As Covid cases swept the world I, along with the vast majority felt an overwhelming feeling of (how do you say WTF eloquently) panic?! I don't think there is any need for me to go into depth on that. The feeling was pretty unanimous. However, let me tell you why a large part of me felt safe.
As WanderLust Girls, a big part of our workload involves travel. Or, so it did prior to Covid. And therein lies that safety I mentioned.
Starting at age five I had a heart condition, which required a semi-permanent residence at Children's Hospital in Boston. By age eight I had two somewhat successful heart surgeries. However, I was left with a crippling fear of not being able to get help if I needed it. Normal events for an eight year old, like sleepovers and Summer camps were definitely not something I could handle. I couldn't even get to the mall or movies without a map and a predetermined course to the hospital. I remember a celebratory trip to Disney World was one of the most traumatic flights of my life.
Fast forward to 2018 when I was diagnosed with cancer and all the same fears I had as a five year old came flooding back. Flying seemed to be where I had the most trouble. If there is an emergency, there is no quick fix. During Covid that fear was able to be put on pause considering there was no travel work being done. Hence, that feeling of safety. My feet were planted right on the ground, I was 11 minutes from the nearest hospital, my doctors could Skype me. That was my kind of safety.
Now that there is a sort of Covid norm, those opportunities to fly came back in full force. We were planning a trip to Italy and it would be a long flight. I wanted to get back into this form of work with less fear and be able to truly enjoy the whole experience including the flight. I decided I would give hypnosis a try and through lots of research Barry O'Neill, owner of Hypnosis of Nashville, seemed to be the most qualified and frankly the most professional. When you think hypnotist a lot of times you find people that feel a bit hokey. However, seeing his degree and learning more about his approach on a quick call with Barry himself I knew if I was going to do this, it had to be with Barry!
If you are seeking hypnosis for say, quitting smoking. That can usually be done in one to two sessions. After digging down to the root of my fears Barry plotted a course of action and we got to work. Each session started with a conversation, hypnosis work (which he recorded) and a homework assignment. After I left I would spend every night listening to the recording as I fell asleep. Prior to the first session I hadn't gotten a full night sleep in years and even for the few hours I got I always needed sleep aids like melatonin or Benadryl. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I had fallen asleep naturally and soundly. I woke up feeling like this was definitely the right direction for me. If even just my sleeping habits were fixed I would have been happy. But, that was just the beginning of the positive effects these hypnosis sessions had on my life.
Our second session was about "clearing" and it was one of my favorite experiences. A lot of built up resentment was taking over too much of my brain space and needed to be cleared. During hypnosis, he had me picture myself pushing my worries off of a cliff. As I watched them fall I could honestly feel lighter. Of course, that doesn't mean I would never stress again or be angry or upset. But, this experience changed how I would deal with new negative emotions in the future. The best part of clearing was my homework assignment. I wrote letters to every person who had hurt me. I could say whatever I wanted, which felt DAMN good. I also wrote a letter to my past self because she was no longer serving who I was or wanted to be in the future. I then took all those letters and I lit them on fire. It was closure to a lot of resentment that was holding me back.
As we continued, each session was chipping away at the main fear and my reason for being there. Just last week I took that flight to Italy and I was so relaxed I even slept on the plane!!
I went to Barry O'Neill with a fear of flying. But, I left feeling so much better in so many aspects. He took so much time to truly understand, explain, relate, try different ways if one didn't work. I know a lot people think of a hypnotist as someone who makes you cluck on stage like a chicken at a show. Seeing Barry was like seeing a therapist.
If you need help with something or need to as he puts it reprogram the way you think I cannot recommend Hypnosis of Nashville enough!! He does in person or virtual, so you don't necessarily have to be in Nashville to work with him. If you like it's tome for a change in some capacity, this is a unique step that should truly be more commonplace.
If you have any questions for me about my experience please feel free to message me or reach out to Hypnosis of Nashville.
Xx, WanderLust Girls