Hypnotherapy, exercise and good mental health

Being active is great for your physical health and fitness, and evidence shows that it can also improve your mental well-being. We may think that the mind and body are separate. But what you do with your body can have a powerful effect on your mental well-being.

Mental well-being means feeling good – both about yourself and about the world around you. It means being able to get on with life in the way you want.

Evidence shows that there is a link between being physically active and good mental well-being. Our brains can develop and grow thanks to a family of proteins that are specifically designed to build and maintain cell circuitry. This factor is known as BDNF (brain derived neurotropic factor). Think of it as being a ‘Miracle Grow’ for the brain!

When we exercise, changes occur in the brain that allow an increase in BDNF, which in turn can ‘crank up the molecular machinery of learning’. Being active doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the gym, if that doesn't appeal to you. Find physical activities that you enjoy and think about how to fit more of them into your daily life.

The link between exercise and the creation of new neurons makes sense from an evolutionary point of view, as our ancestors’ learning and memory evolved together with the functions required to track down food.

Research has found there’s improved cognitive functioning and learning ability following exercise, which correlates with higher levels of BDNF. Also, BDNF protects the neurons in our brain from the negative impact of cortisol which is a hormone that is produced when we are stressed. BDNF is the rope in a tug of war between chronic stress and adaptability. Being active can improve well-being because it brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge

Exercise is not prescribed to clients during a solution focused hypnotherapy session, but it can help with your motivation. You may have trouble getting started, or keep putting it off, or give up after a few days. You may even find your goal too daunting so give up completely.   

Hypnotherapy uses a trance state which is a natural way to achieve deep relaxation. You feel relaxed and calm with all worries out of the picture. It’s similar to being deeply engrossed in a film or book. While in trance you can focus entirely and intensely on a specific goal and are more willing to embrace positive suggestions that can be integrated into your life. Providing the motivation to not only exercise but enjoy doing it!

Solution focused hypnotherapy uses proven brain-based research to achieve excellent results for clients seeking to ease stress or improve their performance in sport, the office, or in their day-to-day life.