The blurb goes like this:
“International Moment Of Laughter Day is celebrated on April 14 every year. This is the day to let your inner child come out and laugh away all your worries. You can laugh out loud or giggle, in fact, you can do whatever you want but make sure you’re laughing at the same time. This day reminds us to look beyond our anxious lives and find something that puts a big smile on our faces.”
And as a Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist, I couldn’t agree more.
Trouble is all my clients have some form of stress, anxiety, addiction, phobia, bad habit or trauma that makes it hard to see anything funny.
A killjoy of a sentence. Sorry.
So where to start? How do we get to happy?
Basically Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and hypnosis work by helping you relax. To take away the negative meaning from your behaviours.
Once that’s achieved you're left as a calmer version of yourself. Then you’re better placed to see the funny side of things, be self-deprecating, be absurd and have a good old belly laugh with friends.
That will help you get the best out of International Moment of Laughter Day.
How does Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy work?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a negative cycle.
I aim to use CBT to help you deal with overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts.
This way it’s easier to change your negative patterns to improve the way you feel.
What we’re doing is looking for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.
Getting you closer to the chuckle - Uses for CBT
CBT has been shown to be an effective way of treating a number of different mental health conditions.
As well as depression or anxiety disorders, CBT can also help people with:
- eating disorders – such as anorexia and bulimia
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- panic disorder
- phobias
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- insomnia
- alcohol misuse
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- fibromyalgia
What I’m looking to do is help you cope better with their symptoms. I want you to lead as normal life as possible.
Aiming you towards feeling tickled pink - What happens during your CBT sessions?
Ideally, I like to see you once a week.
We'll work together to break down your problems into their separate parts, such as your thoughts, physical feelings and actions.
So you and I can then analyse these areas to work out if they're unrealistic or unhelpful, and to determine the effect they have on each other and on you.
Then you and me work out how to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.
Now, over to you. It’s what you do/practise between our sessions in your daily life - your brain re-training - that determines how quickly and effectively you change for the better in your everyday life.
And what exactly will we agree you do between sessions? It could be as simple as a daily thought diary (how you’re thinking, feeling, acting and what are the triggers), going for a run - seriously, the difference is powerful, and role-playing to name but a few.
Getting closer to the grin - All you need to make CBT work
Commitment. Believe in the process. It’s also what I’m here to help you with. Just like a teacher does for a pupil, or a coach with an athlete.
Consistency. Come every week. Let your learnings build week after week. Attendance is in itself a good habit you’re forming.
Confrontation. Face your emotions You may experience initial periods where you're anxious or emotionally uncomfortable. Don’t worry. I’ll help you.
Ready for rib ache?
Hmmmm. Possibly.
But laughing and humour depends on mindset.
And with CBT and Hypnosis we can work together to lower life’s stresses and strains invariably meaning your more comfortable with yourself - and able to see the funny side of life.
Also remember humour and laughter are only two of many ways to get a good endorphin hit.
Don’t aim to be funny or laugh all the time. Think of Robin Williams, Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock, Richard Prior and John Belushi.
I’m no stand-up, but who am I to talk about CBT?
I’m James Thomas a Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist. I use hypnosis, amongst other techniques, to apply CBT to deal with your stresses, anxieties, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, PTSD, overeating, low self-esteem, eczema, anger, to name but a few.
All the things in life that aren’t laughing matter, basically.
But I don’t want to end on a glum note. So here goes. Some of my favourite (dad) jokes.
- A miniature village in Bournemouth caught fire and the flames could be seen nearly three feet away.
- A tom cat hijacked a plane, stuck a pistol into the pilot's ribs and demanded: 'Take me to the canaries'.
- The last time I was in Spain I got through six Jeffrey Archer novels. I must remember to take enough toilet paper next time.
- The man who invented cats’ eyes got the idea when he saw the eyes of a cat in his headlights. If the cat had been going the other way, he would have invented the pencil sharpener.
- Ken Dodd on his famous tax fraud trial: "I told the Inland Revenue I didn't owe them a penny because I lived near the seaside.”
- It turns out that if you bang two halves of a horse together, it doesn't make the sound of a coconut.
I’m sure you’ve had enough.
You can get in touch with me at jamesthomas@thegentlemind.co.uk or call 07787563099.
I cover all of Lincolnshire with my rooms in Louth and Lincoln.
