by WH Davies
‘What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare’

It is so easy to get caught up in the pace of life today. However we came across this list of affirmations about seizing the moment now. Please let us know which of these statements (source unknown) have applied to you today.

Don’t run for your life. Embrace it

Don’t close your eyes. Open your mind.

Don’t back down. Go around.

Don’t dwell on your mistakes. Learn from them.

Don’t avoid failure. Use it wisely.

Don’t fight your misfortune. Transform it today.

Don’t follow the crowd. Be unique.

Don’t settle for less. Get the best.

Don’t rue that lost opportunity. Create it.

Don’t search for a path. Lay your own.

Don’t wait for money to come. earn it.

Don’t wait for that perfect time. Make it.

Don’t wait for love. Feel it and give it.

Ian Geddes and Susan Chan

By Ian Geddes and Susan Chan

Thanks for coming back to read part 2! When I give motivation talks in schools to students, I am always heartened to see and listen to hard working, bright motivated students. However I often encounter students that are not motivated and often have very low levels of confidence.

‘I’m not very clever’.

‘History is too hard’.

‘Can’t pass exams’.

I have always regarded underachievement as a great shame. I try to tackle these negative views head on. If that is what is being said then the chances are that failure will follow. To me, the most important attributes to have when setting out to pass an exam are,

Motivation

Study Skills and techniques

Support from people around

Lots of visualisation

Practise. Practise. Practise.

There is lots of research available on the value of practise. If you put in the effort and the time, then the rewards will come.

So what are the second 5 key steps to increase motivation, confidence and performance?

• Create a positive, fun, inspirational environment.

Never mock, compare, condemn or undermine what they have done. Respond openly and with patience. Find space to create a corner of inspiration. Give your child ownership of that space.

• Mindfulness Techniques

Mindfulness is a new way of looking at an ancient eastern philosophy. It is so important to focus on what is happening now. What may have happened in the past is in the past. Think about what you are doing now. Focus on your breathing. Be alive and aware of your immediate task. Enjoy the experience. Accept that we cannot know everything. Adopt what is called the ‘beginner’s Mind’, and return to the basics renewed.

• Improve levels of confidence and self esteem

Every child has experienced success at some time. Get them to visualise the feeling they had. Success may have been in sport, dance, a personal relationship, music, at a club or even passing a cycling proficiency test! Remind them how they felt and that they can recreate that feeling at any time. They can do anything they want to do and practise to achieve it.

• Give them the skills and techniques to pass exams.

Reading. Writing. Note taking. Managing time. Strategies to improve the memory. Practise. Knowing the system. Planning. Being organised. Having a space. Support. Enthusiasm. There are good study books around for the various subjects. Check out the interactive study skill sites and get a really good study skill book such as, ‘How to Pass SQA Exams’, by Ian Geddes (Me!) Although supported by the examination body for Scotland, the content is valid for any examination system.

• Overcome the fear and anxiety and learn to relax and thrive There is nothing worse than, after all the hard study, that your child walks into an exam and their mind goes blank. Nerves and anxiety get the better of and the brain stops working properly! This is a well-known phenomenon in psychology – known as state-dependant memory. The state you are in determines what you can remember. If you are in a very different state to when you learned, it is hard to recall things. If you are very anxious, your brain is simply in the wrong state for thinking! Hypnosis or deep relaxation can help to beat exam nerves, remember what you have practised and leave the person to respond with the sort of emotional response that will help performance. So in an exam, you need calmness tinged with a little excitement to give you that extra edge. A little stress actually improves memory and recall.

We hope that these tips will now give an edge when it comes to ‘Motivation, Confidence and Examination Performance at school’. If you want more information, contact Ian at New Horizons to discuss any aspect of these ‘Newsblogs’ and arrange an appointment.

Motivation, Confidence and Examination Performance at school

By Ian Geddes

Being a parent is always stressful. From birth until they hit 50! The years at school can be particularly full of concern. As long as we have exams, young people will often suffer from lapses of confidence and motivation. So what can you do? This two part blog will introduce you to some techniques, skills and approaches that will increase performance, motivation and confidence.

So what motivates you? Consider that for a moment. Research indicates that it varies. It may be the desire to achieve a target. It could be money. Or the good feeling that you get that comes with success. It may be linked to a dream. You may not want to let someone down.  Fear of failure. This article is not the place to talk about the limits of success. As a motivation coach and practitioner of NLP, I firmly believe that it is the individual that always sets the boundaries. If you fear failure or believe that you will fail, then inevitable, that is exactly what happens. If you go for a driving test, with negativity, then you will fail. If you always believe that the worst will happens, then inevitably it will happen. For me, having been a teacher, marker, writer of school text books and study skill books and question setter I recognise that success follows those people who know the system, revise and practise. Ask any student what do they need to do to pass their driving test, become better at the guitar or hit the ball further and straighter at golf? Answer? Visualise the experience and practise.

So here are the first 5 of my key steps to increase motivation, confidence and performance.

• The carrot or the stick?

Always the carrot! Your children should learn about the importance of ‘deferred gratification’. Put in the effort now and reap the benefits later. Never compare one son /daughter with another one. So what makes them ‘tick’?                         Clothes? A game? Travel? Money?

This then can become a motivational drive. Admittedly not necessarily the best incentive but often very effective. We are aiming for ‘self motivation’, but inducements may help.

• A healthy body and a healthy mind!

This starts early in the development of the child. However at stressful times it is even more important to get the balance right. A diet of pickled onion crisps and a gallon of American Cream Soda, will not be enough! Sleep. Exercise. Fluids. A nutritional diet. Social contact with friends. A routine

• Surround them with images of success

Get images of inspirational people. Encourage stories of people who have made the most of their life and motivated others. These can be figures from the past or contemporary figures, whether taken from sport or business or the media. Successful motivational figures can inspire others to follow in their track. Search the web for inspirational quotes or posters or downloads. Let them know that they deserve success.

• Visualisation

I really believe that it is important to think through what is in store. What will the future hold for them? How will it feel to pass the exam? How will they feel when they open the letter from the exam board with the results and see the pass? Get your son/ daughter to get to know the system. Imagine walking into the exam room, seeing the paper. Visualise the day.

• Limits

There have to be limits. Sometimes the distractions can dig deep into the time and focus. It is always possible to gain the benefits from using technology in revision. There are good sites. Revising for exams should always have time built in for socialising, but negotiate and agree on those limits. Have a time limit for screen technology, whether it is the TV, a computer, a console or even a smart phone. Allocate time, separate from revising, for social media networking. Phones should not be a tempting distraction.

I hope that you found these tips and techniques useful. Part 2, will follow.

You may wish to consult book or sites that will provide additional advice. One book I would recommend is ‘How to Pass SQA Exams’. Whilst the SQA bit refers to the Scottish system, all the techniques and skills are generic. I recommend it, because I wrote it!

Leisure by WH Davies
‘What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare’

Some people have noticed that time appears to pass faster as you get older. What seems to be a side effect of our busy pressurised lives is that, as WH Davies said, ‘we have no time to stand and stare.’ Increasingly we are unable to appreciate the pleasures of life at the moment, without thinking about what we have done, what we should have done and what we need to do. The source of much 21st century deep philosophical thought, (Homer Simpson) said, ‘Sometimes I sit and think, but mostly I just sit!’ That saying really appeals to me.

So are you ready for the New Horizons, Creative Solutions guide to, ‘Essential guidance for slowing down and being happier’? Be a rebel, and check your lifestyle and see if it can benefit from the application of the brakes.
• Do less. Focus on what is really important and what needs to be done. Let the rest go. Does it really matter if that report does not get completed today? Be realistic, who really cares!
• Be mindful. Focus on what is going on now. Not what might happen or an unpleasant thing that has happened.
• Seek your own company. Take time out and disconnect your mobile phone or electronic device. Otherwise you’ll always be available to be distracted, interrupted and at the mercy of others.
• People focussed. Remember what is really important. When you are with friends or family, be totally switched and connected to them
• Eat more slowly. Be mindful of every bite. Be aware of textures, colours, smells. Enjoy every mouthful.
• Slow down. When you are walking or driving, slow down and be aware of your surroundings. Make moving around calm and peaceful and enjoyable. Leave five minutes earlier rather than drive fast.
• Breathe slower and deeper. Take five minutes regularly, throughout the day to concentrate on the air coming into your body. As you focus on your breath, you slow down and become aware of the present.
• Find enjoyment in everything. Be content with what you have. Appreciate every moment, including task and chores.
• Single task. If you focus on one activity at a time, you can really be in the present. When you want, you can slow down, focus on breathing and switch to another thought or task. You can control your mind.
• Exercise your mind and body. Observe nature, the birds, the plants, the movement of water, the beauty of a mountain.

Be aware of all your senses. Feel the movement of the wind. See the colours of the flowers. Touch the flowing water. Hear the laughter of children. Smell the freshness pf the grass. Taste the sweetness of the food.

Be aware of what is called the ‘power of now’

By Ian Geddes

I’ve given up listening to breakfast TV. The economy. Crime. The weather. Riots. War. Even making me feel guilty for not being ‘green enough’. I am not naïve and I know that I live in the ‘real world’. However, I want each day to start on a high, positive note. Each day should start exciting with the chance of a new beginning with opportunities to grow and enjoy. Each day gives you chance to live in the present and take in all the great things around you.

If you surround yourself with negativity then it can drag you down, if your reality is dominated by such thoughts, it will affect how you view your day, your relationships and your hopes. I was playing golf. Actually I was playing OK. I could feel the heat from the sun, the wind gently blowing across my face, I could smell the freshness of the cut grass and I could hear the sound of the waves lapping against the beach.

The guy I was with was having an awful day. He moaned and groaned. I found myself slipping from feeling good, and started to feel his anguish. So, I worked out ways to bring me back to your moment. Say to yourself about how you feel. My mood lifted, I continued to enjoy myself and even managed to lift the spirits of my golfing partner. He continued to play poorly, but no longer did it annoy him!

It is important in life to remind yourself of all the positives and affirmations of what is good. Make a list of the good feelings you have recently had. For example,

When you were totally relaxed

A good meal you had with a close friend

A creative moment and thought

When you enjoyed a walk or swim or a run

When someone told you that you look good

When you told someone that you loved them

If you have a chance, read the blog on the ‘New Horizons 10 point plan for a happier life’

Have a good day. No have a great day!

A refreshing sleep is priceless. It is a necessary and welcoming end to an exhausting day.  Sleep restores the body and mind. The norm for an adult is around 7 hours a night. Sleep takes place at 3 levels. REM or light sleep. (25%) Deeper sleep. (50%) Very deep sleep. (25%) When you sleep your body is processing your experiences from that day. Your muscles recover from the activities of the day. Problems can develop both getting to sleep and staying asleep. There are many causes of insomnia, including:  physical factors, social, habit, mental (stress anxiety)

So how does your body react to shortage of sleep?  Your body and mind will suffer in many ways, such as                  Fatigue                                Irritability             Accident prone                 Poor concentration         Forgetful               Dull                      Without energy

Under hypnosis we work on your subconscious mind. You remain in control at all times. By changing how your mind deals with issues, we can help you to re-programme it to be more receptive to long lasting changes as to how you think feel and behave. You will become calmer and open to the power of positive thought and suggestion. We work with many clients who come to us exhausted, dis-spirited and so frustrated that they lack the energy to do all the things that they want to do. As clinical hypnotherapists, what can we do? We use several techniques that may focus on what is preying on your mind or helping you to learn the principles of relaxation. We also have a number of MP3 downloads that contribute to a good night’s sleep. Using our techniques you may find it easy to relax by focussing on your breathing and visualising yourself in a ‘special place’.