Clinical Hypnotherapist Fiona Brennan suggests some simple steps to cultivate happiness within.
Fiona Brennan is an acclaimed Clinical Hypnotherapist, bestselling author, mental health expert on Today FM, a TEDx speaker and hosts a weekly ‘Therapy On The Couch’ session every Wednesday on her Instagram page @the_positive_habit_. Here, she talks about the power of daily affirmations, compassion and good nutrition as just some of the arsenal needed to protect a positive mindset.
As a Clinical Hypnotherapist, What Are Some of the Most Common Issues You Tackle for Clients?
“I specialise in stress and anxiety. Having suffered from chronic anxiety in my younger years I truly understand how debilitating it is and how it can affect all aspects of our lives. I also know both personally and professionally how it is possible to manage anxiety and transform it into positive energy. I also help my clients make behavioural changes such as sleeping better, moving more and generally taking the care of themselves that they deserve. Many women will sacrifice their own needs at the expense of their mental, physical, and emotional health. This sacrifice leads to both low mood and anxiety and it is not sustainable.”
Why Did You Write Your Book The Positive Habit?
“To help more people. I have a booked out clinic and am careful to practice what I preach in terms of self-care, so I don’t over-commit. I’m proud of my first book, The Positive Habit as it has and continues to make a difference in the lives of many people. It is a manual for the mind and a great foundation in positive psychology and neuroscience.”
The Pandemic Has Compounded Anxiety for Many of Us, What Advice Do You Have for Someone Struggling With Their Mental Health Right Now?
“Building emotional resilience in both the good times and difficult ones is important and this comes from a place of self-awareness and compassion. If you are struggling right now the most important thing is to accept you are finding it hard and to be kind to yourself. Remove pressure and replace it with compassion. Focus on the fundamentals such as sleep, nutrition, and movement. Adopt a daily meditation or hypnotherapy practice to slow down your thoughts. Get outdoors into the light and nature as much as possible. Slowly but surely, you will feel calmer. I also recommend laughter as a powerful healing energy. Seek out people who have positive energy and avoid the ones that drain you. Also, be cautious of the information you digest, sometimes we need to avoid listening to the news!
Why Did You Choose to Study Lifestyle Medicine, and What Does This Entail?
“I chose to study Positive Health at the RCSI to help both myself and my clients thrive. According to the World Health Organisation in the last 30 years, noncommunicable diseases are responsible for seven out of 10 deaths globally. These diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer are mainly caused by our lifestyle choices. In my work I see people struggling to feel calmer and more positive and their lifestyle behaviours have an impact on this. In order to manage stress and anxiety, we need to look at our minds and bodies holistically. Lifestyle medicine is patient-centred and believes that prescribing healthy behaviours is the first port of call and then to work alongside traditional medicine for the best chance of healing.”
How Important is Nutrition in the Mix and What Habits Have You Adopted to Optimise Good Nutrition?
“Nutrition is one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and a key one for improving mood and balancing hormones. I eat a plant and fish-based diet and do my best to eat a rainbow of coloured foods each day to ensure I have a variety of nutrients. One positive habit that I would not be without is taking Cleanmarine MenoMin each day to ensure I get the additional nutrients I need. As someone who suffered from PMS, I was really concerned about perimenopause, however, I am managing well and believe that my daily MenoMin plays a significant role in why I feel good. MenoMin contains vitamin B6 which contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity. When it comes to our hormonal and mental health, women need to be very proactive and do all that we can to help ourselves flourish.”
Why is a Compassionate Approach to Lifestyle Medicine Important?
“Compassion is at the heart of all my work. When people want to change a negative habit and adopt a positive one they often put pressure on themselves to achieve their goal. For example, ‘I have to lose weight by the summer.’ This is counterproductive as when we feel pressure we often spiral into guilt and shame and end up doing the very thing we didn’t want to do, for example bingeing on chocolate. When we are kind to ourselves and understand our own behaviour without judgment the chances of success are much greater.”
Your Second Book The Self-love Habit Has Also Resonated With Readers, What Three Practical Things Can We Do Today to Practise Self-love?
- Look at yourself in the mirror each day for two minutes, take your hand to your heart, and repeat ‘I love you.’ It feels odd at first, but stick with it as you would be amazed how it builds confidence and self-esteem.
- Journal three good things that happened each day – research in positive psychology illustrates how effective it is to express gratitude and also to be specific with why was it good? Own the part you played, for example, ‘I met Mum for lunch today. It was good because, even though I am busy I made sure to prioritise that time.’
- Note down three attitudes that you admire or need from a friend and then apply those to yourself. For example, I admire honesty, fun and kindness – take these and apply them to the relationship you have with yourself.”