Sharon Dyke Hypnotherapy

14/03/2026

Mindfulness-based therapies are increasingly used for the prevention of relapse in depression. Does the scientific evidence back this up?

14/03/2026

Modern life has turned the motivation circuit in our brains against us. Here's how to reclaim it.

12/03/2026

Studies of neural metabolism reveal our brain’s effort to keep us alive and the evolutionary constraints that sculpted our most complex organ.

15/02/2026

Two decades after the Women’s Health Initiative study, evolving research on menopause hormone therapy is shedding new light on women’s brain health.

14/02/2026

Know your patterns and make a path to more productive thoughts.

05/02/2026

💥 Proven Ways to Reduce the Damaging Effects of Chronic Stress
https://buff.ly/igU5Y6i

When stress becomes chronic, it can take a real toll on your brain and body.
😣 It messes with memory, mood, and immunity.
💚 But the good news — you can lessen the damage.

Science shows that mindfulness, movement, and connection help reset your nervous system and build resilience.

Here’s how to start calming your brain and healing from stress

26/01/2026

The Best Way to Reduce Anxiety Is to Make Your Brain Feel Safe
https://buff.ly/u8iaCyr

Your brain wants safety. Give it that, and stress eases.
😰 Anxiety = brain sensing threat
🧠 Calm = brain feeling safe

There are many ways you can calm your body and make your brain feel safer to reduce anxiety and improve your mental health. In addition to the ones in the image:
😴 Prioritize sleep
🏋️ Exercise
🤝 Socialize
🌞 Notice “glimmers”
🌬️ Breathe deeply
🙏 Mindfulness

22/01/2026

How Gratitude Helps Your Brain and Mental Health
https://buff.ly/bGcgiW2

Gratitude isn’t just a nice idea. It’s brain science. 🧠💛

Having an attitude of gratitude actually changes your brain and improves your mental health in many measurable ways, according to research. 🙏

Gratitude can help reduce stress reactivity, strengthen emotional resilience, boost “feel-good” neurotransmitters, and even improve connection with others. 💕

Learn more in this blog. 😊

19/01/2026

Five Ways Experience Changes Your Brain
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Your brain is not fixed. It’s constantly adapting. 🧠✨

Your brain grows new neurons with more synapses and becomes more connected based on your life experiences. That means what you do repeatedly, what you focus on, and what you practice can literally reshape your brain over time.

In this blog, I break down five specific ways experience changes your brain, and why that’s both empowering and motivating. Here’s how it happens in your head.

12/01/2026

The amygdala is part of the brain’s limbic system and plays a crucial role in processing threat, emotion, and fear.
Before domestication, canines had larger and more reactive amygdalae, which contributed to stronger fight-or-flight responses and increased sensitivity to potential dangers. As domestication progressed, the structure and function of the canine brain shifted, leading to a reduction in both the size and activity of the amygdala.

The amygdala also contributes to individual differences in emotional reactivity and fearfulness. In dogs that have experienced significant trauma, chronic fear, stress or abuse the amygdala can become significantly enlarged or overly active. This heightened activity often presents as increased fear, anxiety, or aggression. Trauma disrupts the dog’s entire threat-processing system, keeping the amygdala in a constant state of hyper-alertness. Elevated cortisol levels then reinforce these neural changes, further strengthening the dog’s stress response.

When the brain is operating in this heightened state, learning becomes more difficult - especially for dogs already overwhelmed by fear or arousal.
Traditional training methods, such as obedience cues or command-based work, may produce short-term compliance but fail to address the underlying changes in the brain. Likewise, high-intensity exercise can increase adrenaline and cortisol, making it even harder for a traumatised dog to regulate stress.

Additionally, some dog breeds naturally have larger or more active amygdalae than others so it’s worth considering whether your dog might be one of them.

25/11/2025

High blood sugar, hearing loss and low educational levels named top three risk factors for dementia in U.S. population

01/11/2025

https://journalsfp.org/article/129824?brid=xAmCV3_LSWjHRC7gIxW-ng&fbclid=IwdGRjcANyu3BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHvPpusrtYr2CSrj0xJzh4itlooZdHOZ1Ei-Po72nHU9p3WggBDC54cEbbwB4_aem_NyQbDVZ4i8_FFk54F6Cjnw

By Sarah Kellett, Gareth Bell. This retrospective case study sought to explore if SFP could be utilised within a primary education setting to support an autistic pupil with their well-being when individually adapted