Andrea Aro Hypnotherapy

25/09/2025

https://theconversation.com/how-workplace-bullying-can-affect-your-personality-265350

Recent research has looked at the effect of bullying on the ‘big five’ personality traits.

24/09/2025

Lulu has spent much of her adult life quietly battling a secret that few around her ever suspected. On the surface, she appeared to be coping well, showing up for her responsibilities and maintaining a brave face. But behind closed doors, she carried a deep sense of shame about her drinking.

Alcohol became her hidden companion — a way to take the edge off, to ease the worries of the day, and to momentarily silence the thoughts that wouldn’t let her rest.

It can be all too easy to fall into habits like these. A glass of wine to relax, another to soften the evening, then another because it feels expected. Over time, what starts as a simple way to unwind can become a cycle that feels hard to break.

In our culture, “wine o’clock” has almost become a joke — a socially acceptable ritual that normalises drinking as the go-to remedy for stress or overwhelm. But while the surface may seem light-hearted, the reliance on alcohol can quietly feed into more unhelpful symptoms: poor sleep, anxiety, low mood, irritability, and that nagging sense of being out of control.

The good news is, change doesn’t have to be difficult or drawn out. A short course of hypnotherapy can make a remarkable difference, helping to reset your relationship with alcohol. By working with the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can ease cravings, break old patterns, and support you in finding healthier, more empowering ways to cope.

For someone like Lulu — and for many others who feel trapped by shame or secrecy — this gentle, effective approach can offer a fresh start. A chance to regain confidence, restore balance, and move forward without alcohol being in the driving seat.

Lulu has revealed her secret alcohol addiction and said she is happier than ever after getting sober.

22/09/2025

The Unspoken Struggle: Rage in Mothers

Society paints motherhood as serene and endlessly patient, but behind the idealised image, many women quietly battle feelings of rage. This is rarely spoken about, yet the pressure to be the “perfect mother” is taking a toll on women’s health and wellbeing.

Mothers are expected to be nurturing, calm, and selfless, often while juggling careers and households. Any sign of frustration can be judged as failure. Well-intentioned comments like “A good mother never yells” only add to guilt and shame. Over time, these unrealistic expectations can spark sudden outbursts or grow into simmering resentment.

Maternal rage is more than irritation. It is often rooted in exhaustion, feeling unsupported, or believing one is “not enough.” Many mothers turn this anger inward, criticising themselves for not matching the ideal they’ve been taught to aspire to.

The impact is not only emotional but physical. Rage raises stress hormones, blood pressure, and heart strain, which, over time, can contribute to serious health problems. Emotionally, it fuels shame, isolation, and depression—creating a cycle where mothers feel even less able to cope.

One way forward is through therapeutic support. Hypnotherapy, for example, helps mothers challenge the belief that perfection is required to be worthy of love. In a relaxed state, they can begin to replace harsh self-judgment with compassion and develop healthier coping tools. Techniques such as breathing exercises, visualisation, and affirmations calm the nervous system before anger escalates.

Healing from maternal rage begins with rejecting the myth of the flawless mother. Motherhood is messy, unpredictable, and human. By embracing imperfection and caring for their own wellbeing, mothers can break free from destructive cycles. This not only restores balance for them but also models resilience and self-acceptance for their children.

The conversation around maternal rage is growing, and with it, the need for realistic expectations and compassionate support. By letting go of perfection, mothers can step into a healthier, more peaceful version of themselves—one that is good enough, and that is more than enough.

21/09/2025

Why People Are Unreliable or ‘Flaky’—and How It Affects Others

We’ve all experienced it: someone promises to meet, call, or follow through, and then they don’t. Sometimes there’s an excuse, sometimes silence, and sometimes a vague apology. While everyone can be unreliable on occasion, a pattern of being “flaky” can damage relationships, erode trust, and leave others feeling unvalued.

- Why Are People Unreliable?

Unreliability is rarely about malice. More often, it stems from:

• Overcommitment – saying “yes” to too many things out of enthusiasm, people-pleasing, or fear of disappointing others.

• Poor time management – underestimating how long tasks take or failing to prioritise commitments.

• Avoidance – ducking out when anxiety, stress, or fear of confrontation kicks in.

• Lack of awareness – not fully recognising the impact their behaviour has on others.

• Shifting priorities – when someone consistently prioritises convenience or personal needs over their commitments.

- The Impact on the Recipient

When someone is unreliable, the person left waiting or let down often experiences:

• Disappointment and frustration – plans disrupted, time wasted.

• Erosion of trust – once reliability is in question, so is dependability in other areas.

• Feeling undervalued – when someone cancels or fails to show, it can feel as though they don’t care.

• Emotional stress – repeated unreliability can chip away at self-esteem, especially in close relationships.

Over time, the impact is cumulative. Friends may stop asking, colleagues may stop trusting, and opportunities for deeper connection may disappear.

- How to Change If You Recognise This in Yourself

If you know you sometimes let people down, awareness is the first step—and change is absolutely possible.

Here are practical strategies:

1. Pause Before Saying Yes
Buy yourself time before committing. A simple “Let me check and get back to you” helps avoid overpromising.

2. Get Clear on Your Priorities
If everything is equally important, nothing is. Decide what truly matters and commit accordingly.

3. Improve Your Planning
Use a diary, calendar, or app to track commitments. Factor in travel, preparation, and recovery time.

4. Communicate Honestly
If you can’t follow through, let the person know as early as possible. A sincere apology plus a suggestion to reschedule shows respect.

5. Work on Underlying Patterns
If avoidance, anxiety, or people-pleasing drives the unreliability, explore ways to build confidence, set boundaries, or manage stress. (Therapies such as hypnotherapy can be powerful tools for this.)

6. Practice Reliability in Small Steps
Start by keeping small promises—returning a call, arriving on time, following through on minor commitments. Small wins build new habits.

Being reliable doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being honest, consistent, and respectful of others’ time and feelings. If unreliability has been your default, changing it can transform your relationships, strengthen trust, and ultimately make you feel better about yourself too.

18/09/2025

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-07-18-why-do-we-need-sleep-oxford-researchers-find-answer-may-lie-mitochondria

New study uncovers how a metabolic “overload” in specialised brain cells triggers the need to sleep.

17/09/2025

https://rb.gy/b7k1wj

Can't sleep? The Sleep Well Program provides a roadmap for breaking the cycle of poor sleep. The Program is designed to teach the most vital aspects of sleep...

15/09/2025

For those who are looking for a way to get in touch with their quality of sleep, then wearing a sleep tracker might seem like an ideal solution for those struggling with erratic sleep patterns, but for some, it can introduce unpredicted pitfalls.

Many people find that the constant monitoring of their sleep can lead to increased anxiety and a heightened awareness of sleep issues.

Instead of improving sleep quality, this hyper-focus can exacerbate insomnia or restless nights.

This phenomenon has been labelled ‘orthosomnia’ and refers to a condition where a person becomes overly preoccupied or anxious about their sleep quality and patterns.

This heightened focus on trying to achieve "perfect" sleep can actually worsen insomnia or disrupt natural sleep cycles.

The individual's excessive concern about getting enough sleep often leads to stress, which in turn makes it more difficult to relax and fall asleep, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of poor sleep.

This is where hypnotherapy can offer an alternative approach to resetting poor sleep.

Rather than focusing on the data of a sleep tracker, hypnotherapy works by targeting the subconscious mind, helping to address underlying anxieties, habits, or thought patterns that may be disrupting sleep.

Through relaxation techniques and guided suggestions, hypnotherapy can reframe negative associations with sleep and encourage a more natural, restful state.

By reducing stress and promoting calmness, it can help reset sleep cycles, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep without the constant feedback and pressure that sleep trackers may impose.

Find out more about how hypnotherapy can help those with sleep issues, sleep well... www.andreaaro.co.uk/sleep-well-program

09/09/2025

https://is.gd/NewIdeasAboutWhatNarcissismIs

Narcissism is a picture that includes insecurity, emotional sensitivity and surprising fragility.

08/09/2025

The holidays are over and it's time to start shedding those extra pounds!

One of my specialties is weight-loss and I can help you get back on track with a post-holiday drug-free weight loss program.

Let me help you break the sugar addiction, stop emotional eating, and make better food choices so that your body will thank you for it.

Lose weight, change shape, feel great!

Contact me to find out more and let the changes begin!

03/09/2025

September is often seen as the perfect time for a reset, and there's a good reason for it.

As the long summer winds down, autumn begins to take hold.

The nights are becoming longer, the air cooler.

The trees are transforming, their leaves gently falling.

Winter is on the horizon.

But why do so many choose September as the month to reset and start anew?

It all ties back to our school days.

Remember how September brought new pencils, fresh pencil cases, shiny shoes, and crisp uniforms? Compasses and set-squares?

It was a time for fresh starts, a moment to begin anew and turn over a new leaf.

That sense of renewal is deeply ingrained in us, carrying the September reset into our adult lives.

And here it is again!

The days of sun and fun have passed, and unsurprisingly, we’ve overindulged, overspent, and underestimated the toll it’s taken.

Now is the moment to pause, refocus, and reassess our health, finances, and relationships.

It’s time to "go back to school" and learn how to 'Rethink' in order to make lasting changes!

www.andreaaro.co.uk

20/08/2025

What Do You Depend on Alcohol Giving You?

When people think about alcohol dependence, they often picture someone drinking every day or struggling to stop.

But dependence is more subtle than that — it’s not always about how much you drink, but what you believe alcohol is giving you.

For many, alcohol becomes a shortcut to:

- Feeling confident in social settings

- Taking the edge off stress or anxiety

- Switching off from a busy mind

- Soothing uncomfortable emotions

- Creating a sense of connection or belonging

If you find yourself leaning on alcohol to give you these things, you’re not alone. It’s easy to fall into the habit of letting alcohol “do the work” for you — until one day, you realise you’re depending on it more than you’d like.

My Rethink Your Drinking Program is designed to help you uncover what alcohol has been giving you, and more importantly, to discover new, healthier ways of meeting those needs. You don’t have to rely on a glass to feel calm, confident, or connected.

This is about taking back your choice, and creating a relationship with yourself — and with alcohol — that feels free, balanced, and in control.

✨ If you’re ready to rethink your drinking and explore a new way forward, I’d love to support you.

Contact me to find out more... x

20/08/2025

What Do You Depend on Alcohol Giving You?

When people think about alcohol dependence, they often picture someone drinking every day or struggling to stop. But dependence is more subtle than that — it’s not always about how much you drink, but what you believe alcohol is giving you.

For many, alcohol becomes a shortcut to:

- Feeling confident in social settings

- Taking the edge off stress or anxiety

- Switching off from a busy mind

- Soothing uncomfortable emotions

- Creating a sense of connection or belonging

If you find yourself leaning on alcohol to give you these things, you’re not alone. It’s easy to fall into the habit of letting alcohol “do the work” for you — until one day, you realise you’re depending on it more than you’d like.

My Rethink Your Drinking Program is designed to help you uncover what alcohol has been giving you, and more importantly, to discover new, healthier ways of meeting those needs. You don’t have to rely on a glass to feel calm, confident, or connected.

This is about taking back your choice, and creating a relationship with yourself — and with alcohol — that feels free, balanced, and in control.

✨ If you’re ready to rethink your drinking and explore a new way forward, I’d love to support you.

Contact me to find out more... x