Wellbeing

How do you want to feel in 2010?

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It’s that time of year when we start to think about those New Year’s Resolutions. All the things we want to do, have and be in this New Year – new car, exotic holiday, lose weight, a new career, etc.

Often we don’t realise consciously that what we want to have or achieve are just a means to an end. What we really want from our possessions and experiences is the feeling or emotion that it gives us.

Perhaps you want to have an exotic holiday. As you imagine the holiday of your dreams what feelings and emotions arise for you? Maybe you imagine feeling relaxed, excited, enthusiastic and happy. Have you ever spent time day dreaming about what your holiday is going to be like – enjoying the feelings you’ll have before you even get there. Or perhaps you want to lose weight. That might make you feel fit, healthy and attractive.

Advertisers figured this out a long time ago. It’s obvious from all the sofa adverts at this time of year that having a deluxe leather sofa with recliner options will give you a happy contented family or an appreciative and attractive partner. Or you could join an exclusive health club and become fit and attractive like the lithe young people in the advert (who obviously don’t need it).

The seductive voices of advertising tell us “just get this thing or take part in this activity and you will be rewarded with these feelings”. I think a sofa is not the only way to have a happy family. Joining a health club is not the only way to feel fit.

I think there is a more useful way to think about New Year resolutions that gives us a better chance of getting what we want and many more choices in how we get there.

How do you want to feel in 2010? What feelings or emotions would you like to feel more of?

How would your New Year resolutions be different if started by choosing the emotional states you wanted to experience?

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Yes folks, there is going to be another ChangeCamp this year. Following the great success of the first ever ChangeCamp we are going to show the Autumn collection of presentations and workshops on Saturday 24th October 2009 at Gosforth High Schoool in Newcastle

If you were at the first ChangeCamp you will know the score: pay £10, sign up for the presentations that interest you, turn up with some food to share and have lots of fun while learning lots of useful stuff.

The presentations list will grow as we get closer to the day, One of the things I’d like to find out is just how much excellent learning and enjoyment can be packed into one day.

If you want to attend, great! Tell you friends all about it.

If you want to help, great! It’s a great way to take part. Let me know if you can.

If you want to present, great! It’s a great way to meet new people and share what you know. Let me know.

Look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones on October 24th.

To sign up visit: www.changecamp.co.uk

It’s always good for me to hear about people putting the skills I teach into action. On Saturday I was presenting an EFT Level 1 training in Newcastle. One of the participants who had attended a Beginner’s EFT training told the group that she and her husband made time each week to sit down, talk about anything that was on their mind and tap out any bad feelings they had as a way of maintaining a harmonious relationship.

I think that’s a perfect use of EFT – simple, practical, consistent and beneficial. It doesn’t require any special skills just a willingness to use something simple on a regular basis. This is what I think of as Practising Wellbeing

Are you a worrier?

It’s not quite the happiest of New Years. Financial difficulties. Looming recession. The flu bug that’s going around. Wars and disasters on the TV.

Lots of challenging situations for all of us, but if you are a worrier it’s just so much worse. As if the reality of the situation wasn’t bad enough you can’t stop worrying about it.

Do these statements apply to you?

• You’re not able to calm down
• You imagine the worst
• You feel anxious far more than you should
• You just can’t stop worrying
• You feel out of control

If they do IntegrityNLP is running a short course in Hexham that will help you:

• Feel calm
• Stop worry in its tracks
• Get back control of your mind.
• Gain greater peace of mind.

The course will be held at The Bodywork Centre, 19 St Mary’s Chare, Hexham on Friday 27th March from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.

The full cost for the full day workshop is just £69.00.

To find out more click on Coping With Worry – A Short Course

This coming Monday, January 5th, is the first meeting of the EFT Tapping Group a practice group where you can develop your use of EFT and feel better for it.

• Guidance and instruction about what to do: There’ll be an experienced EFT Practitioner and Trainer on hand to answer any questions and give you guidance to get the best out of the technique.
• Work in a group setting: The support and encouragement of other people makes using EFT much easier.
• Get more confident in the techniques: The more you practice the more confident you will get (and the better you will feel). There’s no substitute for practice.
• Feel better by using EFT: Using EFT intensively for a couple of hours you will just feel better, more relaxed and at ease. EFT is good for you. Attending group practice is a great way to learn a lot and feel better doing it.
• Help someone else realise the benefits of EFT: The people you work with in these sessions will feel the benefit of your working with them. It’s a great way to do something good for somebody.

If this sounds appealing then join the Tapping Group where you can work with like minded people under supervision. You can find out more about it here.

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The NLP Cafe run by IntegrityNLP is starting the New Year in style by taking one of the most important aspects of life very seriously! Laughter!

This laughter workshop is hosted by Keith Adams of Voluntary Aspirations.

The event will be fun, stimulating and you will laugh out loud a lot. There are a maximum of 18 places so be sure to book in advance to get in for the laughs.

“Life today is very stressful. More than 70% of all illnesses have some relationship to stress. The best way to reduce stress is through laughter – its the best medicine and the least expensive. Research shows that laughter decreases stress hormones. Epinephrine is lowered both in anticipation of and doing laughter.

There is more. Laughter therapy helps to increase antibodies – its good for the immune system. Laughter stimulates heart and blood circulation. It is claimed that one minute of laughter is equal to ten minutes on the rowing machine. It also tones facial muscles and expressions – people look younger and are more fun when they laugh.

Laughter is socially bonding. It stimulates the creative side of the brain and leads to clear thinking. ”

Keith Adams

Time & Place

The workshop will be on Tuesday January 20th from 7-9 pm with all refreshments provided for just £10.00.

St. Oswald’s Hospice Teaching Centre,
Regent Avenue, Gosforth,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1EE

Today the Times brings out the list of the 100 richest people in Britain. If you’re one of them and like to read about yourself, fine! If you are not one of them and find it all a little depressing here’s a list that’ll do you some good: The Independent on Sunday Happy List profiles of people who make Britain a better and happier place to live.

A few examples:

John Cunningham; Charity fundraiser
Area of excellence: Charity

A retired painter from Durham who has raised more than £1m for charity, walking more than 100,000 miles in the process. He began in 1986 with a 1,000-mile marathon – since then he has covered many long-distance walks including Land’s End to John o’Groats. Has also collected for charity at a local supermarket for 29 years.

Clare Parry-Jones; Clown doctor
Area of excellence: Mental well-being

Aka Dr Ding Dong. Each week she dons a red nose, purple hair and a giant turquoise stethoscope to administer the best medicine. One of Britain’s longest-serving clown doctors, she visits more than 4,000 children a year, is a specialist and teacher of drama therapy, and adapts her play according to a child’s personality, age and illness.

Megan Blunt; Author and charity campaigner
Area of excellence: Mental well-being

A 16-year-old bone cancer survivor, she is the author of ‘Chemotherapy, Cakes and Cancer’, an A-Z guide for children living with cancer which includes tips for treatment and easy definitions of medical terms. As well as studying for her GCSEs she is also a young people’s ambassador for the children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

If you can’t read this list without feeling better then I respectfully suggest you need some help, or better still, go help someone else it’ll do you good.