TRY THIS: CREATE Your own personal values list

I wanted to share some thoughts about creating a personal values list - something I've found to be tremendously powerful both in my coaching practice and hypnotherapy sessions.

Understanding your core values is like having an internal compass that guides your decisions, behaviors, and life direction. When we live in alignment with our values, we experience greater fulfillment, purpose, and authenticity. However, when our actions contradict our values, we often feel that subtle but persistent discomfort that something isn't quite right.

What's fascinating about our values is that while they may feel fixed and unchangeable, they're actually quite fluid throughout our lives. What mattered deeply to you in your 20s might shift as you enter different life stages or experience transformative events. This malleability is actually wonderful news - it means we can consciously examine, refine, and even choose our values as we grow.

I think it's important to mention that values can really be anything that brings meaning to your life - they don't have to be grand philosophical concepts. Your values might include things like:

• Taking time to laugh every day

• Noticing beauty in small, everyday moments

• Protecting 5 minutes that's truly just for yourself

• Savoring your morning coffee without rushing

• Walking barefoot in grass once a week

While traditional values like integrity, loyalty, and truth are certainly important for many people, your personal values can be much more specific and unique to your life experience. These smaller, daily values are often more relatable and easier to integrate into your everyday life. They can serve as powerful anchors for mindfulness and satisfaction.

Here's a simple process to identify your current values:

Take some quiet time for reflection. Ask yourself: "What matters most to me? When have I felt most alive and fulfilled? What small experiences do I look forward to each day or week?"

Notice patterns and themes in your answers. These often point to underlying values that might be expressed in everyday actions and moments.

Test these values against your emotional responses. When you imagine living fully by a particular value, how does it feel in your body? True values create a sense of resonance and rightness.

Remember, this isn't about finding the "correct" values, but rather discovering what genuinely motivates and inspires you uniquely.

Through hypnotherapy, we can sometimes access deeper awareness of values that might be operating below conscious awareness. Through coaching, we can develop practical strategies to align your daily choices with these discovered values - whether they're about life's big questions or the small moments that bring you joy.

I encourage you to revisit your values list periodically. As you evolve, so too might your values - and that's not only normal but a sign of healthy growth.

Would you be interested in working through this values exploration process together? I'd be happy to guide you through some deeper exercises to clarify what truly matters to you right now. Just drop me a note to angie@statesofmind.co.uk

what makes hYPnotherapy so effective?

There are some days I think there’s nothing hypnotherapy can’t help change or fix. I see it as a type of mind-body medicine that helps us access our subconscious minds, which is like our central control panel to our whole being. It’s where all of our automated functions and behaviours are stored. It’s the motherboard for any re-wiring, updating or remodelling that it might be in need of. And once our central control panel is totally tip-top, the rest of our brain-body connection becomes totally optimised along with it. It brings everything into balance.

Hypnotherapy's effectiveness stems from a few key mechanisms in how our brains function:

Brain Activity Changes: During hypnosis, brain imaging studies show decreased activity in the conscious mind (our aware, super switched-on part of our brains) and increased activity in areas involved in focused attention and emotional regulation (our unconscious mind). This creates a state where people are more receptive to therapeutic suggestions.

i.e If someone wants to start exercising more to get healthier. They might make that decision, but the conscious mind might start coming up with excuses like; it might be hard, I’m too busy, I need to buy new trainers first, new kit etc.

But by relaxing the conscious mind, decreasing it’s activity, we can bypass that, and instead talk directly to the unconscious mind, and send it the instruction that exercising more regularly is a good, positive thing that will bring a number of benefits to the body and ultimately feel really good.

Other mechaisms include:

Enhanced Suggestibility: In the hypnotic state, people tend to be more open to new ideas and perspectives. This makes it easier to reframe negative thought patterns or behaviors that may be deeply ingrained.

Access to Subconscious: The relaxed state of hypnosis can help people access memories, emotions, and patterns that might be difficult to reach in normal consciousness. This can be particularly useful for addressing deeply rooted issues or trauma.

Physical Relaxation Response: Hypnosis triggers the body's natural relaxation response, reducing stress hormones like cortisol and increasing feel-good chemicals like endorphins. This physiological change can help with pain management and anxiety reduction.

Focused Attention: By filtering out distractions, hypnosis allows people to concentrate intensely on specific goals or changes they want to make. This focused attention can strengthen the impact of therapeutic suggestions.

Bypass Critical Thinking: While in hypnosis, the analytical part of the mind becomes less active, which can help reduce resistance to change and allow new perspectives to take root more easily.

It can be helpful to think of your mind as that shelf in your wardrobe or cupboard under the stairs that has a lot of things that need sorting. Maybe there are some old keepsakes, photos, paraphernalia from old hobbies we’ve no longer kept up with. It can weigh over us, all that stuff in there - the thought of tackling it alone can be overwhelming and exhausting.

Apart from this isn’t a cupboard, it’s our minds and we’re taking them around with us everywhere we go, all day everyday day. But much like sorting out cupboard, once we start clearing that, bringing space, bringing order, deciding what’s useful and worth keeping. Perhaps giving more time to certain things. And also making decisions about what’s not so useful anymore. What’s time to let go of, to allow us to move on in a new and better direction.

Imagine how incredible it would feel to have everything in our minds beautifully filed and stored away, so that we can deal with whatever comes our way next in life, in a totally ordered, calm and clear way.

Well, we can. And if this sounds like something you could really do with, t bring more space and clarity into your life, I can guide you through this process to bring you just that.

The Powerful Synergy of Hypnotherapy and Coaching: A Path to Authentic Transformation

In today's fast-paced world, many of us seek not just external success but deeper fulfillment and alignment with our true selves. While traditional coaching helps us set and achieve goals, and hypnotherapy helps us access deeper parts of our minds, the combination of these two approaches creates something truly remarkable. I’m about to share why integrating hypnotherapy and coaching creates such powerful results for my clients.

The Complementary Nature of Two Powerful Modalities

Coaching and hypnotherapy work on different levels of awareness, and therein lies their real complementary power. Coaching operates primarily in the conscious mind - the realm of planning, strategising, and accountability. Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, accesses the subconscious - where our deeply held beliefs, emotional patterns, and automatic responses reside.

When combined, these approaches create a comprehensive and clear pathway to transformation that addresses both the "what" and "why" of personal change:

• Coaching asks: "What do you want to achieve, and what steps will get you there?"

• Hypnotherapy explores: "Why haven't you achieved this already, and what subconscious patterns might be holding you back?"

Hypnotherapy Deepens the Coaching Experience

Traditional coaching is excellent for setting goals and creating action plans, but sometimes clients hit mysterious roadblocks or become stuck. They know what they need to do but find themselves procrastinating, self-sabotaging, or feeling unmotivated. This is where hypnotherapy becomes invaluable.

Bypassing Conscious Resistance

Hypnotherapy creates a relaxed state where the analytical mind steps back, allowing us to access and update limiting beliefs that have been operating beneath our awareness. A client might consciously want a promotion but subconsciously believe they don't deserve success. Hypnotherapy helps identify and transform these hidden beliefs.

Accessing Deeper Motivations

When clients connect with their core values and authentic desires in a hypnotic state, their motivation becomes intrinsic rather than externally driven. Goals shift from what they "should" want to what truly resonates with their deeper self.

Creating Emotional Shifts

In my experience, logical understanding alone rarely creates lasting change. Hypnotherapy facilitates emotional shifts that make new behaviors feel natural rather than forced. A client who has emotionally released fear of public speaking will implement their communication strategy with genuine confidence.

Connecting with the Authentic Self

Perhaps most importantly, hypnotherapy helps clients quiet the noise of conditioned thinking and connect with their true selves. This authentic connection becomes a compass for all coaching work that follows.

Coaching Enhances Hypnotherapy Results

While hypnotherapy creates powerful internal shifts, coaching ensures these insights translate into real-world change.

Structure and Accountability

Coaching provides a great framework for implementing insights gained during hypnotherapy sessions. When a client uncovers their true passion in hypnotherapy, coaching then helps by breaking this down into achievable steps with accountability measures.

Translating Awareness into Action

Awareness without action creates little external change. Coaching helps clients develop specific behaviors that reinforce the internal shifts from hypnotherapy, creating a virtuous cycle of progress.

Measuring Progress

Coaching's emphasis on measurable outcomes helps clients recognise their progress, building confidence and momentum. This is particularly important when internal changes feel subtle at first.

Reinforcing New Patterns

New neural pathways require consistent reinforcement. Coaching provides ongoing support to maintain and strengthen the positive changes initiated in hypnotherapy.

Real-World Applications: Transformation Across Life Domains.

This integrated approach creates profound results across all areas of life:

Career Advancement

A client who wants to advance in their career might use hypnotherapy to address imposter syndrome and connect with their authentic leadership style. Coaching then helps them strategically apply for positions, prepare for interviews, and navigate workplace dynamics with new confidence.

Health Transformation

For health goals, hypnotherapy might reveal emotional patterns behind comfort eating or exercise avoidance, while coaching creates sustainable meal plans and fitness routines that feel motivating rather than punishing.

Relationship Enhancement

Clients seeking better relationships might use hypnotherapy to heal attachment wounds and recognise relationship patterns, while coaching develops communication skills and boundary-setting practices that support healthier connections.

Self-Discovery and Purpose

Perhaps most profoundly, this combined approach helps clients connect with their deeper purpose. Hypnotherapy accesses the wisdom of their authentic self, while coaching creates a life structure that honors and expresses this purpose daily.

The Journey to an Integrated Self

What makes this combined approach so powerful is that it bridges the gap between our conscious goals and subconscious patterns. When these two aspects of ourselves align, transformation happens with less effort and greater joy.

The ultimate goal isn't just achievement - it's integration. It's the experience of moving through life with all parts of yourself working in harmony rather than opposition. It's making choices that honor both your practical needs and deeper values. It's becoming more fully yourself.

If you've tried coaching alone and found yourself hitting the same obstacles, or if you've experienced hypnotherapy but struggled to implement lasting changes, this integrated approach might be the missing piece in your personal growth journey.

When we align the wisdom of the subconscious mind with the structure of conscious action, we unlock our full potential for authentic transformation.

Perfection or joy?

I work a lot with clients on moving on from a perfectionist mindset. It’s amazing how much it can show up in areas of stuckness and procrastination, which then leads to feelings of frustration and disappointment.

What is a perfectionist mindset?

Perfectionists aren’t people who get everything absolutely perfect everytime. Perfectionists or anyone with a perfectionist mindset, often set extremely high, rigid, often "flawless" goals and place excessive demands on themselves and sometimes others, too. They might not be aware that they’re even doing it, because it tends to be what they think is the standard for that particular task, or what ‘everyone else’ would assume is what it ‘should’ be. Whilst in reality there is likely no set way or protocol.

i.e Someone who is wanting to sort out their garden shed. But feels that if they worked really hard and stayed really focused, it should be absolutely possible to do it all in one morning. Having the whole shed organised and complete by lunchtime. This then can feel like a big job in a small timeframe, that has only been imposed on by themselves. This can then set in anxiety, overwhelm, dread, to the point where it doesn’t get done or even started at all. When really, if they’d just decided to do 1hr, see how much they got done, made a start, and from that experience, would be able to set a realistic plan, the whole thing could be complete easily and with a strong sense of satisfaction at the end.

Perfectionism can also be idenditifred as ‘looking for the gap’

For example, if someone gets 100% on their exam paper or gets the job of their dreams, instead of feeling a strong sense of accomplishment, they might feel that their was a discrepancy with the paper or the hiring person didn’t really know what they were doing. This thinking can be quite limiting. As with no sense of accomplishment, pride, success or joy, life becomes more of a struggle or obligation.

Perfectionism in relationships

We can also see perfectionism in relationships which can lead to significant difficulties, including increased tension, stress, and conflict. This is because perfectionists often hold unrealistic expectations for themselves and their partners, leading to disappointment and resentment. The constant pressure to be perfect can also stifle intimacy and vulnerability, both of which are essential for healthy relationships. 

The Roots of Perfectionism

Perfectionism often develops as a learned behavior through several common pathways:

• Childhood environments with high expectations: When praise and acceptance are consistently tied to achievement or "being good," children learn that their value depends on performance.

• Early experiences of criticism or shame: Harsh criticism or public embarrassment can trigger defensive perfectionism as protection against future judgment.

• Reinforcement through success: When perfectionist behaviors initially lead to positive outcomes (awards, recognition, etc.), they become reinforced neural pathways.

4 Key Ways Hypnotherapy Helps Unlearn Perfectionism

1. Accessing and Reprogramming the Subconscious

   • With hypnotherapy, we gently bypass conscious resistance to change

   • We create a receptive state for installing new beliefs like "I am enough as I am"

   • We help identify and release the emotional triggers behind perfectionist behaviors

   2. Breaking the Perfectionism-Anxiety Cycle

   • With hypnotherapy, we teach the mind and body to recognise perfectionist thoughts

   • Establish calming responses to replace anxiety spirals

   • Create powerful mental rehearsal of handling "imperfect" situations with ease. This one particularly, is important.

     3. Building Self-Compassion and Resilience

   • We install new internal dialogue that embraces what were considered “mistakes” as learning opportunities

   • We develop visualisation techniques for responding to setbacks with kindness

   • And we strengthens the neural pathways associated with self-acceptance

   4. Establish New Success Metrics

   • Redefine achievement beyond flawlessness

   • Create personaliased hypnotic suggestions emphasising progress over perfection

   • Install triggers for celebration of effort and growth rather than just outcomes

Life-Changing Benefits

• Freedom from the exhaustion of constant self-criticism

• Deeper connections as relationships become less transactional

• Rediscovery of creativity and spontaneity

• Sustainable productivity without burnout

• Greater life satisfaction as the present moment can be fully enjoyed

TRY THIS

If you resonate with the above, ask yourself today do you choose perfection or joy? 

In each thing that you do, ask yourself, am I going to choose perfection or joy?

- You can try it out by starting by saying to yourself - “I'm choosing joy, not perfection”.  

- Once you've done that, then ask, "What would be the easiest, quickest way to get this done, to leave more time for me?" 

- And after you've done something, hear yourself saying, "Yes, that's good enough". 

Moving towards this sort of mindset will free up your thinking, and you'll start to notice you'll not just get more done but also enjoy doing the things that you're doing. You're choosing to do more of the things you actually want to do, not what you feel you should do.

Vision into Action: How Hypnotherapy Coaching Transforms Dreams into Reality

"Vision without action is a daydream; action without vision is a nightmare." - Japanese Proverb

Have you ever found yourself stuck in the perpetual cycle of planning but never actually doing? Of visualising your ideal life, career, or relationship, but never quite making the leap from imagination to implementation? If so, you're not alone. This gap between aspiration and achievement is where hypnotherapy coaching finds its powerful purpose.

The Power of Integration: Where Coaching Meets Hypnotherapy

Traditional coaching provides structure, accountability, and practical strategies for moving forward. Hypnotherapy, meanwhile, works at the subconscious level to identify and transform limiting beliefs that may be secretly sabotaging your progress. When combined, these approaches create a potent catalyst for transformation across all life domains.

This integrated approach addresses both the conscious "what" and "how" while simultaneously resolving the subconscious "why not" that often holds us back.

How Hypnotherapy Coaching Transforms Key Life Areas

Career Advancement

Many professionals know exactly where they want to go but find themselves held back by imposter syndrome, fear of visibility, or deep-seated beliefs about their capabilities. Hypnotherapy coaching helps by:

• Identifying and resolving subconscious career-limiting beliefs

• Building authentic confidence that translates into powerful presentations and leadership

• Aligning conscious career goals with subconscious motivation

• Creating new neural pathways that support professional risk-taking and growth

An executive client once remarked, "I knew what I needed to do for promotion for years, but something always held me back from putting myself forward. Hypnotherapy coaching helped me recognise and release a childhood belief that I shouldn't outshine others. Within three months of our work, I finally pursued - and received - the promotion I'd been dreaming about."

Health & Fitness Transformation

The journey to optimal health is rarely about lacking information - most people know what healthy habits look like. Instead, it's about resolving the subconscious patterns that drive comfort eating, exercise avoidance, or self-sabotage. Hypnotherapy coaching can offer:

• Reprogramming of emotional associations with food and movement

• Creation of new automated habits that support wellbeing

• Alignment of conscious health goals with subconscious priorities

• Resolving hidden secondary gains from maintaining the status quo

Relationship Enhancement

Whether seeking new relationships or improving existing ones, hypnotherapy coaching creates profound shifts by:

• Identifying attachment patterns formed in early life

• Resolving subconscious fears of intimacy or abandonment

• Creating new neural pathways for healthy communication

• Building self-worth that attracts and maintains healthier connections

Dream Fulfillment: From "Not for Me" to "Why Not Me?"

Perhaps most powerfully, hypnotherapy coaching specialises in helping clients move beyond self-imposed limitations about what's possible for their lives.

One client shared: "I always had this vague sense that certain achievements were for 'other people' but not for me. Hypnotherapy coaching helped me recognise that this wasn't truth - it was programming. Once we resolved those beliefs, possibilities I'd never considered began opening up in ways that felt authentic and achievable."

The Secret Tool of High Achievers

It's no accident that many world-class performers rely on this integrated approach. CEOs, Olympic athletes, and global leaders routinely employ hypnotherapy coaching to maintain their edge and continue pushing boundaries.

Multiple Olympic gold medalists have credited hypnotherapy with helping them maintain focus under pressure. Fortune 500 executives regularly use these techniques to make high-stakes decisions with clarity and confidence. Even political leaders have utilised hypnotherapy coaching to maintain composure during international negotiations.

The common thread? These high achievers understand that performance is as much about subconscious programming as it is about conscious strategy. By aligning both levels, they create internal coherence that translates to external results.

How the Process Works

Unlike traditional coaching or therapy alone, hypnotherapy coaching follows a distinctive process:

1. Conscious Goal Clarification: Clearly defining the vision and desired outcomes

2. Subconscious Barrier Identification: Using hypnotherapy to uncover hidden obstacles

3. Reprogramming Work: Creating new neural pathways and belief systems under hypnosis

4. Strategic Implementation: Developing practical action steps aligned with the new internal programming

5. Integration Support: Ensuring the new patterns become automatic and sustainable

This dual-level approach ensures that when you take action, you're not fighting against your own subconscious programming - you're being fully supported by it.

Is This Approach Right for You?

Hypnotherapy coaching is particularly effective for those who:

• Have a clear vision but struggle with consistent implementation

• Feel like they're "getting in their own way"

• Experience self-sabotage despite knowing better

• Have tried traditional approaches with limited success

• Are ready for deep, lasting transformation rather than temporary change

Moving from Daydream to Directed Reality

The Japanese proverb reminds us that vision without action remains merely a daydream. What's often missing from this wisdom, however, is understanding why the gap between vision and action exists in the first place.

Hypnotherapy coaching bridges this gap by ensuring that your subconscious mind becomes your strongest ally rather than a hidden saboteur. When both levels of mind are aligned toward the same outcomes, taking action becomes not just possible but natural.

The life you've been dreaming about - whether in career, health, relationships, or personal fulfillment - isn't reserved for others. With the right approach that addresses both conscious strategies and subconscious programming, you can transform what once seemed impossible into your daily reality.

As another client beautifully stated: "I used to think my big dreams were just that - dreams. Now I understand they were actually previews of what's possible when all parts of me work together."

Ready to transform your vision into reality? Perhaps it's time to explore how hypnotherapy coaching can help you turn your daydreams into your lived experience.

Angie Towsw is a certified hypnotherapy coach specialising in helping clients transform potential into achievement across all life domains. To learn more about hypnotherapy coaching services, contact angie@statesofmind.co.uk to set up a free 20 minute free consultation call.