By Aude Mahoudeau-Campoyer

Procrastination, the tendency to postpone for tomorrow, what could be accomplished today. Who hasn’t fallen for it when faced with an extensive to-do list or starting a major project?  The temptation to postpone work has even been written into popular songs, “«Aujourd’hui peut-être... ou alors demain...» (“Today perhaps, or yet perhaps tomorrow…”).

But there is something a lot more mysterious about procrastinating, and it is that the procrastinator is not at all lazy. In fact, a procrastinator is capable of getting up before dawn to get to a meeting on time, only to arrive late, having found all kinds of excuses for distraction.

The reasons for procrastination are numerous, varying from a lack of interest, to dissatisfaction with the task at hand, or that little voice that tells us that we can’t do the task well, or even more likely, the fear of failure which paralyses us to the point that we lose all confidence.

Procrastination doesn’t make us feel good either. Instead, we are left feeling guilty, useless and inept, creating feelings of depression, which could cause us to feel socially insecure.

Here are 10 ways to conquer procrastination:
 
1)  Determine what your priorities are. It’s important to have them clear in your mind
 
2)  Stay away from the laptop, iPad, television...
 
3)  Set your objectives by order of importance and date in a diary where it is clearly visible
 
4)  Divide each task into several small tasks so that it can easily be achieved and provide you with a sense of satisfaction
 
5)  Commit to your tasks to build self confidence
 
6)  Identify any fear of failure and kick it to the curb
 
7)  Be proud of yourself at every stage. Each step is a victory
 
8) Ask for help from friends who have expertise in the area
 
9) Plan ahead to avoid getting burned out with fatigue or life’s uncertainties
 
10)  Develop self-confidence slowly, victory after victory and don’t forget to congratulate yourself once you’ve succeeded!
 
As Jules Renard said, « True courage consists of being brave precisely when we are not. » This is the same for work, the discipline to persevere. It is when all of us divert our attention from our goal that we should in fact strive to prove their worth.  
 
Aude Mahoudeau-Campoyer
Sophrologist, Hypnotherapist, EFT practitioner.
www.sophrologyhk.com
brieftherapyhk@gmail.com
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By Aude Mahoudeau-Campoyer

It has been proven, meditation changes the cells in the brain!

Although it would not appear to be the case, the act of having eyes closed and staying calm, in a meditative state, is not just a state of relaxation. On the contrary, it serves to transform the functioning of the brain. Meditation focuses on the internal space: halting feelings, emotions, and thoughts which circulate freely to a state of complete focus on a single object.

This training of the mind, as has been proven by MRI scans “improves attention span, and mental alertness" explains Antoine Lutz, an expert at the center of neuroscience, Lyon.

Meditation allows us to better manage our emotions, a possible solution for those suffering from depression. It’s also possible from this practice to learn to reduce physical pain, negative thoughts, and even slow down the aging process of the brain, since it stimulates the connecting neural pathways, which reduces stress.  

Scientific testing has proven that with time, there are noticeable physical differences. Mathieu Ricard, official emissary to the Dalai Lama in France, and one of the world’s most prominent buddhist monks, also supports this notion. After about three months of meditating, tests have shown that test subjects have had a stronger immune system, a 20-30% increase in antibodies, as well as an increase in the body’s white blood cells. Meditation further contributed to the reduction of cholesterol in the blood and drop in blood pressure.  

Contrary to popular belief, meditation is a simple skill that anyone at any age can learn.  Already known for its healthy benefits to adults, for children, meditation can also be beneficial. Adults forget or are perhaps not conscious of the daily stress that can affect children, such as peer pressure in school, stress from parents, or the arrival of a new brother or sister.

Meditation can help children assuage their negative emotions, especially anger or anxiety and overcome their daily challenges. Children also learn to express their feelings of anger, sadness or discomfort in healthy ways.

The ultimate benefit of meditation is that it boosts overall wellbeing, leaving you feeling unencumbered.  The sense of balance which comes with meditation only comes with thorough self understanding, and acceptance of others and the environment at large. Of course it is not possible to stay balanced all of the time, but all the same, start to practice meditation on your own rhythm and on your own time.

For more information on the topic, or for those who want to start meditating, contact me directly and I will provide a simple and straight forward guide, which is easy for everyone to use.

Aude Mahoudeau-Campoyer
Sophrologist, Hypnotherapist, EFT practitioner
www.sophrologyhk.com
brieftherapyhk@gmail.com
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By Aude Mahoudeau-Campoyer

New faces, lots of  tears, laughs, and anxious parents? That’s right! School has started! It’s time for the first reality check and unfortunately it’s not always what we’d hoped for. It can be a confusing experience for a child.
Be patient, listen and stay calm, this will reassure your child and help him adapt to his new life.

My child tells me he doesn’t like school
DON’T DRAMATIZE and listen to him! We usually tend to speak for our kids! Let’s not look devastated and tell him the teacher must be amazing and that school is somewhere he’s sure to have fun. Let him express himself and come up with ideas together about what can be done to make it better. This will make him feel more secure in expressing his concerns and in finding solutions. Also, it’s important he understands that it’s in his own interest to go to school: knowledge acquisition and learning to grow up.

My child isn’t making friends
It will take new or shy children more time to make friends. Generally, no kid feels lonely more than a month and they all end up making friends eventually. By being a good listener and by inviting your child’s new friends home, it could help create bonding that will extend to the school playground!

My child is tired after school
That’s normal! The beginning of the school year is stressful for the whole family: getting back into routines, medical appointments, subscribing to extra-curricular activities, the schedule overload… And your child spends long days doing group activities, he needs time to adapt to this new pace. That is why it’s essential to keep an “awake-sleep-playtime” routine at home .
Quick tip: Spend family time playing board games; it encourages daily communication and sharing in a fun way. In addition, a child will be more inclined to do his homework knowing there will be a fun game afterwards.

Never forget that all children have their own pace and individual needs which you must respect if you want them to build their confidence. Keep listening to what and how children go through what they go through in their daily lives, and never forget that love, sharing and time are most often the winning trio for them to progress and adjust smoothly.

Aude Mahoudeau - Campoyer Sophrologist & Hypnotherapist
Web: www.sophrologyhk.com
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The holidays are over, switch the clocks back to Hong Kong time, prepare yourself to plunge back into work and get the kids ready for school. What if we told you we had a miracle solution to make your return to reality as smooth as possible… with our wild card:  essential oils.  When caring for your body, mind and spirit, there’s nothing like this 100% natural little boost. And we chose the best: Pranarôm. It might ring a bell because the brand is one of the leaders in aromatherapy in France, or it could be that you’re already fully versed when it comes to the benefits of aromatherapy. Whatever it is, follow our advice to be at your best after the holidays!
 
September, time to take your body in your own hands
Summer’s over and your feet, hands and face are dehydrated. To help skin tissue retain moisture, give it a massage at night with organic Shea butter that you heat up slightly by rubbing in your hands. For cracks and particularly dry areas, add melted butter and two drops of Labdanum essential oil to the mix before applying to your skin. On top of working wonders it’s also extremely pleasant!
If you’re concerned that Shea butter is too greasy to use on a daily basis alternate with the ADAPTARÔM cream, its wonderfully soft texture will work wonders on even the most sensitive skins.
 
Feel like getting back into exercise? Good for you  - but watch out for those initial aches and pains! Wintergreen and Lemon Eucalyptus mixed with arnica oil for its well-known anti-inflammatory and soothing benefits, will work magic before and after your workout. The Aromalgic range by Pranarôm has a spray and massage oil that are great for workout prep and are precious allies for fighting chronic pains. New – the massage roll on that’s so easy to use and a great quick fix for joints and muscles.
 
 
Bye Bye Stress!
This year stress won’t get you. You’re fully relaxed after your holiday and you’ll stay zen in front of your boss’ tantrums and all those reports due in yesterday. Pranarôm has two essential oil blends that work wonders in stressful times. The first is used for massages. Massage your solar plexus before going to work in the morning with the  « Massage RELAX » blend (2 drops added to 2 drops of vegetable oil) that fight nervous spasms, help  with focus and is all together very comforting. The second option: the Zen blend to diffuse in your home that will give you peace of mind before heading out.
 
Jet lag – what’s that!
You’ve been jet setting across the globe and defying time zones. You’ve been blown away by so much beauty and coming down from cloud nine might take a toll on you. Be proactive and follow this recipe to get over jetlag:
1mL of Roman chamomile essential oil
2ml of Petitgrain essential oil
2ml of exotic basil
 
Apply one drop of this mix in honey or cane sugar to suck on 2 to 3 times a day as soon as you leave.
 
Discover all Pranarôm products on the Aroma Vera e-shop:
www.aromaprana.com.hk
 
Welcome back !

 

The odds of winning the lottery are greater than experiencing a plane accident!
 
By Aude Mahoudeau – Campoyer
 
Did you know that more than 30% of the population is scared of flying, mostly due to over mediatisation of accidents that fuels negative emotions towards it. Circumstances are always exceptional and rare but the visual impact is greater than anything. So how do you get over your fear?
 
First step, we have to demystify the experience with facts: when a plane takes off, it escalates at a 15-degree angle – max. But the tenser we are, the steeper we think we’re going. In strong turbulence planes fall 20 centimetres, no more. But when you’re going at 800km/h, it’s enough to make your dinner tray fall. No matter how strong it is turbulence in itself isn’t enough to cause an accident. A plane can withstand lightening.  Air holes don’t exist.
 
Secondly, you need to find concrete solutions. Stress and emotions alter our cardiac rhythm. But when you stop breathing properly physical symptoms are heightened (vertigo, palpitations, moist hands. So you have to force yourself to consciously exhale slowly to calm anxiety. Another trick is writing which awakens the cortex and takes over the emotional brain.
 
It’s very hard to deprogram apprehensions that are engraved in your psyche, but we can associate them with new images to our fears, positive ones. This method works particularly well when treating phobias.
With sophrology sessions, anxiety is substituted with so called “muddy” images, until all sensation of panic disappears. You’ll then be able to fly on planes more serenely and fully make the best of what is actually a great opportunity to relax.


Aude Mahoudeau - Campoyer
Sophrologist
Site: www.sophrologyhk.com FB: Sophrology HK by Aude Mahoudeau