10 Ways Your Smartphone Can Help You Keep New Years Resolution This Time

1. Lose Weight — Losing weight is the top New Year’s Resolution. Every year after the holiday season comes to a close, millions of people hit the gym and start counting calories. Then motivation starts to lag because people don’t feel that they are accomplishing anything. Apps like Happy Scale and Lose It! help monitor your progress by tracking your weight over time. MyFitnessPal is also a useful tool for tracking progress towards your fitness goals with its free calorie counter. Losing weight is a slow process, and these apps are a great way to hold yourself accountable, as well as keep motivation high as you hit your milestones.

2. Get Healthy — Weight is only one small indicator of overall health. There are scores of other metrics that matter, but are frequently ignored, such as cholesterol levels, bone density, and vitamin intake. WellnessFX is making this type of information easily accessible by analyzing data from blood tests and presenting a more holistic look at your overall health, as well as personalized clinical advice. Another way to improve your health is with movement trackers. On average, people sit for nearly 8 hours a day. This is bad for the body, and a one-hour workout is not enough to counteract the effects. I’ve found that wearables like Fitbit, UP, and Android Wear are extremely useful for reminding me to move more, which improves my physical health and productivity.

3. Manage Your Schedule– Getting organized is the second most popular New Year’s Resolution, and a good calendar app is necessary to achieve that goal. Today’s calendar apps, like Sunrise, go beyond logging and reminding you of all your appointments by providing extra, useful information that helps you stay on schedule. For example, Sunrise automatically adjusts your appointment times to different time zones when you travel. Sunrise also syncs multiple calendars, making it easier to balance work and personal life. Last year, many of my friends’ resolutions was to be home in time to put their kids to bed. Having an event on the calendar helped them live up to that promise.

4. Train your Brain– Brain health drives our ability to concentrate, problem-solve, and be creative. It is an important, but often overlooked, component of success. Elevate is an app with research-backed games that train 25 skills designed to boost productivity, earning power, and self-confidence. Users select the skills they’d like to improve on and receive a personalized training program. Elevate presents a new set of challenges each day and gets smarter over time. It also tracks your performance across skill groups, so you can see what areas you need to work on.

5. Stick to a Budget — After losing weight and getting organized, spending less and saving more is the most common resolution people make. Two-thirds of Americans do not budget, according to a Gallup poll, and yet budgeting is an important part of developing positive financial habits and building wealth. Level is a mobile money meter that takes the pain out of budgeting, by automatically tracking your spending and updating spendable cash each day. It presents a clear, real-time picture of whether you are within your budget, and helps you create a connection between everyday decisions and larger financial goals.

6. Be Happy — People who are happy often have more success achieving other goals, like higher productivity, better health, and are even more successful in work and love. However sometimes happiness can be difficult to achieve. Happieris a social app for sharing happy moments with others. It helps people appreciate the things they have in their life and provides short lessons that teach the tips, tricks, and habits that are scientifically proven to help people focus on what makes them happier. The idea is that happiness is a mindset that can be cultivated and sustained, and the app helps you do just that.

Be Calm — In today’s always-on, compulsively busy world, finding calm and peace of mind can seem impossible.Nearly half of Americans saying stress has a negative impact on their personal and professional life. It lowers productivity, causes people to make bad decisions, and is damaging to health. The good news is that something as simple as taking a few minutes each day to be quiet and still, to reflect and tune out the world, can have a powerful effect on stress levels and wellbeing. Calm is a guided meditation app that encourages people to meditate and helps them along the way. It is essentially a mental workout that promotes peace and positivity.

8. Get More Sleep — Related to the stress epidemic is the lack of sleep epidemic. 40 percent of Americans don’t get enough sleep, and sleep deprivation is linked to depression, weight gain, early ageing, and irritability, which is in turn linked to more disagreements and greater dissatisfaction. SleepCycle is an app that tracks your REM cycle as you sleep and wakes you up at the time that is optimal for you. The result is you feel more alert better understand your own sleeping patterns. An added benefit of more sleep is it helps achieve other goals, like weight loss and organization.

9. Fall in Love — While you can’t resolve your way into falling in love, there are a number of apps out there that can help you meet someone special. Hinge is a mobile startup that lets you meet people in your extended social circles every day. It uses a “romance graph” to pair you with friends of friends that may be a good match. If you express interest in someone and they express interest back, Hinge will introduce you. From there, it is up to you.

10. Push Your Boundaries — The New Year is a great time to make a big decision you’ve been holding back on, or take a risk. For just about any action you can think of, there is an app out there that can help. Kickstarter provides the infrastructure and support you need to start a business, or at least test if there is interest in your idea. Skyscanner is a quick way to compare cheap flights, hotels, and car hires so you can take a trip to your favorite travel destination, or discover someplace new. Thinking of buying a house? Zillow puts all the resources you need at your fingertips. There is no time like the present to jump into the unknown.

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Scientists Find Vessels That Connect Immune System And Brain

In contradiction to decades of medical education, a direct connection has been reported between the brain and the immune system. Claims this radical always require plenty of testing, even after winning publication, but this could be big news for research into diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer's.

It seems astonishing that, after centuries of dissection, a system of lymphatic vessels could have survived undetected. That, however, is exactly what Professor Jonathan Kipnis of the University of Virginia claims in Nature.

"It changes entirely the way we perceive the neuro-immune interaction,” says Kipnis. “We always perceived it before as something esoteric that can't be studied. But now we can ask mechanistic questions."

MS is known to be an example of the immune system attacking the brain, although the reasons are poorly understood. The opportunity to study lymphatic vessels that link the brain to the immune system could transform our understanding of how these attacks occur, and what could stop them. The causes of Alzheimer's disease are even more controversial, but may also have immune system origins, and the authors suggest protein accumulation is a result of the vessels failing to do their job.

Indeed, Kipnis claims, "We believe that for every neurological disease that has an immune component to it, these vessels may play a major role.”

The discovery originated when Dr. Antoine Louveau, a researcher in Kipnis' lab, mounted the membranes that cover mouse brains, known as meninges, on a slide. In the dural sinuses, which drain blood from the brain, he noticed linear patterns in the arrangement of immune T-cells. “I called Jony [Kipnis] to the microscope and I said, 'I think we have something,'" Louveau recalls.

Kipnis was skeptical, and now says, "I thought that these discoveries ended somewhere around the middle of the last century. But apparently they have not." Extensive further research convinced him and a group of co-authors from some of Virginia's most prestigious neuroscience institutes that the vessels are real, they carry white blood cells and they also exist in humans. The network, they report, “appears to start from both eyes and track above the olfactory bulb before aligning adjacent to the sinuses.”

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VIDEO Asleep in 60 Seconds

Kickboxing Mum Credits Debut Victory to Hypnosis

Mother of three Summer Reedy stormed to victory on her kickboxing debut.

Organised by Yeovil Fight Academy's Giles Richards and held at Club Neo, the hypnotherapist beat opponent Helen Ivey in the first round with a knockout blow after only 39 seconds.

Reedy's triumph is all the more impressive considering she trained from scratch in just 12 weeks.

"I had taken a course in self defence at Yeovil Fight Academy but I was surprised when Giles Richards suggested I train for a fight," she said.

"I love competing and enjoyed watching boxing and Mixed Martial Arts, but never in my life had I been in a fight. I love new challenges so I said yes."

Reedy had to learn the martial art K1, a form of kickboxing which permits blows to the legs and the head. No helmets are worn but she had no apprehension about fighting; her main preoccupation being mastering a complex sport and dealing with her own reactions to being punched and kicked.

"I was worried about how much I could take before I fell down and how I would react during the fight," Reedy said.

"In training I got blows to the stomach, a black eye and a bloody nose - but I had to take it in order to learn. Failure is the way to the techniques of success."

Reedy credits her victory to the hypnotherapy she uses with her clients. "After training, I would come home and practice self-hypnosis, putting myself into a relaxed state of heightened awareness," she said.

"Some might think of it as meditation or mindfulness, or even as prayer. In that state, I would visualise my trainer Giles doing the combination of moves I had learned that day, then visualise myself doing the same - a bit like a tennis player imagining themselves doing Roger Federer's serve.

"Then I would practice imagery, performing that combination in my head, feeling every muscle do what it was supposed to. I think this is what helped me improve so fast."

Self-hypnosis also played an important part in Reedy's preparation on the day itself. As well as anticipating her opponent's fight plan, controlling nerves was a vital part of her strategy.

Read full article: http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/Kickboxing-mum-Summy-Reedy-credits-self-hypnosis/story-28141384-detail/story.html#ixzz3spw8Q5dX

VIDEO 10 Myths of Psychology

Hypnotherapy Facts and Stats!

The Psychological Warning Signs of Drug Abuse

If you have noticed that someone you care about has been acting strangely and you are concerned that they may have fallen victim to drug addiction and abuse, there are certain signs that you can look for to confirm your suspicions. In particular, there are several psychological warning signs that would indicate an individual is struggling with addition. To learn more, continue reading.

Changes in Personality and Mood

One of the first indicators of drug abuse is a change in overall attitude or personality. If your friend or family member suddenly starts behaving differently than the norm, you should consider this a potential sign that they are using drugs. For example, if your friend was usually a happy and positive person but is suddenly really depressed or negative, you may want to talk to them and find out what's going on to see if you can help.

Another sign of drug abuse could be sudden changes in mood. A person may go from laughing, sometimes at nothing at all, to exhibiting an angry outburst. An individual may swing from one mood to the next rapidly, such as from hyperactivity to agitation, or there could be strange moods and irritability that are not the norm for that person.

Lack of Motivation and Drive

Another psychological sign of substance abuse could be a lack of motivation or a lack of drive. Your friend may no longer be interested in the same things that they used to enjoy, and may therefore only want to stay home and avoid doing anything fun or different.

An individual who is addicted to drugs may also appear spaced out or lethargic more often than not. This, too, makes it harder for them to be motivated about things and people that they used to care about.

Also, those who abuse drugs tend to have an inability to remain focused, which could make it difficult for them to stay in school or succeed at work. Suddenly not performing as successfully as before could be a sign of substance abuse.

Exhibiting a Lot of Negative Emotions

A lot of negative emotions can also indicate drug use. For example, individuals may find themselves feeling really anxious, fearful, or even paranoid, even if there aren't apparent reasons to feel that way. People who are addicted to drugs may also appear more withdrawn than usual and may end up keeping to themselves more often than spending time with others. Ultimately, these negative emotions can come out of nowhere, but they take over the addict's personality and are easily recognized by those around them.

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10 Things a Hypnotherapist Should Never Do...

1.Hypnotize Someone Without Their Consent

Hypnosis is a form of two-way communication between you and your client – and is anything but a causal relationship that should be entered lightly!

Unless someone really wants to be hypnotized, and they ask to be, there’s very little point.

Aside from a multitude of reasons why you should never break this deadly sin, as a “professional” you also run the risk of getting a bad reputation for trying to pull a fast one.

2. Use Hypnosis Unethically, Or To Your Advantage

The purpose of hypnosis is to be a force for good and help people deal with problem areas in their lives.

To give them the means to cope with difficulties, or to enable them to eliminate those difficulties completely.

It’s not designed to be used for personal gain or to take advantage of another human being.

So, for instance, you should never use hypnosis to profit from a business deal. Likewise, it isn’t meant to be a shortcut to seducing someone.

And let’s face it, it’d be a pretty sad state of affairs if you had to resort to tactics like that to get another person interested in you.

3. Offer Pain Relief Without Knowledge Of The Facts

This sounds counterintuitive, but it isn’t.

When someone is in pain, that pain is often a signal pointing to a bigger issue.

It’s the body’s way of warning you that something’s wrong. So to simply take the pain away, without being aware of the full picture, could have devastating consequences.

Instead, make sure you get crystal clear instructions from your client’s doctor. If pain relief is advised, then feel free to provide it. If not, or if you’re uncertain in any way, then just don’t do it.

Contact the doctor’s office and ask for written confirmation. That way, you’ll know for sure that you’re doing what’s in the best interests of your client. And you won’t get into hot water further down the road.

4. Set Up A Professional Practice Without Formal Training

In this case, “professional” means charging clients for your efforts. If you don’t have any formal training, any certificates, or any diplomas, then you’re not really a professional.

You might be an amazing hypnotherapist, but without the credentials to back you up, how can you prove it?

Naturally, anyone who promotes themselves as a professional should be able to say “Look, I graduated from the Such-and-Such Hypnosis Academy.”

Your clients should be able to see the proof of your qualifications hanging on your wall. You wouldn’t let a doctor or a dentist do any work on you unless they’d been rigorously trained, would you?

Same should go for you and your hypnotherapy.

Of course, the laws governing whether or not you’re entitled to practice vary from country to country, and even from state to state in the US. Regardless of that, hypnosis is a powerful tool that can prove life-altering in the right hands.

At the end of the day, the onus is on you to get the training and certification you need to meet all local and national criteria. And that applies even if your country or region doesn’t specify what their requirements are. Look at it this way: the more qualifications you have, the better hypnotherapist you’ll be.

The more success you’ll have, and ultimately the more clients you’ll attract.

Sounds like a win-win scenario, doesn’t it?

5. Breach Client Confidentiality

Ouch!

If there was ever a way to guarantee failure as a hypnotherapist, this is it.

Your clients come to you with all sorts of issues. In some cases it may have taken them months or even years to work up the courage.

The last thing they expect is for you to share their private and personal details with anyone else.

Laws regarding client confidentiality may vary from place to place, but that’s not really the point. It’s more a question of respect.

If you don’t treat your clients with respect, and that includes the things they say and do during sessions, then it won’t be long before you don’t have any clients left.

Suppose you went to your doctor with an embarrassing problem. It happens, right? What would you do if you suddenly heard people talking about it outside the doctor’s office?

Or maybe laughing about it?

You’d be furious, that’s for sure.

You’d probably give the doctor a piece of your mind. You might even take matters further, writing a letter to his superiors. Or firing off a petulant tweet.

And no-one would blame you.

Because that kind of behavior is unprofessional in the extreme – and likely to lead to all kinds of unpleasantness, complications, and seriously bad publicity.

6. Enter A Session In A Bad Mood

This can be tough to achieve.

After all, everybody has bad days.

So there will be times when you’re just not feeling 100%. If that’s the case, and you simply can’t shake it off, cancel the session.

Say you’re not well.

Make an excuse if you have to, but don’t continue in the hope that things will be fine.

Because they won’t. Also remember not to take your own personal judgments into a session with you.

If you’re depressed or upset, or in any other kind of negative mental state, then you know what’s likely to happen.

You should always “go first” to lead your client through a session. But if you’re feeling low or pessimistic, or there are some bad vibes drifting out from you, then your client will pick up on it.

And when that happens, hypnosis isn’t likely to work.

Canceling an appointment might cost you a few bucks. But what will it cost you in the long run if you go ahead, knowing that your attempts will likely be futile?

You won’t win any prizes for being the hypnotherapist who can’t deliver the goods.

7. Use The Same Scripts Or Techniques For Every Client

What might your client list consist of?

Short people, tall people, skinny people, fat people, young people, old people, males and females. Some working, some retired or between jobs.

They’re all people, but what else have they got in common?

Apart from the need or desire to see a hypnotherapist, not very much.

Imagine a doctor giving every patient the same medication, regardless of their condition. Regardless of their age, size, and medical history.

You don’t have to be a genius to know that at least three things will happen as a result:

1) The medication will only work on some people

2) The medication could have serious side-effects for other people

3) The doctor will get into big trouble, which could range anywhere from a substantial lawsuit to being struck off altogether

One of the great things about hypnosis is that it has variety built in. There’s no need to be a one-trick pony, because the options are nearly endless.

Combine that with the individuality of the people you see, and it only makes sense that you should tailor your sessions to meet their specific needs.

8. Neglect To Bring A Subject Safely Out Of Trance

As mentioned above, hypnosis provides you with a variety of techniques to help people.

Depending on your client’s situation, your sessions can get very emotional, particularly when dealing with sensitive issues.

Or when you’re doing regression work. Sessions such as these can be both exhausting and liberating in equal measure.

But the last thing you want is to leave your client hanging. So make sure you bring them safely out of a trance and confirm that they’re feeling well.

Guide them gently back to consciousness, and give them some time to recover before they leave.

You want them to feel refreshed and good about the session, so that hopefully they’ll be keen to come back for more.

IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, don’t let your subject drive until they’re fully back to normal waking consciousness!

9. Make False Claims About Your Skills

Hypnosis is a powerful tool, but it has its limitations.

You can’t make skyscrapers disappear or turn frogs into princes. Be realistic about your abilities and your clients will value your honesty.

The truth is that you can’t hypnotize everyone right away.

Some people need multiple sessions to learn to be a good hypnotic subject, and others might resist your attempts.

Even if coming to see you was their own idea. So don’t be afraid to let them know if you can’t help them, or if it might take several sessions.

Tell people the truth about what you might be able to help them achieve, and make sure they know it isn’t a 100% guarantee of success.

That way they’ll be armed with all the facts and be better able to decide for themselves if they want to try hypnotherapy.

Of course, the other side of the coin is pretending you can do miracles, which might lead to a whole stack of problems you’ll find yourself having to talk your way out of.

10. Practice Hypnosis Just To Make Money

If you’re a professional, it’s only natural that you charge for your services.

You may have come to hypnotherapy as a second or third career and rely on it to put food on the table. That’s absolutely fine and exactly the way it should be.

But as you probably know, hypnotherapy is one of the caring professions.

It demands patience, compassion, understanding, and the ability to deal with people in a non-judgmental way.

If you practice hypnotherapy in order to help people lead a more rewarding and fulfilling life, then you’re a star.

If you’re only in it for the money, then you’re something else entirely. But don’t be fooled. People aren’t stupid. They can spot a fake a mile away.

Even if it takes them a while, they’ll soon work out where your priorities lie.

And when they do, they’ll spread the word.

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