Why “Me Time” Is So Important

December  2019

We just don’t have much time for creativity anymore. 

Between our work, families, electronics, and other obligations, creativity gets lost, preventing us from expressing ourselves creatively through art, music, or writing.  

It can even affect our jobs–hampering our ability to problem-solve or think outside the box for creative solutions.   Even famous musicians, usually having a natural creative ability, can have problems finding

the time to create their art.  

Notably, Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen’s wife, mentioned in an interview how difficult it was for her to 

write the music for her solo album because her family life kept interfering and demanding her time.  

In fact, most of us don’t have the time or make the time for that creativity to flow.

Taking time for ourselves is represented as a selfish act.  However, by not taking the “me time” we 
deserve, we’re choking out the part of our brain that thrives on creative thinking and problem solving—

both necessary for getting into that “state of flow”. 

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is famed for identifying “state of flow” as “the peak human experience when someone is so absorbed in a meaningful task that time disappears” and believes that this state is necessary to create anything of value. 

Imagine what would happen if we all just decided to take that time for ourselves?  

What if we were able to unlock that creative problem-solver we each have inside of us? 

Science has proven that making a point of taking short, intentional breaks during the day can help you 

tap into your best thinking.  

Taking a “brain break” can help you be more creative and productive at work and at home. 

 “The enormous value of taking quiet time for a work break is the removal of all your usual daily noise, distractions, tasks and responsibilities.  You give yourself time to unwind, rest and create space to think 

of creative ideas in a quieter mind,” says Katherine Davies, CEO and Founder of the nonprofit giving 

service IQUACU,

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to relax, reboot, and revitalize while optimizing your brain’s creativity and peak potential, look no further than BrainTap.  

Imagine if you could take a mere 20 minutes a day to guide your mind from a reactionary state into an 

intuitive, creative state where super-learning and healing can occur. 

Each session on our BrainTap Pro App is designed to create a calming and rejuvenating balance for your 

nervous system and helps you get into that “state of flow.”  

Whether you want to create art, music, literature or just be a more creative problem solver at the office, 
taking that valuable time for yourself each day will train your brain to be creative and resilient and help 
you become the best version of you!

To get 15-days FREE on the BrainTap Pro App click here now! 

www.braintapnow.com

“Are You Going to Make Me Cluck Like a Chicken?” 

and Other Common Questions about Hypnosis

Hollywood and Stage Hypnosis have created countless misconceptions about hypnosis. 

Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy have been used for centuries to help people with a variety of issues, because of the enormous power of suggestion the imagination, and the subconscious. The subconscious mind is the control center of the brain, and it determines everything from our body temperature and blood pressure to our attitudes, habits, and emotional reactions.

Hypnosis is often used to perform in sports at the optimum level. Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan are among the thousands of professional athletes in the NBA, NHL, AFL, MLB, NASCAR, and World Olympic Teams
who have used it. 

Kate Middleton went to a hypnotist to alleviate her morning sickness.

Matt Damon, Samuel L. Jackson, Drew Barrymore, Ellen DeGeneres, Ashton Kutcher and Charlize Theron used hypnosis to quit smoking.

Hypnosis can help people lose weight, quit smoking, cope with pain, play better golf, have more confidence, less stress, get rid of unwanted behaviors and establish new ones. 

A hypnotic trance is a state similar to daydreaming. Brain wave activity slows down, which is profoundly healthy in this mile-a-minute culture.

Dr. Daniel Handel, MD, a physician at the National Institutes of Health, describes being in hypnosis as similar to watching a movie that causes you to lose track of time and a normal state of consciousness. 

“You are in an altered state of consciousness,” he says. “You are deeply absorbed but responsive to suggestions.” 

Handel sometimes uses hypnosis with cancer patients who feel nauseated during chemotherapy sessions. Just the thought of the sessions, the smell of the hospital, or the drive over can make some people feel sick. 

He says “In hypnosis I can teach you to relax...to put yourself in some place you like, on a trip, at home eating a meal with your family or your mother’s bread. You begin to feel more and more in control.”

Surgeons used hypnosis during the Civil War, when they didn’t have anesthesia. In 1841, James Braid, a Scottish surgeon, coined the term neuro-hypnotism, which was shortened to hypnosis and comes from the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos.

  

Many people feel that they can't be hypnotized, but there are only three kinds of people that can’t be hypnotized: 

1. Someone who has a low IQ. (100 or less)

2. Someone on drugs or alcohol at the time of the session (they're already in a trance),

3. Someone who is determined NOT to be hypnotized. Contrary to the Hollywood, no one can be hypnotized against their will. 

No one can be controlled or made to do something they don’t want to do while under a trance. However, someone can have mixed feelings about something like wanting to stop smoking or losing weight, and still get dramatic results. 

Another common myth is that those who are weak minded are more easily hypnotized, but the opposite is true. People who are considered to be smart and imaginative can actually be hypnotized more easily.

In fact if you want to stop bad habits, or install new ones, hypnosis is the easiest and fastest way to do it. 

Hypnosis can help people lose weight, quit smoking, cope with pain, play better golf, have more confidence, less stress, get rid of bad habits and establish new ones. It can also make incredible changes in people who suffer from things that Western Medicine has no real answer for, like Fibromyalgia and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Note - I am also a certified Business Coach, and some of my clients mix a some hypnosis in with their business coaching, which is highly effective. 

Dianna Whitley

Contact me for a free consultation by phone or in person

diannawhitley@me.com

(714) 331-6699

And yes – you can be hypnotized over the phone!

When you contact me, you will also immediately receive 30 days of Relaxation Audios

that you can listen to on your phone or fall asleep to. 

Practicing Gratitude for Stress Managemen

     Practicing Gratitude for Stress Management

"I’m too blessed to be stressed" has become a common phrase, especially 
when  we  find ourselves in difficult situations. It's even a bumper sticker. 
Though it may be true or a lot of people, the reality is that many of us live 
in the opposite reality.

We rush through over-scheduled days, and too often, by the end of the day, 
we don’t even remember all the beauty and good things in our lives.

Stress has long-term consequences. Although it’s so common that we’ve 
begun to believe it’s normal, it's been proven that it  leads to a host of 
chemical responsesin our bodies that can cause everything from depression 
to hypertension. 

My mission is to help you learn how to stimulate the relaxation response  

so that you can take control of your anxiety and protect yourself from 
the damage that stress causes.

Gratitude is a practical and free remedy for stress. And it is easy to overlook 
it's power. 

It is simply the acknowledgment of the good in our lives. It is the practice of 

making time to reflect on all the good the world outside us. Many people have 

well-worn neural pathways that consistently remind them of what is wrong in 

their lives; they meditate on what is stressful, disappointing, uncomfortable, 
and exhausting.

The good news is that even if we have practiced the habit of negativity for  
much of our lives, we always have the option to choose a new way to think. 

We are in much more in control of our thoughts than we might think we are, 
and every moment represents an opportunity to go down a new path. 

In fact, you can start right this very moment!

4 Easy Ways to Cultivate Gratitude

If you’d like to begin transforming your thoughts with a gratitude practice, 
consider 

starting with one of these practical tips:

1. Keep a gratitude journal and write in it each day. Don’t pressure 
yourself, particularly as you’re beginning your practice. A simple list of 
good things that happened throughout the course of your day is enough 
to shift your mindset.

2. Say thank you often. When someone does something for you that is 
encouraging, kind, or helpful, say thank you. Be as specific as possible 
in your thanks, telling them exactly what they did and how it made your day 
better. Expressing your gratitude to someone else is a great way to deepen 
the experience, making it more likely that your brain will store and keep the 
positive memory.

3. Spend time in nature, and consider how amazing it is that we are always 
surrounded by beauty, free of charge. Let this remind you to look for the 
small gifts in your life that are easily overlooked in the hustle of everyday life.

4. Volunteer for an organization that improves the lives of others. A lot of 

stressmcomes from being too focused on the little intricacies of our own lives. 

Shifting our attention toward others can massively help us maintain a healthy 

perspective. We all have resources to give, and giving those resources can 

serve as a reminder that we are enough, and we have enough.

The health benefits of gratitude

As you begin to intentionally practice gratitude, you’ll probably  notice that the benefits 

go far deeper than just your thought patterns. There is great generative power in doing 

that. It can create new reality in our minds, our bodies, and even our communities. 

When your thought patterns change, you may be surprised to see things like reduced 

pain and inflammation, lower blood sugar, a more efficient immune system, higher
productivity, better sleep, improved mental clarity, and more fulfilling relationships.

The team at BrainTap has also designed a program that would be a perfect companion 

on your gratitude journey. In fact, our Stress-Free Me bundle includes a number of 

sessions created specifically to help you begin or maintain a gratitude practice. 

If you want to start your happier, more positive life today, I would love to give you 

30 days of audios, visualizations, and meditations, just drop me an email and I will 

send them to you - no charge, no credit card required, and no obligation of any kind. 

Dianna Whitley

diannawhitley@me.com

4 Easy Ways to Have a Healthy Brain

                   4 Easy Ways to Have a Healthy Brain

January is an ideal time to take stock of the areas of your life that could benefit from      some subtle shifts in perspective and new habits to improve the quality of your life.  

There are some very effective ways you can enrich your life by supporting your brain health; here are four of them!

1. Get your body moving

A recent studypublished by the American Academy of Neurology shows that aerobic exercise may play a significant role in reversing and preventing cognitive decline. 

We often associate aerobic exercise with cardiovascular health, but it turns out that the two are very closely linked, particularly when combined with a healthy diet. Even a little exercise each day can result in significantly improved brain function in less than six months.

Remember that the goal is sustainability; there’s no need to start training for a marathon. Even a leisurely walk each day will improve your brain health over time. Set a goal you know you can achieve. 

Small, consistent successes will strengthen your motivation, and you can always set new goals as you gain strength and endurance.

2. Get your mind moving

Make time every day for intentional mental activity. At this point in history, it’s so easy to put our minds on autopilot, and much of our free time is spent doing things that do that. We can watch television or scroll through social media accounts – and these activities that require very little concentration or active comprehension.

To keep our brains healthy, we must exercise our mental muscles. Like any other muscle, if they go unused too often or for too long, our minds can atrophy over time. 

Flex those muscles by doing crossword puzzles in the morning, having a long conversation with someone you love, playing a strategy-based board game with your kids, or picking up a good book before bed. Making use of your mind will keep it sharp.

3. Prioritize sleep

Our brains do some of their best work while we are at rest. As we move through the various stages of sleep, the brain does many critical jobs: clearing waste, filing memories, and categorizing knowledge are just a few. Getting enough quality sleep isn’t only about providing our body with necessary rest; it also gives our brain time to do the full scope of its work.

Here are a few simple ways to improve your sleep in the coming year:

·    Maintain a cool, dark, silent environment in which to sleep.

·     

·    Turn your electronic devices off one hour before bedtime.

·     

·    Switch to decaffeinated beverages after lunch, or eliminate them entirely if you’re particularly sensitive to caffeine.

4. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is simply an exercise in paying attention. It’s easy to go through our days with little awareness of our surroundings, our senses, and even our feelings. Mindfulness is the intentional practice of noticing what’s happening in the moment.

Mindfulness can be done as a meditation. For those who have a tough time clearing their minds during meditation, a mindfulness approach can be helpful;  allowing them to notice their thoughts without attempting to control or stifle them. 

Mindfulness can also extend far beyond the meditation cushion. Every moment can be approached from a place of awareness. When you’re going for a walk, you might pay attention to the way the breeze feels on your skin or the smell of the air around you. You might notice the sound your feet make as they hit the ground.

The purpose of mindfulness is to bring you into the present moment; it can serve as a brain-break from multitasking and analysis. It is also useful in training your mind to follow your command, rather than the other way around.

I would love to partner with you on the road to optimal brain health! I have an APP I would love to share with you - at no cost - to help you improve the health your brain. I would also love to provide you with resources for increased wellness as you begin thinking about how you want to feel a year from now. 

Contact me today - I'd love to help you reach your goals in 2019!

Dianna Whitley

(714) 331-6699

diannawhitley@me.com