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Love is all around us but with the pressures of everyday life it can become all too easy to lose focus on the positive feelings of happiness it can bring into our lives. As the daily grind wears away at us we can start to take for granted the amazing gift that is sharing and receiving love with those that mean the most.

When we talk about love we are not just referring to the romantic kind. Love comes in so many different shapes and sizes, it means something different to each and every one of us and even when you think you can't find it, you only need to stop and look around to see that love is present in every part of our lives. You just need to be willing to take the time to notice.

That is why we have put together a list of 20 Love Affirmations for every love in your life. They include affirmations for all aspects of love from family to self-love and from the romantic to finding your own version of love in the everyday. So take five minutes, clear your mind and repeat the affirmations below out loud, focusing on each word as you say it. Repeat daily and refocus your consciousness to allow yourself to welcome love back into your life.

If you would like a bit more detail on what exactly an affirmation is, how they work and what they can be used for we wrote a whole post about them here. 

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Our home should be our sanctuary. The outside world is always waiting with its to do lists, deadlines, appointments and meetings and it’s important to find a place to escape from the strains of everyday modern life. Even for just a short while we need to allow ourselves the chance to relax and unwind from today so that we can recharge our mind and body for tomorrow.
 
Relaxation is not a luxury it is a necessity in modern life. The stress many of us are dealing with on a day to day basis far exceeds the healthy levels that the human body was designed to handle. As a result, many of us are stressed, tense and suffering from the long list of symptoms this brings with it such as headaches, digestive problems and sleep difficulties.
 
That is why we have put together a list of our top five favorite ways to encourage a sense of relaxation and add a little calm to your home…
 
Light a candle
The soft glow of a candles illumination provides a calming alternative to the often-harsh effects of artificial light. There have been links made between fluorescent lighting which can be found in many commercial environments and the effects this has on increasing feelings of anxiety and stress. Switch this off completely with the gentle flicker of a natural light instead.
 
 
Nurture a little nature
Focus on your breathing by adding fresh flowers and plants to your home. They have been linked to improved air quality and a decrease in tense feelings. Nature has long been connected to a reduction in stress levels and studies have shown that these benefits can still be found when nature makes its way inside the home.
 
 
Diffuse the situation
Diffusers can use essential oils to benefit the mind and body. The inhalation of the vapors they release into the air allows us to absorb the health benefits they can provide. Fragrances such as lavender, cedar wood oil and jasmine are just some of the options for increasing a sense of calm.
 
 
Snuggle up with a blanket
Wrapping up in any cosy blanket is sure to calm the nerves but if you are struggling with anxiety or high levels of stress a weighted blanket could be the ideal solution. Based on the principles of deep pressure touch stimulation these specially designed blankets trigger a reaction in the body that releases feelings of calm and security.
 
 
Find your rhythm
Research has found that music can hit the right note for relaxing your mind. Your favourite songs can offer a focus point for your attention and allow you to explore your inner thoughts and emotions through the music, lyrics and feeling they provide.

​Children are presented with a stranger in a red suit who is all seeing, all knowing… someone they can’t hide from! So it’s understandable that some children will find it all a little overwhelming and upsetting to start.  Don’t give up on your dream of taking your child to see Santa and letting them relive the magic you once experienced. Most children outgrow those early fears of Santa but until they do, here are a few tips to help you through the festive period:

Don’t Force Them 
If you know your child is afraid don’t use bribes or threats. It’s true… that perfect photographic shot is within reach, just a few gentle nudges forward. The question is at what cost? It’s important not to push your child until they are ready, or you run the risk of potentially causing psychological harm and further emotional stress.   

Acknowledge Their Fear 
Remember this is about putting your perspective to one side and seeing the situation from theirs. A grotto can be noisy, crowded and even the “Ho, Ho, Ho..” from Santa can be unsettling.  Never mind the beard, suit, gloves and the fact you are asking them to sit on the lap of a stranger! Every child is unique and so are their fears.  

Santa Who? 
It’s important to reassure them that it’s safe and everything is ok.  Stranger anxiety develops in children around 6 months and is a natural and normal part of development.  However, it’s also important to maintain a safe approach when it comes to strangers. Perhaps introducing the concept that they only talk to Santa when a trusted adult is with them.

Take it Slow
Talk about Santa, read stories about him and show them pictures.  Visit Santa’s workshop/grotto a few times and allow your child to observe Santa from a distance that they are comfortable with, perhaps even wave to him and gradually move closer.  This will enable them to become familiar with him and intrigued. If they have older siblings why not encourage them to watch while they visit with Santa.  If/when they decide to get closer, don’t feel it necessary to force them to sit on Santa’s lap if you feel this is distressing them. Instead, encourage them to stand next to Santa and talk to him from a distance they are comfortable with.  

Believe
 Be patient and resist the urge to tell them Santa is not real. It’s likely this fear will dissipate on its own, so why not use the time to build your child’s trust.

Finally… if your child is still distressed, don’t force them to see Santa.  Wait and try again next year!

​Over the years, we have been asked by quite a few people if there is a meaning behind our name,
Therapy in the City.

The short answer to that question is yes!
 
To us, the words Therapy in the City are a way to describe finding your calm in the rush of life.
 Let us explain…

The Therapy Part...

Therapy is of course part of what we do as a global hypnotherapy and mind coaching practice and is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a treatment that is intended to relieve or to heal. For our clients, therapy is a process they can use to relax their minds and bodies, it allows them to refocus, reenergize and reinvigorate their lives.
 
However, this idea of finding calm is not just something we believe is reserved exclusively to therapy sessions, it is everywhere. It can be found in small things such as a well-deserved quiet moment with a good cup of tea or a quick cuddle with the dog to big moments such as climbing mountains and travelling the world. To find any sense of calm is to find your therapy and that is where the first part of our name comes from.

The City Part...

The second part, City, might at first seem self-explanatory. We currently work from clinics in St Andrews and Dundee but over the years we have held practices all over the UK and of course we are now available for sessions online in cities, towns and villages all over the world. So, the City part of our name refers firstly to the location of our business but on a deeper level it refers to the general rush of everyday life.
 
Many of us are living in a hectic hurricane, we are torn between the things we need to do and the things we want to do. For many people day to day life can seem to fly past in a blur of work and to do lists and over time this state of constant tension can lead to anxiety, stress and even depression.

#find yourTITC
 
That is why we believe it is important to take even just five minutes a day to find a little piece of calm and enjoyment, to take a step away from the rush of life and allow yourself some Therapy in the City or as we call it TITC.
 
Come and join our search for calm over on Instagram and #findyourTITC 

If you have stopped in at our Therapy Couch in the past you will know that we well and truly believe that change starts in the mind. As we tell all our clients and just about anyone that pops by for a chat, what the mind conceives the body can achieve, it really is as simple as breathe, listen, change.
 
So today we wanted to take the chance to share with you how we start our morning’s here at TITC and let you in on ​Therapy in the City’s Top Ten Amazing Affirmations. These quick and simple positive phrases will help you to start making and implementing life changing beliefs and the best part is you will only need to squeeze five minutes out of your day to give it a go.

If you have been anywhere near social media (particularly Pinterest) in the past few years, you are sure to have heard whisperings on the amazing effects of positive affirmations. In simple terms affirmations are statements that you make to yourself, about yourself and for yourself. 
 
They consist of positive declarations about specific aspects of your life, ranging from the personal to the professional and work by routinely affirming to yourself (just like the name says) positive thoughts and beliefs. The daily repetition of these statements is made using the current tense, to solidify in your mind that they are not simply who or what you want to be, but who you already are. So instead of saying I want to be happy, an affirmation would mean saying out loud and proud, I am happy.
 
By presenting your goals for change as declarations of truth, affirmations can start to adjust the way you think and feel about yourself and your life. They can help to focus, motivate and guide your subconscious mind to start pushing out negative and limiting beliefs and replacing them with seeds of visualization that you can help grow into positive transformations.

​We know this might all seem a bit strange at first, the process of telling ourselves how amazing we are and admitting what we feel we truly deserve to have and feel is sadly not the norm in everyday life. That’s why we have made it a little easier with our video below, not only does it give you 10 daily affirmations to practice, it also allows you to say them along with us (your new affirmation buddies) until you get comfortable with the process.
 
We would recommend for best results that you repeat each affirmation around five times a day, every day, really allowing yourself to focus and absorb the words you are saying. Remember for affirmations to work you need to believe in what you are saying and trust in the truth of your statements.
 
So, pop yourself down in your happy place, click play and let’s start making a change.