We sometimes complain of lacking energy, and while this may be due to biological factors, like illness, or overworking, I’ve found it is quite common when psychological and emotional issues get in the way and drain our life energy. Worrying is exhausting work, after all.
We may wake up sluggish and lethargic, yet if we knew that someone we fancied was coming to see us, we’d perk right up and be full of beans – motivation drives energy. Likewise, we dread getting up on the morning of an exam we’re not confident about, or work we don’t enjoy.
Setting goals that inspire us is important; it makes achieving them more likely and energises us to reach them and track our progress. This is why I establish goals with clients, helping them define them in some detail and time-plan where possible. You can’t get somewhere if you don’t know where you want to arrive. The goals come from the client and must be doable to keep that inner drive (and fire) going.
Biologically, mitochondria are tiny structures inside the cells of our body. They’re often described as the cell’s power stations because they produce most of the energy the body uses, in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). But they do far more than simply generate energy; they regulate metabolism and inflammation.
They are numerous in youth and, over time, their numbers decline, reducing energy for daily activities. This may lead to: fatigue, muscle weakness and loss (sarcopenia) and cognitive (thinking) decline.
Thankfully, it is a process that can be reversed through regular exercise (especially aerobic and relaxation-based forms such as yoga and qigong), sleep, stress reduction, and our state of mind, where therapy can help.
Now, the brain uses enormous amounts of energy; it takes over 25% of our glucose intake even at rest. Research also links mitochondrial dysfunction to conditions such as dementia, Alzheimers, bipolar disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Also, stress and anxiety burn a lot of our energy, running as insidious programs in the background, silently depleting our energy for other things.
This is why exercise (not done in excess) helps reduce symptoms of these and other mental health issues and can raise mood via endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, which are involved in reward, motivation, and calmness.
Emotional issues severely deplete our energy levels by disrupting these hormones and neurotransmitters (Harvard, Mayo Clinic). This is partly why addressing adverse memories and events in therapy can be beneficial – otherwise they remain stuck at the amygdala (the emotional processing centre in our subconscious mind), causing incessant negative inner chatter and reviving painful emotions, especially in trauma. The amygdala overrides calmer reasoning.
So, the hypnocoaching aspect of my work is to map out, with you, what motivates and drives you, and, through hypnosis, to help reconnect you with those goals and ambitions (including any frustrated or unmet needs) as you see or need them to be now, and to reduce or eliminate the internal blocks that have impeded their realisation to date.
The good news is that we can do this at any age; you’re never too old to get your joie de vivre back! Now, that’s amore.
Helping make change happen.
Kail
Ideal Hypnotherapy
(Pics created via Dall-E).
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