Last week I went on a train to London for my Pilates Strength course… this journey was a much bigger deal than you might think.

For almost 30 years I’ve experienced varying levels of anxiety around public transport, especially tubes. In the past, the thought of travelling alone into London would have triggered panic almost instantly.

“I can’t do it.”
“What if I need a wee?”
“What if I get stuck?”

But something amazing happened.

When I first thought about this trip, I noticed that familiar fear response beginning to kick in… and then I did exactly what I encourage my Hypnotherapy clients to do every day:

I stopped.
I broke the journey down into small manageable steps.
And I realised… there was actually nothing to be afraid of.

This may sound simple, but I know firsthand that it’s not something you can just switch off overnight. Anxiety and panic run much deeper than that. But when you begin to understand where these feelings come from and what’s actually happening within the brain and body, they start to make more sense. Suddenly, the panic feels less frightening and far less overwhelming.

Combined with the power of hypnotherapy, which works with the subconscious to calm the mind and reduce that constant feeling of danger, it completely changed my reality and what I believed I was capable of.

I could rationalise. Taking this journey on a train wasn’t dangerous.
It was exciting.

And there I was. Calm. Comfortable. Travelling solo to London without the fear that once felt so real and permanent.

If you follow me on social media @josteelehypnotherapy, you may well have thought "wow, she's overplaying this little experience!" 😁 But believe me, if you've experienced anything like this, you'll understand that it needed to be shared!

The joy and the pride in what I was able to do. I am an advocate of celebrating your own achievements (small wins, guys. They're the way forward to changing our brain chemistry! And this was a massive win!)

What’s incredible is that I never specifically worked on this issue directly.

Through regularly experiencing hypnosis myself and learning more about how the brain works, how it predicts fear based on old experiences and outdated patterns, my brain had quietly started rewiring itself.

Without force.
Without battling against fear.
Without “trying harder.”

This is neuroplasticity in action 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

The brain can change.
Old beliefs can change.
Fear responses can change.

No matter your age.
No matter how long you’ve felt stuck, unhappy, anxious or overwhelmed.

This is why I’m so passionate about solution focused hypnotherapy. I see these shifts happen in clients all the time and last week I got to experience one myself in a huge way.

Sometimes the things we believe we “can’t do” are simply old predictions from a brain that’s trying to protect us.

And sometimes… with the right support and understanding… those predictions begin to change.

You are never too old to change your mindset, build confidence and start living more fully. As Mulan (yes, the Disney princess 👑) once said, "Believe you can & you will!" Wise words of hope, Mulan 💗

Have look at my posts during the train experience here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYW71qlsJg1/ and https://www.instagram.com/p/DYY4Pr6MA1P/

If you would like to learn more about how Hypnotherapy can help you (or someone you know), get in touch or browse my website:

https://www.josteelewellness.com/pages/hypnotherapy