January’s two faces

Did you know that the month of January was named after the Roman God Janus?  Janus represented beginnings, endings and transitions and is usually depicted as having two-faces; one facing forward into the future and the other facing backward into the past.  He also presided over the beginning and end of conflict. 

January can feel a bit like Janus for all of us. We start the month looking forward to new beginnings with hope and with good intentions.  By the end of the month, familiar patterns in our thoughts, feelings and behaviours mean the transition to new habits stalls and we look to the past for further evidence that change is out of reach.  Our inner dialogue creates conflict as we struggle to remain motivated.

Trying to think our way out of this with positive thoughts is one way to approach this but it often fails to embed lasting change.  Rating ourselves and our thoughts often leads to greater suffering so what would dropping the struggle with your internal narrative feel like instead? 

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) we explore how a more meaningful life can emerge from contacting what matters – in the present moment and as individuals -and then taking committed action.  We stop rating thoughts as positive or negative and instead ask: Is this taking me in the direction I want to go?  

This approach can feel liberating and is all the more powerful when combined with hypnotherapy.  Hypnotherapy can help embed longer lasting change in combination with ACT and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) because when we relax, focus our attention and work with suggestions that carry meaning for us as individuals we feel supported and motivated to move forward.

Find out more about an evidence-based and integrated approach to therapy, combining cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), ACT and hypnotherapy and how it can support you, by visiting my website at www.sanguinetherapy.co.uk or emailing me at louise@sanguinetherapy.co.uk  to book a free, 20 minute introductory call.