TAPPING ON THE FEAR OF FLYING

Do you have a fear of flying?

The fear of flying affects many people but the route cause will often vary. It could be the fear of not being in control, the fear of feeling trapped, the fear of something bad happening, the fear of being surrounded by people, the anxiety will be different for each person.

Aerophobia is a type of specific phobia that involves a fear of flying or air travel. While statistics suggest that air travel is actually safer than traveling by other means including car and train, flying remains a common source of fear.

Anytime you experience fear or anxiety your nervous system goes into the ancient fight / flight response, which means you go into high alert. Tapping is the perfect way to engage your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relaxation) and the words you say out loud help you process your fear.

With tapping we always face our challenge head on because when we say out loud how we are genuinely feeling it’s the most affective way for your brain to process your emotions. If there is anything else that lies behind your fear then bring that language into your tapping script.

When you are actually on the plane you can simply tap on your points and breathe, alternating your breath and repeating the affirmation ‘I AM SAFE’.

Inner eyebrow - Inhale

Outer eyebrow - Exhale

Under the eye - Inhale

Under the nose - Exhale

Under the mouth - Inhale

Chest - Exhale

Under the Arm - Inhale

Top of the head - Exhale

Try this tapping process above to help you reduce your fear of flying and for a shorter tapping process you can try this HERE.

Collarbone Breathing is also another great technique for reducing anxiety and can easily be done while sat on a plane.

Would you like to overcome your fear of flying?

For more support overcoming the fear please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to help xx

TAPPING TO RELEASE YOUR STRESS

WHAT IS STRESS?

"A state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation" World Health Organisation

Stress is a normal part of being a human being, it's a natural response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. The problem is we live in such a fast paced digital world where people feel like they need to be switched on 24/7 so there are many things that can stress us out.

Endless access to world news, social media, busy jobs, the cost of living, parenting juggles, mobile phones, and the general day to day stress of life...it's easy to see how a normal amount of stress can quickly lead into chronic stress.

Stress can be brief, situational, and a positive force motivating performance, but if experienced over an extended period of time it can become chronic stress, which negatively impacts health and well-being.

WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING WHEN WE'RE STRESSED?

Anytime you feel stressed your amygdala (brains fear response that contributes to emotional processing) sends out a distress signal to your hypothalamus, which is like a mini control centre in your brain. Your hypothalamus then starts to send out stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine) which then trigger the ancient fight or flight response. Your nervous system then gets your body gets ready for the perceived threat - muscles tense, heart rate quickens, breathing speeds up, digestive system slows down.

This response was designed to protect your body in an emergency by preparing you to react quickly. But when the stress response keeps firing, day after day, it could put your health at serious risk.

WHAT DAMAGE CAN STRESS DO TO YOUR BODY AND MIND?

Short doses of the stress response are ok as your nervous system has the time to go back to a place of rest and relaxation but when you're body is in a constant state of high alert the long term exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can negatively impact nearly all of your body's process's.

This puts you at higher risk of many health problems, including:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Digestive problems

• Headaches

• Muscle tension and pain

• Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke.

• Sleep problems

• Weight gain

• Problems with memory and focus

HOW DO WE MANAGE STRESS?

Managing your stress levels is an essential way to look after both your mental and physical health but it's important to remember that life doesn't have to be completely free of stress for you to be able to effectively regulate your nervous system. We can't control what life throws at us, but you can control how you react.

Tapping

Tapping is a wonderful way to bring your nervous system back into balance anytime you feel stressed, try this 10 Min tapping sequence above and notice how it makes you feel with no judgement.

Pepare your Nervous System

The start of the day is really important to get your nervous system ready for the day. Set an alarm (something calming like a bird sound) to wake you up 10 mins earlier and do something that calms your mind. That could be a listening to a meditation, doing some tapping, some breathwork or moving your body like a short yoga sequence. If you’re a mum like me then THIS is how you can meditate in the morning.

Regulate your breathing

Take time throughout the day to bring your breath down into your belly. This is the best way to engage your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relaxation) and THIS is how you do it:

Be mindful of how you use your phone

Mobile phones can be a big cause of stress and anxiety so be really mindful about how you use your phone throughout the day. Reduce the amount of time you spend on social media, stop reading the news, silence your notifications, don't feel like you need to reply to endless Whatsapp messages, never look at your phone first thing in the morning and last thing at night and physically put your phone away when you are doing another task or sat at the dinner table.

Create a sleep ritual

The end of the day is an important time to signal to your brain - it's time to switch off. Get off any screens at least 1 hour before bed and do something that calms your mind like tapping, meditation, hot bath, journalling, calming smells… When you improve your sleep, it's much easier to regulate your emotions (and stress response) the next day.

Regularly do these three things:
Release jaw, soften hands, relax shoulders.

Listen to this meditation to deeply anchor your mind in the present momet, reduce your stress levels and create a bubble of protection around yourself.

5 MINUTE TAPPING BEFORE BED

It's so important to wind your mind down at the end of a busy day because a good quality sleep is the foundation of your mental health and wellbeing, but it’s not always easy to do if you’ve been looking at a screen or your phone all day. The chances are your brain has been overstimulated and switching off might feel impossible to do, this is where tapping can really help!

The physical tapping brings your nervous system back into balance and enables you to engage your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relaxation). The words you say out loud, give your brain the invaluable space it needs to process the day and start to unwind.

Watch this 5 minute tapping video to bring stillness to busy mind and prepare yourself for a restful nights sleep.

For more support improving your sleep please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to help xx

TAPPING TO REDUCE STRESS

WHAT IS STRESS?

"A state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation" World Health Organisation

Stress is a normal part of being a human being, it's a natural response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. The problem is we live in such a fast paced digital world where people feel like they need to be switched on 24/7 so there are many things that can stress us out.

Endless access to world news, social media, busy jobs, the cost of living, parenting juggles, mobile phones, and the general day to day stress of life...it's easy to see how a normal amount of stress can quickly lead into chronic stress.

MANAGING YOUR STRESS

Managing your stress levels is an essential way to look after both your mental and physical health but it's important to remember that life doesn't have to be completely free of stress for you to be able to effectively regulate your nervous system. We can't control what life throws at us, but you can control how you react.

Tapping to Reduce Stress

Tapping is a wonderful way to bring your nervous system back into balance anytime you feel stressed, try this 10 Min tapping sequence above and notice how it makes you feel with no judgement.

For more support reducing your stress levels please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to hear from you xx

MALE MENTAL HEALTH

I was so honoured to be invited by @lovebrotherworld to see a special screening at the House of Lords of this very powerful film called The Men and The Chair Outside of My Window directed by the brilliant @nickaldridge

The film highlights male mental health, which is something I am deeply passionate about. My dad killed himself when I was 7 years old so I’ve lived with suicide my whole life. The impact of male mental health has literally shaped my life.

Suicide is something that is still very sadly prevalent and in 2022 in England alone, 5284 men took their own life. Men are 3 times more likely to kill themselves than women and this crisis needs to stop.

I witnessed three incredible men @bobjo_nes @coughcool86 @nickaldridge talk openly about their own mental health while introducing this film and that’s the first time I’ve ever witnessed such a conversation (and I’m 40). It’s these kind of conversations that we NEED to keep having to help overcome the stigma of a man talking about his mental health.

Talking about mental health should be no different to discussing physical health - it effects everyone. If more men feel like they can speak out and reach out, not only when they are struggling but in the every day ups and down of life we can greatly reduce the number of suicides each year.

Please take time to watch this video and share with those around you. If you yourself are struggling call 116 123 now for support, visit Samaritans or get in touch kim@happyheads.me xx

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