Today’s podcast will also include a technique you can use to help build your immune system and keep healthy. There are many techniques that we can use to help you improve your health so if you find you need more help visit www.altptherapies.co.uk to have a bespoke recording made for you with your challenges in mind.

Today’s podcast will include a technique you can use to broadly enhance your sports performance and build your confidence as an athlete. There are many techniques that we can use to help you improve sports performance so if you find you need more help visit www.altptherapies.co.uk to have a bespoke recording made for you with your challenges in mind.

There are many reasons this could be hereditary, a side effect from medication, age related pattern baldness or many other reasons so if you are experiencing hair loss it’s always a good idea to speak to your GP.

We’ll be focusing on stress related hair loss today but if you’re losing your hair because of another reason hypnotherapy can still be helpful, if you’re stressed because of the hair loss the stress could cause more hair loss so reducing stress is always a good idea!

There are a few different types of alopecia

• Alopecia areata – this is patches of baldness that are a bit bigger than a large coin.
• Alopecia totalis - all of the hair on the scalp is gone.
• Alopecia universalis - no hair on the entire body.
• Scarring alopecia - this is usually caused by complications of another condition. In this type of alopecia the hair follicle is destroyed and hair won’t grow back.

It’s not known exactly why some people experience hair loss but this can sometimes be triggered by stress. Alopecia is a condition that affects around one in a thousand. Even the healthiest person with no family history of hair loss can experience alopecia in some form.

Hair loss can be difficult to cope with for men and women. Hair can be seen as our crowning glory, so losing this when you’re young or at a vulnerable time in your life can really knock your confidence or self esteem. Hair loss is one thing but what about the other challenges this can cause?

• You might have avoided an activity you enjoy such as swimming or socialising because you don’t want people to notice your hair loss.
• Do you worry how people will perceive you? Or if loved ones will feel the same about you?
• Have you avoided dating because you feel someone can’t love you the way you are?
• Do you feel anger or resentment? Or find yourself asking “why me?”
• Do you berate yourself or blame yourself for your hair loss?
• It can also mean you style your hair differently or start to use hats or bandannas to hide your hair loss. A change in appearance can invite comments or compliments from friends and family which can make you feel more self conscious. The thing you’re doing to try to take attention away from our hair can do the opposite and draw attraction to your hair.
• It can make you feel like you’ve lost part of your identity.

The good news is not all anxiety related hair loss is permanent. If stress and anxiety are the main reasons for your hair loss, reducing that stress or anxiety can help your hair come back. There are some people who will find their hair doesn’t grow back, no matter what the root cause is but it’s always helpful to use relaxation techniques to help manage your anxieties to help reduce your risk of more hair loss that is stress related and to reduce the anxiety experienced because of your hair loss.

Today’s podcast will include a metaphor to encourage hair growth. There are many techniques that we can use to help you overcome hair loss so if you find you need more help visit www.altptherapies.co.uk to have a bespoke recording made for you with your challenges in mind.

The summer holidays are here, 6 weeks of holiday for the kids which can be quite difficult to manage as an adult. Whether you work or not children can be a challenge! Juggling your responsibilities is hard enough when the kids are at school so having the kids at home can cause all kind of different challenges and more summer holiday stress.

If you work you might need to take time off or need to cover the cost of a childminder. Which is difficult if, like me, you’re self employed. It can be a challenge trying to get everything done and still having the energy to spend quality time with your children. You don’t want to spend the holidays stressed out or feeling overwhelmed but without effective coping strategies this is usually what happens.

What can happen if we don’t manage these stresses? Prolonged stress can make us more likely to experience  

• Concentration and memory problems, you can’t focus when you’re stressed. You don’t know whether you’re coming or going.
• Worrying or having anxious, racing thoughts that keep you in that stressed state. Do you worry that you’re not a good enough parent or that you should be doing more with your child during the holidays? That you should have dealt with that situation better, or not shouted that time, or had more time to play, or been able to take them on holiday.

Commonly when we’re stressed we feel

• Like we’re irritable or have a short temper
• Feel overwhelmed, if you have more than one child to care for it might feel like you’re outnumbered at times!
• General feeling of guilt, depression or a sense of unhappiness
• Feel drained and have no motivation which can then make you feel guilty and more stressed

You could also find you

• Experience sleep problems
• you might start neglecting your responsibilities or putting off things you enjoy because of low motivation. Or because you think it will be a nightmare with the kids.
• Self medicating with cigarettes, alcohol or drugs to relax. This includes prescription medications. A few drinks after a particularly stressful day won’t really do you any harm but what if this is every day after the kids go to bed? Smoking can also be used as a way to get away from the family. To get 5 minutes to yourself “you can’t come near me, I’m smoking” can become a way to get a few minutes to yourself but it could be taking time away from your family in future years. If you die young because of smoking was it really worth trying to get another 5 minutes of peace this way?
• Other nervous habits like nail biting, pacing, hair pulling or picking your skin which can then impact on your confidence or self esteem

Hypnosis can help us manage stress and anxiety in many different ways, deep relaxation helps us cope with the day to day stress we experience. Using positive suggestion can help us change our reactions to our children and the ways they make us feel stressed. Hypnotherapy can also help you build your self esteem and confidence which will help you feel more in control when you are with the kids. You can also free yourself from habits like smoking or nail biting or other symptoms stress can cause. You can create the ideal holidays in your mind during trance, being able to see yourself succeeding will help you achieve that success. Changing your subconscious reactions to the triggers you are faced with can help you take control and respond rather than react to the pressures you face.

Today’s podcast will include suggestions to help you overcome the challenges kids bring us during the summer holidays and live life with more energy. There are numerous techniques that can help you overcome summer holiday stress so if you find you need more help visit www.altptherapies.co.uk to have a bespoke recording made for you with your challenges in mind.