Apart from swimming, I have to admit that I am not a great lover of exercise, and for a long time I have been trying to find some physical activity that I can almost become addicted to, that I actually want to do instead of feeling that I have to do it.

Well, I think I have found it.

Mr Chalk very kindly bought me a lovely new hybrid bike last week, with a light alloy frame and the difference between this and my old ‘sit up and beg bicycle’ is quite amazing. On the new bike I am finding it so much easier to navigate the roads (and yes, there are hills in Suffolk) that I am gradually increasing the distances I go. Today we went out on a most enjoyable 14 mile bike ride round Suffolk, and what I most appreciated, apart from the endorphin-high I got which has lasted the rest of the day, was being able to notice so much more in terms of wildlife, beautiful properties around here, and in addition the sounds and smells of the countryside. We really are blessed living in such a beautiful part of the country, but I don’t think I have fully been aware of this until now.

I am certainly not going to be the next Victoria Pendleton but I think that cycling may well have me hooked, which as a healthy addiction, I am quite happy about.

Sometimes people talk about having an addictive personality and I think we all have the capacity to become addicted to something. When you find something which gives you a high, you inevitably want more of it. Where the brain can play tricks on you however, in the case of a negative addiction such as drugs, alcohol, overeating or gambling is making you deny how bad you inevitably feel after the initial fix has worn off. You continue to ‘forget’ about how destructive this habit is, as you only remember the high it gives you.

When I treat people with destructive addictions, we look at how they can access the good feeling, the buzz, but in a natural long-lasting way. Hypnosis itself can make people feel really good, calm, incredibly relaxed, as well as more positive. In addition it can open up the mind to finding new healthy activities which will provide the feel-good factor, but without the disturbing consequences of a destructive habit.

It is not always easy, but once you can experience the freedom from a negative addiction, you can start to fill your life with good, healthy options that still give you that exhilarating ‘high’.

Like cycling ….

Wendy x