Don't call me a mindless philosopher

I'm so grateful today is a holiday.

Because it's allowing me some time to catch up on work.

It's the same every year - January starts, everyone is back in the office, and there's a zillion new goals to achieve. It's always overwhelming, but I know things will return to a more manageable pace at some point. What I really need to do now to get me through this is bring back a daily mindfulness program - haven't used Calm or Headspace in a few weeks.

Or I should book some time with a hypnotherapist. I have hypothesized in the past that hypnosis works like guided meditation, and this article backs me up.

I know you are giving me that look again.

Hear me out - I was a skeptic about hypnosis. I didn't think it was real. I figured people who participated in hypnotist shows were just looking for excuses to act silly in front of a crowd. I'm about as introverted as they come and have serious stage fright - my friends know I wouldn't willingly participate in anything that puts me in a spotlight.

My initial experience with hypnosis was actually at a university stage show in 2002. 

I wasn't even on stage. I was in the audience. Every time the hypnotist told the "performers" on stage to "sleep," I too went to "sleep." My colleagues sitting next to me had to flag the hypnotist down at the end of the show to snap me out of it because I was just too mesmerized to get out of my chair. Just like the author in the article above, I was fully aware of what was happening and remembered everything after. I remember feeling so relaxed, rested, and calm - like I just had the best night of sleep in my life.

Fast forward one year later when I was in Vegas and found myself in another hypnotist show - this time on stage, despite the objection from my introvert brain. I just craved that deeper relaxation again and was willing to do anything to get it. 20 minutes of hypnosis left me feeling mostly fantastic... mostly. The biggest rush I felt that night was when the hypnotist "suggested" I had won the lottery, and I crashed pretty hard after that when I realized that it didn't actually happen.

So yeah. Hypnosis is real. There are free apps and YouTube videos out there if you are interested in trying it out. I can say they do a decent job of putting me back into that hypnotic state, but it could be because I have worked with "professionals" in the past and know the feeling I'm seeking. Also, I have found that the "suggestion" I have looked for with these tools - eat healthier, enjoy workouts, sleep better - only lasts a short period of time. Then it seems ineffective, and I have to find a different app or video to get similar results.

Would love to hear from others who have gone through hypnotherapy. 

89 days left

Today's Exercise:  Track Run:

M1: 15:18
M2: 15:20 and then my run was frustratingly cut short yet again.

Breakfast	Lunch	Snack(s)	Dinner
3 eggs, coffee	Salmon Salad, tea	HC Latte	2 HB eggs, tea