Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis - News and Articles

Learned Helplessness
Posted on Dec 07 2011
Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis - News and Articles >>

A while ago I read a book called the Elephant And The Twig (The Art of Positive Thinking) by Geoff Thompson. 

In the Introduction he describes how baby elephants are trained by tying them to a tree when they are young.

Because they are so small they can tug and tug and never manage to break free.  Soon they believe that there is no point in even trying so they give up.  As they grow bigger they still believe there is no point trying, so now they can be tied to the smallest stick or twig and they will never even bother trying to escape – this is called learned helplessness.

Most of us have learned helplessness in at least one area of our lives.  Something that we just don’t even bother trying anymore because we know we are no good at it.

For some of us it’s sports (of all types).  Why bother trying when I was never any good at sports at school – it won’t have changed.  Perhaps it’s DIY.  I was never as good as my Dad at DIY so I just stopped trying.  Perhaps it’s cooking.  I tried boiling an egg once and the pan boiled dry – so I didn’t try again.

It might be something small and unimportant.  Or it might be something bigger that if you could just break free of that learned helplessness would lead to a better job, a new relationship or the freedom to have more fun in your life.

Whatever it is, you just have to be willing to tug on the rope tied to the tiny twig and you can take the first step towards whatever you want to achieve.  And if you want some help as you begin to tug on that rope then Cognitive Hypnotherapy could be the right place for you to start.

Contact me for more information about Cognitive Hypnotherapy.

Brenda Cox
Tel: 07895 290528
admin@brendacox.co.uk
 

Last changed: Dec 07 2011 at 9:46 AM

Back

Cognitive Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire - convenient for Broxbourne, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Cross, Enfield, Hertford, Ware and North London areas.

Bury Green, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, EN7 5BJ 

Cognitive Hypnotherapy in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
email: admin@brendacox.co.uk or telephone: 07895 290528