"Help - I'm having a Mid-Life Crisis..."

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"Help - I'm having a Mid-Life Crisis..."

18th May 2015 08:45 AM

Author:

I am a Hypnotherapist. My client was experiencing symptoms of anxiety and panic.  "I'm having a mid-life crisis" is what they replied when I asked how I could help.

How was my client's brain contributing to their mid-life crisis?

We all have a pre-disposition to be right or left brained - just as we are right or left handed. There is no right or wrong way to be, we just are what we are.  The left hemisphere of the brain looks after areas of logical and analytical thinking. It can easily think in time sequence and is rational and objective. It thinks in words and numbers and it houses our ego.

The right hemisphere of the brain looks after random, intuitive and holistic ‘feeling’ areas.  It can easily daydream and imagine and has no concept of time or sequence.  It thinks in colours and pictures. Sometimes, we have moments in our lives when we feel a sense of emptiness, or uncertainty.  We ask ourselves questions such as “Who am I?”  “Where am I going in life?”  “What is life all about?”  These questions threaten our left-sided ego and that sense of emptiness gives the hint that the ego dream is actually unreal. The conditioned mind (the left brain) interprets this feeling as death and withdraws from it.  It thinks that it is safer to live a left brain life rather than face what must mean death.  This is why we fear the worst, and these feelings harbour themselves as anxiety and panic. We are all different, and hence different things trigger these sorts of moments; the moments of mid-life crisis, breakdown, or spiritual awakening.  However, common triggers can be Retirement; Death of a family member or friend; Redundancy; Children leaving home...

Because these things are intepreted as endings (deaths) they can lead to the insecurity/emptiness that threatens the left brain.

If we can start to see these times of uncertainty as opportunities for learning, even if it means facing some emotions we might nor want to face, we will grow and develop, and in turn we will enable and allow the feelings and emotions we do not want in our lives.

Left-brain dominated peope can benefit from doing more right-brain activities to stimulare that area.

Some ways to stimulate the Right Brain:

  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Cut down on caffeinated drinks.
  • Take regular exercise.
  • Learn a new dance move or yoga position.
  • Typical right-brained activities are based around art, poetry and music.  Try some!
  • Set realistic goals.  Visualise them.  Imagine how you might feel when you’ve achieved the goals  (this uses the left and right hemispheres).
  • Write your name. Then write your name in mirror writing. Then write your name upside down. Then write your name backwards and upside down.
  • Write a question, such as “How are you?” with your dominant hand.  Swap hands with the pencil, and write the answer with your non-dominant hand.  Allow the two hemispheres to have a conversation.
  • Think of a problem that has been troubling you, then put it out of your mind and go about your day.  Read different bits of 8 books.  Some fact, some fiction, some fun, a newspaper.  Come back to the problem periodically.  Wash the pots.  Go out.  Do the ironing.  You will notice that answers to the problem randomly pop into your mind if you don’t over think it.
  • Spend time in nature.
  • Take a moment to think about your feet.  Where are they?  How are they feeling?  Is one foot feeling different to the other?  Do the same with your hands.
  • Allow yourself to daydream.

Through hypnotherapy, I was able to help my client to understand exactly what it was they perceived as the ending, and why it was causing the panic and anxiety.  We then worked through a series of techniques to neutralise their panic, reduce their anxiety, and enable them to achieve balance in their life. 

 

Franca is an experienced Hypnotherapist, Counsellor and Mind Coach with a broad range of expertise; specialising in Anxiety, Sexual Issues and Fertility Issues.  See her website for more details.

 

 

Tags: Hypnotherapy, Mid life crisis

Treatments: Hypnotherapy

The views expressed in these blogs are those of the blog authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Bridge Centre for Natural Health.

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