Sue Kennedy

Stress – Number 1 reason for missing work

Sue — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:24:57 +0000

Stress is the number one reason for missing work.

Stress starts in the mind with our perceptions. It is NOT what happens to us that matters but how we perceive what has happened.

When stress gets into our minds it then moves into our emotions which then surge through our bodies in various ways. This can be seen as anger, blame, victim or self pity modes and even depression.

Get rid of stress.

Sue Kennedy MA is a 10 year qualified NLP Coach and Hypnotherapist with many tools to enable you to get rid of stress and then get resources to lead the life you desire.

Call NOW on 020 8892 4548 for a free consultation

Stress Busters

Sue — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:13:29 +0000

Mindfulness Meditation – call me on 44 208 892 4548 to find out more

The idea is that you come to realise that thoughts come and go of their own accord and that your conscious self is distinct from your thoughts.You can now direct your thoughts in a more positive way. This realisation is encouraged by a gentle question and answer sessions modelled on those in cognitive therapy.

Depression and anxiety hijack our attention. We all tend to bring to the forefront of our minds the thoughts and feelings that relfect our current mood. If you are sad, depressed or anxious then you tend to remember the bad things that have happened to you and not the good. This drives us deeper into a downward spiral and that leads from sadness into a deeper depression. Mindful meditation prevents and breaks that spiral.

A typical meditation:

Sit upright in a straight backed chair with your feet flat on the floor with your spine an inch from the back of the chair, or on the floor with your legs crossed.
Close your eyes. Use your mind to watch your breath as it flows in and out. Observe your sensations without judgement. Do not try to alter your breathing. Just pay attention to your breath.
After a while your mind may wander. If so gently bring your attention back to your breath. The act of realising that your mind has wandered – and bringing your attention back – is the key thing.
Your mind will eventually become calm.
Repeat every day for 20 – 30 minutes.

An excellent website is: www.getsomeheadspace.com

LOVE quotes for Valentine’s Day – 14 February 2011

Sue — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:55:53 +0000

Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. Eric Fromm

There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer; no disease that enough love will not heal; no door that enough love will not open – Emmet Fox

He also said:

If you could only love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world.

Each day give love and respect to family, friends and colleagues. Reach out a helping hand to someone who needs it and help make the world a better place.

Love yourself and that may also mean tough love! Exercise, floss your teeth, eat healthy food and spend time with yourself as well as with those you love.

How Coaching Works

Sue — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:19:25 +0000

A four-minute animated movie that shows how the coaching process works.

The Aquarium

Sue — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:25:38 +0000

I came across this wonderfully calming Aquarium video and thought that it would be good to share it with you. Please take a few minutes to watch it, it will really help you to relax.

Reiki I Workshop – 03/10/10

Sue — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:44:25 +0000

Judi McGormack and I are holding a Reiki I Workshop on Sunday, 3 October – venue tbc in West London – Twickenham/Teddington area.

Time: 10.00 – 4.00 – lunch included

Cost: £97 including a complete guide to the ancient healing art of Reiki

At the end of the day you will be able to heal yourself and others. You will know all the chakras, hand positions and placements on the body and how to apply the healing energy which comes through you.

Once you are attuned and start using Reiki it becomes part of your life. You can use it on small or large injuries, stress and emotional upsets, head and back aches, sudden crisis, pets, plants and even cars and machinery.

In Reiki II you will learn distance healing and the Reiki symbols.

Please let me know if you are interested in joining our workshop.

How to be more optimistic

Sue — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:28:51 +0000

SMILE AND THE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU

If you smile AT people, they usually smile back. Growl and be grumpy and watch them scowl instead. Research shows that facial expressions and the moods that accompany them are contagious, probably because they evolved as a means of nonverbal communication between people. You can use the infectious effects of a smile to jump-start an optimistic outlook in yourself by sending others what you want them to lob back at you. A kind word to the person behind the counter can get your day bouncing in the right direction.

SHORT-CIRCUIT PESSIMISM

A very important reason for putting on a happy face: It influences your brain in a positive way. In one study, subjects who were asked to hold a pen in their mouth (causing them to inadvertently make the facial muscle movements characteristic of a smile) rated cartoons to be funnier than did other subjects, even though they were unaware that it was the smile that was boosting their reaction. There’s an interesting biological reason for this effect: When you feel down, your brain tells your face you’re sad and your facial muscles respond by putting on a depressed expression—and convey back to the brain that, yes, you’re feeling depressed. Consciously changing the facial muscles so they don’t correspond to what you’re feeling is a way of sending a different message: “Hey, it’s not so bad down here after all.” The brain will respond by beginning to change your mood accordingly. Your physiology drives your emotions.

EXPLAIN SUCCESS AND FAILURE LIKE AN OPTIMIST TO BECOME AN OPTIMIST!

Research shows that it’s not what happens that determines your mood but how you explain what happens that counts. If an optimist encounters a computer program she can’t figure out, she’s likely to say, “Either the manual is unclear or this program is hard or maybe I’m having an off day.” The optimist keeps the failure outside herself (“the manual”), specific (“this program”), and temporary (“an off day”), while the pessimist would make it internal, global, and permanent. When success occurs optimists say, “Of course dinner turned out; I’m a good cook,” while pessimists say, “Boy, was I lucky today,” literally snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. If you start to speak to yourself in a more positive way when you succeed and fail, you’ll gradually become more optimistic.

BE GLAD YOU ARE YOU

It’s easy to be envious: Compare yourself to those with thinner thighs and fatter bank accounts and you’ll always come up wanting—and pessimistic. But the corollary is also true: No matter how bad things get, there’s always someone who’s worse off. In one simple study, subjects were randomly divided into two subgroups. One group was to finish the sentence “I wish I were a ______.” The other was asked to complete the sentence “I’m glad I’m not a ______.” When individuals rated their sense of satisfaction with their lives before and after this task, those who completed the “I’m glad I’m not a ______” sentence were significantly more satisfied than before.

LEARN TO SHIFT YOUR FOCUS

Pessimists can’t stop depressing facts or negative thoughts from poking into their consciousness but they can choose not to dwell on them. The often stated question – is the glass half full or half empty. Both are correct. However where is your focus? This active self-direction of your own moment-to-moment perspective allows you to create a new life story, one in which you take charge of your emotions and actions. Since research shows that those who feel they have a better sense of control tend to be the most optimistic, why not take charge of where your psychological lens is focused?

Add gratitude as well. Focus on the glass being half full and add several parts of thankfulness for the good in your life and you will become more optimistic instantly.

Remember your goals and measure your progress

Sue — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:32:04 +0000

It is now more than six months after setting our goals for the New Year and we must remember what we intend to achieve. Review our goals.
Measurement of progress is essential. To assess your progress daily, weekly and monthly will enable you to adjust and keep on track and therefore get your goals quicker.

Credit Crunch? What Credit Crunch?

Sue — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:44:44 +0000

While you can never control what is going on in the economy world wide remember you are in control of your thoughts and actions. So think ABC.

A = ATTENTION or focus - is the glass half full or half empty? Both are true but where is your Attention. Be grateful for all the wonderful things you DO have in your life and pay attention to the abundance of nature – spring flowers, longer days, the sun shine as well as your other gifts.

B = Body - everything you do with your body affects your moods. The way you stand, breathing, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, exercise, smiling – everything. Try jumping with sadness!! See it doesn’t work does it! So eat the correct food, move, smile, lift your head and feel better immediately.

C = Communication – how your talk to yourself and how you talk to others affects how you feel. Monitor your words and weed out any negative ones. Replace – I can’t with I can; replace not enough with I always have enough; so replace self talk of lack with abundance. Refuse to enter the downward spiral of the media and friends when discussing the CC! Talk to yourself as you would a beloved person in your life.

Remember too that each day that passes in one LESS day of the CC; every day we re moving towards an upturn, towards abundance.

Yes! ABC beats the CC every time!!

Understand Yourself First

Sue — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:03:25 +0000

MOTIVATION – UNDERSTAND YOURSELF FIRST

To help you get to know yourself find out whether you are motivated by moving towards a goal or away from a certain situation. This comes down to pain vs pleasure.

Pain people wait until the situation is SO bad, the bank balance is in the red, they become ill or their relationships are suffering.

While pleasure people will make sure they are always comfortable with the amount of money they have, the take care of their diets and exercise to ensure good health and address situations in their relationships as they occur.

So ask yourself a questions. What do you want from your holiday?

If your reply is – I am so tired I need to relax and recharge my batteries or similar – you could be an away from person.

On the other hand if you say – I am looking forward to experiencing the sun, food and nature in the country. This may show you to be a towards person.

Why bother you may ask? This is important in goal setting. You need to know whether you are motivated by pleasure or pain when setting your goals. A combination of both is excellent but remember to add the relevant aspect to your goals setting now you have found out where your motivation comes from.

Good luck. Let me know how well you get on: sue@suekennedy.com.