We explore an untapped resource in building confidence and self-love

Self-acceptance, confidence and self-worth are all subjects I’m passionate about. Why? Because I believe the lack of these can have devastating impacts on our mental health.

In building our sense of worth, we recognise our value and treat ourselves more kindly. This paves the way for better self-esteem and confidence as we realise our voice deserves to be heard and that we’re more capable than we think. It helps us build resilience and feel more able to handle life’s ups and downs. It encourages us to set healthy boundaries, honouring our own needs without guilt.

I’m not saying confidence is the sole key to mental wellness, but it plays a pretty important role. So, dedicating time to work on our confidence could have some far-reaching results.

There are many ways you can look at improving your confidence, from changing the clothes we wear to neuroscience-backed tips, but today I want to take a closer look at a potentially untapped resource – hypnotherapy.

How can hypnotherapy improve confidence?

Hypnotherapy for confidence is a type of therapy that works on the subconscious. This means it looks to make changes that we may struggle to do ourselves through willpower alone, like changing thought patterns and behaviours.

When it comes to a lack of confidence, this can often stem from negative thought patterns. Perhaps you’ve been offered an opportunity at work, but you immediately think you aren’t the right person for the job. Maybe you want to strike up a conversation with someone new, but your thoughts tell you that no one wants to talk to you. We often refer to this as our ‘inner critic’ and for some of us, it can be tough to recognise and change this voice because it’s so automatic.

The aim of hypnotherapy is to change these automatic negative thoughts. In her article, Three strategies to let go of self-doubt, cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist Morag Stevenson shares more on how cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy can do this.

“With cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy, you learn to experience a hypnotic mindset of deep relaxation, clear focus and concentrated attention.

“Together with your hypnotherapist, you can use this mindset to freely explore your current unhelpful thoughts and their root beliefs. Once uncovered, you can consciously decide to swap these out for more self-loving ones that power and revitalise you. You discover how to take back control.”

Hypnotherapy isn’t a magic wand that will instantly eliminate self-doubt, but because it works deeper than many of us can go consciously, it can turbo-charge your efforts, making everything feel that little bit easier.

Can hypnotherapy help my imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is when we have fraudulent feelings, usually at work, where we don’t believe we deserve to be where we are (and are sure we’ll be found out one day). This phenomenon has many roots, but it often has ties to low confidence.

“Put simply, imposter syndrome is a n

The Move – Part 2

The Wait

Waiting is About Changing

Peach Crisp Ice Cream is creamy vanilla ice cream filled with chunks of peach crisp, a peach lover’s dream come true. With chunks of buttery brown sugar and oat crisp with syrupy peaches in every bite, this ice cream is irresistible.

Peach Crisp

You may have noticed that I’ve developed the habit of turning everything I possibly can into ice cream. I am a firm believer that ice cream can make almost any dessert even better.

This obsession began with this creamy and delicious apple crisp ice cream. It is the most amazing cinnamon-sweet baked apples with a crunchy, buttery streusel topping folded into homemade ice cream.

My love of ice creams with all the goodness combined in comes from those times, like right before bed when I want something sweet. But having a bowl of dessert with a scoop of ice cream on top is a bit much.

However, I feel way less guilt when I have a scoop of something like peach crisp ice cream. It is all the goodness of the fruit-filled dessert and ice cream combined and it satisfies that late-night craving.

That is, if my boys haven’t discovered it and polished off the ice cream before me. I have been known to change up which freezer and where I stash it. I can not share where that secret place is because they do occasionally read this blog now.

Ice Cream Making Tips

With over 70 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.

The important link between diet and good mental health is often overlooked. So here are six practical tips to help you put positivity back on your plate

Mental health has affected me in many ways over the years. I have watched close friends suffer and fail to manage illnesses, noticed mental health go uncared for, witnessed first-hand the stigma, and seen the personal struggles of people trying to get help, yet getting nowhere within an impersonal system.

Following my own mental health struggles, I have spent the past decade creating my own mental health handbook, that’s been my guide to life ever since.

This all started for me at the end of a five-year degree in fashion. I was at an all-time low, and just on the turning point of a period of intense depression and eating disorders, after losing someone I loved very much.

I had finally found the right combination of talking therapy and holistic treatments, and was opening up to the idea of getting better – but the missing link was finding some sort of passion again.

Portrait | Olivier Yoan for Gung Ho London

Fashion certainly wasn’t it, and neither was the food I had always previously adored. So, I set out to rewrite this story, and create a trend book ‘rebranding’ mental health with an emphasis towards wellness.

Exploring adaptogens (active ingredients in certain plants and mushrooms), rituals, and this new idea of wellbeing, was so exciting to me, and I jumped feet-first into a lifestyle that could feed my mind, too.

Many years, three restaurants, and hundreds of cookery classes later, Mind Food became a book earlier this year, and at a time where the world of mental health is changing, and our mental health as a nation is worse than ever. Here are my six practical ideas for positive mental health:

Mindset

This is all about prevention rather than cure, and sharing resources and foundations for good mental health, so that whatever you are going through, you have the tools to best support yourself and those around you.

We don’t always think about how food will make us feel, but understanding your personal recipe for feeling good is a very powerful tool. The idea of mind food is to include ingredients that can support you when you need to soothe, lift, balance,focus, or chill. This could be eating rosemary daily for better memory and focus, saffron tea for a natural lift each morning, or a cosy hemp hot chocolate for a moment of calm.

Whole foods

On the whole, mind food ingredients are eaten in their natural form – not only because unprocessed ingredients optimise taste and nutrition, but when you start any recipe with good ingredients, you can’t go wrong.

Leafy greens, rainbow vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans, healthy fats, herbs and spices, are all essential in a balanced diet. But the real key is biodiversity, which means eating a range of foods rather than always sticking to what you know. Try buying a different vegetable, or ordering s

Talking about mom burnout on the blog today.

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful morning so far. I’m meeting with a friend for coffee and then working on a Fit Team document for Self-care September to send out tomorrow. It’s not too late to join us here!

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a bit about mom burnout. While I’m in a positive space with motherhood, there have absolutely been times when I’ve felt overwhelmed and burned out. I wanted to share a bit about it in this post, along with some of the things I’ve learned, and always love hearing about your thoughts and perspectives, too. I also recognize that as a mom, I know I’m fortunate and privileged in many aspects of life and am grateful for all of them. There will always be those who have it better or worse than yourself; the best you can do is have gratitude for the blessings in your life, and compassion for those who are having a difficult time.

What is mom burnout exactly?

I think of it as a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that most moms are likely to experience at one point in their lives. I’ve learned over time that various factors can contribute to mom burnout. It can happen when you have maxed out your capacity to care for others, and it can also come from the invisible emotional and mental load mothers need to carry. Peer pressure, unrealistic expectations, and social media can play a part in causing mom burnout, and I think it’s SO important for moms to fill their own cups first.

Mom burnout should not be taken lightly, and if you feel like you are suffering, please reach out and get the help you deserve. Please keep in mind that I’m NOT a professional on this matter, just a mom sharing my story and things I’ve learned. You can absolutely love your kids like crazy and still experience mom burnout. It doesn’t mean you’re not a good mom; you just need a little extra TLC.

How to recover from mom burnout

Taking breaks and taking time to recharge

This can be so hard to do, especially if you have a tiny newborn. Take any opportunity you need to take a break and recharge, even if it’s for a short nap, a hot shower, or 10 minutes to blankly stare at the wall.

Talk it out

When you feel overwhelmed, whether you’re dealing with parenting exhaustion or life stuff, it can be so helpful to talk it out. It can be with a trusted friend, partner, or a professional, but often it can feel like a load has been lifted when you can speak your frustrations. Also, when you say things out loud, it’s easier to develop an action plan or objectively see the situation without so many emotions attached to it.

Prioritizing self care

This can be a tricky one, especially when you’re so devoted to caring for others, but I’m a big believer that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Take some time to do the self-care practices that you love in your routine, like your favorite weekly yoga class, a phone call with a friend, a hike or walk outside, time to read a book, whatever self care looks like for you. It also doesn’t have to be *all the things*; it could be one thing that you look forward to each week or each day.

Focus on the bare essentials

When you