NLP is pure MAGIC.

Not in a sense, that I can just wave a magic wand around and fix things, make things go away and disappear. Though the impact it has on people does feel like that many times…

NLP is pure magic, because all you need to benefit from it, is a brain, an open mind, and attitude of curiosity towards learning and a want/commitment to change things that no longer serve you.

And once you have all these, NLP is there to support you in making the changes You want to make in Your life.

And once you understand how it works and chose to implement it, it become the most powerful tool you can use to turn your own mind into your own, resident best friend! And that, for me is magical.

I wasn’t always the version of me you know today.

A few years ago, I myself was full of doubt, limiting beliefs, negative self-talk, other self-limitations that made me feel stuck, unhappy and hopeless at times… Don’t get me wrong, I always worked on myself, and believed in Life Long Learning, just like I do today. My attitude was however different and I had a very different, not so bright outlook on life… Let’s just say, I wasn’t really making the most of my life, not even close.

It’s safe to say, NLP has changed my life, for the better. And it continues to do so day after day.

Let me show you how:

I don’t just ‘use’ NLP. I live NLP.

I use the principles of NLP in my personal life, in my business life, in my marketing, in my sales strategy, in my networking, when it comes to my health (mental and physical), in my relationship, in my friendships, when I am a mummy for out little fur-baby, Peky.

I would say, I live The NLP way.

But what is it really?

We say, NLP is a study of structure and a study of excellence. But what does that actually mean?

NLP is basically a study of what works well, and what doesn’t, and how you can make what does work well your own.

It is an attitude of curiosity towards others, towards learning, towards the World. It is an attitude of wanting to know how things can be made better. It is about modelling excellence and bringing out the Best and truest version of You!

NLP is so much more than just a ‘method’.

It’s about being aligned with your own values. About understanding your belief system, and what is empowering or limiting you. It’s about appreciating and celebrating your skills, capabilities, achievements. It’s about knowing what filters you are using when you view the World and how you can change them if you wish to. It’s about knowing how to grow your confidence, how to serve your purpose in a way that benefits you as well as who you serve. It’s about exploring and improving the quality of your thinking and communication. It’s about giving yourself permission to be You.

NLP isn’t something that you just do once; You take a course, and get the certificate. It is a way of being, seeing and experiencing the world a way that best serves You! The certificate isn’t a licence to stop. It is a licence to start and explore how it works best for You.

What is in it for me?

Let’s be honest. I am a bit nosey. I LOVE seeing and understanding how other people’s minds work. I love exploring their map of the World and how they experience living.

And I LOVE helping You to have less of what you don’t want, what doesn’t serve you. And have a LOT more of what you actually want, help you explore your own map of the world and create the life You desire the way if suits You, while becoming the very best version of You.

And yes, I do the same for me too.

And NLP provides me with the attitude and the user guide to the brain I need, to be able to be the Tour Guide to Your Mind that you need. I get to give you all my knowledge, tools and techniques I have so You can change Your life too, for the better. And You can manage Your own mental fitness long term.

And that’s how I serve my purpose in a way that benefits You and me too.

What else could I ask for?

Anxiety: ‘a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.’ (Oxford languages)

By definition, anxiety is worrying about something you don’t even know IF is going to happen. Something you don’t yet know. Something that is uncertain. Something you may or may not have influence or control over.

1. Take control of your mind:

And the easiest way to do it is to use your five senses in a grounding exercise:

Name 5 things you can see
Name 4 things you can hear
Name 3 things you can feel (physically)
Name 2 things you can smell
Name 1 things you can taste

And keep repeating it until you feel that sense of calm, peaceful ‘groundedness’ that helps you regulate your breathing and ease your body and mind.

Once you acheived that, it will be so much easier to gain perspective, see things with clarity and wisdom.

You can bring yourself back to the here and now. You can ground yourself so you are present.

2. Take control of your breath:

There is a very simple and effective exercise, called Box-breathing. This technique gives you a structure and task to occupy your conscious mind, and bring you back to the ‘here and now’ while you focus on your breathing.

All you need to do is this:

Breathe in for 4 seconds

Hold your breath for 4 seconds

Breathe out for 4 seconds

Hold for 4 seconds. 

And keep repeating this for at least 3 minutes. 5 minutes is the optimal time.

(If you suffer from shortness of breath, feel free to start with 2-3 seconds breathing and holding, and slowly build up to 4. You can even use a stopwatch or the second arm of your watch to have something to focus your conscious mind on.)

And as you are repeating the cycle, just notice how your breathing is slowing down, how much easier it becomes to follow the cycle.

Your conscious mind is occupied, calm, and relaxed, so your subconscious mind can help you to come up with the solution you need.

3. Reconnect with your body

You can do this by a simple mindfulness exercise, called the Body scan.
It is used to tame your anxiety by simply checking in with your body. With curiosity about what is happening. Not to change, label or alter anything. Just simply checking in to see what is happening by bringing your attention to each part of your body.

It has 5 main components:

Notice the position of your body. (Sitting or lying down.) Notice how your body feels on the chair or on the bed and feel the weight of your body and the connection of your body and what you are sitting or lying on.

Check in with your mind. And notice what you are feeling or what you are thinking. Not with judgement, only noticing how you are. Notice those thoughts come and go. And as they come, you can even imagine to wave to them: “Thank you for coming, I’ll deal with you later. You can go now…’

Then bring your attention to your breathing. Again, with the attitude of curiosity. Just checking in to see, feel or hear what’s happening. No judgement, no need to change or alter anything. Just notice the breath as it’s happening. Notice the sensations in your body. And allow yourself to just be.

Scan down and then back up:

Now bring your attention to the top of your head, all the way down to the bottom of your feet:

Top of your head, side of your face, eyebrows, eyes, nose, cheeks, lips, jaw, chin, down your neck and shoulders, arms, elbows, fore-arms, wrists, fingertips… down your torso, shoulder blades, chest…. All the way down to the bottom of your feet, noticing every single part of your body, one after the other… No need to do anything else, just bring your attention to each body part and notice the bodily sensations you may have.

And once you reach the bottom of your feet, scan upwards. And this time feel how your body parts are connected to each other as you go all the way up to the top of your head.

Just notice. Just be.

And feel how you become more connected with your body.

Then bring your attention to your breath again, noticing how it is different from how it was…

When you are ready, introduce little movements in your body and open your eyes. Welcome back to the here and now.

All these three techniques are very effective, especially when any type of anxiety is caught at an early stage; as, or even before it starts building up. And they are also effective when you are already feeling anxious. They may just take a little longer to help you settle.

In the worst cases, when the anxiety or panic attacks have been recurring and present for longer, I would always recommend seeing a specialist about it. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnotherapy or Mindfulness (amongst other things) can all help with long standing anxiety issues; either as a stand-alone solution, or as part of a more complex intervention process. It will always depend on and be determined by each individual case.