Chestnut Hypnotherapy

05/02/2026

Behind every video I make there’s me and my laptop.. happy Thursday. Hope you had a great week
https://perimenopausesupport.uk/free-anxiety-toolkit

04/02/2026

Sleep tip you probably haven’t been told. ( or maybe you have but aren’t actually doing!)

If you’re lying in bed at 2am thinking
“Why can’t I just sleep like a normal person?”This is for you.

Insomnia isn’t a willpower problem.
And it’s not because you’re doing bedtime wrong.

Most sleep issues are your nervous system staying on dutylong after it’s needed.

Which is why:

🕳️forcing sleep backfires
🕳️clock-watching ramps things up
🕳️ “I must sleep or tomorrow’s ruined” …keeps the brain on high alert

Sleep doesn’t respond to pressure.

It responds to safety.

That’s why the most helpful changes are often boring,
repetitive, and very unglamorous:

🎈 predictable evenings
🎈protected mornings
🎈 fewer stimulants sneaking in
🎈 getting out of bed when you’re wide awake instead of battling it

None of that is sexy.

But it works.

I’ve just added a short video to the sleep section of my website that talks through the key things that actually help - without relaxation tracks, gimmicks, or pretending sleep is a mindset issue.

If sleep has been off for a while, start there.

And if you want to talk it through properly, I also offer a free consultation.

Your sleep isn’t broken.

It’s just stuck in protection mode.
And that can be retrained.

Link for your free consultation is in comments and here 👇https://calendly.com/bonnie-01/free-initial-consultation

23/01/2026

Something I see a lot with people in midlife is worry about ageing parents.

It’s rarely dramatic.
It’s more of a quiet background concern that never really switches off.

You notice small changes.
You start thinking ahead.
And suddenly part of your mind is always half on.

In women this often sits alongside everything else that perimenopause brings.

Poor sleep.
Less tolerance for stress.
Feeling more on edge than you used to.

What’s interesting is that this kind of worry isn’t really about the future.

It’s about what your nervous system is doing now.

Holding responsibility in two directions keeps the system alert.

If your hormones are already shifting, that alertness can tip into anxiety much more easily.

Not because you’re failing.
But because your buffer is smaller than it used to be.

One small thing that can help is separating what’s actually happening today from what might happen later.

That distinction alone can soften things.

This kind of quiet, background stress is exactly the sort of thing I help you with.

Calmly.
Practically.
Without turning it into a bigger story than it needs to be.

If this is something you’re dealing with, and you want support, I can help. Here’s the link to a Free chat.☕️

https://calendly.com/bonnie-01/free-initial-consultation

Picture is of me on a boat feel free to guess where exactly!

01/01/2026

26/10/2025

📢 Great news from the NHS 📢

They’ve announced that routine NHS Health Checks in England will now include questions about the menopause for the first time - meaning millions of women may get earlier recognition and support of perimenopause/menopause symptoms.

It’s not yet a full screening programme, and details are still being developed (the exact questions and rollout are being worked on) but it marks a huge step forward for women’s health.

But it got me thinking … if the NHS is making progress, are workplaces doing the same?

Imagine a workplace where:

🌸 open conversations about mid-life health were the norm
🌸flexibility and tailored support were readily offered
🌸leaders truly listened, understood and acted
🌸safe spaces existed where women in perimenopause felt seen, supported, not invisible 💖

This kind of culture shift matters because our experience at work is every bit as important as what happens in the Doctor’s office.

👇 I’d love to hear from you:

What does your employer do (if anything) to support women through perimenopause/menopause?

Or what do you wish they’d do differently?

Let’s get the conversation going.


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23/10/2025

I’ve been reading Nobody’s Girl, Virginia Giuffre’s autobiography and it’s honestly not an easy read.

Her story is heartbreaking and brave. She shared her experiences hoping it might help others who’ve been through something painful.

It’s made me think about how, during midlife, old emotions can sometimes resurface - even when we thought we’d dealt with them.

Hormonal changes can heighten our stress response, and things we’ve buried for years can suddenly feel much closer to the surface.

If you’ve noticed yourself feeling more anxious, tearful, or easily overwhelmed lately, please know you’re not alone and it’s not a sign of weakness. It’s your body and mind’s way of asking for a little more care and calm.

That’s why I created my Perimenopause Anxiety Toolkit - a collection of gentle, practical tools to help you ground yourself, soothe anxious thoughts, and understand what’s really happening in your body and brain.

💗 You can download it here: https://sales.chestnuthypnotherapy.com/peri-anxiety-toolkit/

Sometimes, understanding why you feel the way you do is the first step toward feeling more in control and a lot kinder toward yourself. 🌸

15/09/2025

Anyone else lying in bed at 2am with your mind racing, even though you're exhausted? 🙋‍♀️

That "tired but wired" feeling is so common in perimenopause, and it's absolutely maddening. Your cortisol patterns are shifting, your oestrogen is fluctuating, and your nervous system is trying to keep up.

What I see with my clients is this creates a perfect storm where food becomes the go-to stress reliever - especially in those evening hours when everything feels overwhelming.

The good news? There are practical ways to calm that wired feeling and break the stress-eating cycle.

I've put together a free toolkit with simple techniques that work specifically for perimenopausal anxiety. Grab it here: https://sales.chestnuthypnotherapy.com/peri-anxiety-toolkit/

12/09/2025

The 3pm crash… is it you, or your hormones? 🕒

If you’ve ever felt your brain begging for a nap mid-afternoon while your to-do list shouts, “keep going,” this if for you. Coffee helps for about 20 minutes… then the slump hits again.

Here’s the truth: that crash isn’t about willpower. It’s your nervous system and hormones being out of sync.

The good news? There are small ways to steal back an hour of usable energy... no caffeine required:

🌸 Pause before you push
🌸 Swap the scroll for a reset
🌸Protein + water = instant stability

Tiny shifts, but together they add up to more calm and focus in your day.

05/09/2025

The Hidden Impact of Feeling Invisible

😶 When no one really sees you, it can chip away at your confidence, your motivation, and even your joy.

But feeling invisible isn’t just “in your head.” It’s a real experience with real effects — and there are ways to break free from it.

If you’re tired of fading into the background, this blog is for you

- How to start feeling visible,valued and confident again during perimenopause

30/08/2025

Here comes September… 🍂
The kids, the workload, the “back to it” energy all piling in while she’s foggy, anxious, bone-tired, and wondering how she’s meant to keep up.

If you’re her partner, it can feel frustrating or even confusing. You want to help, but you don’t always know how and saying the wrong thing can make her retreat further.

That’s why I wrote my guide for partners: simple ways to support her emotionally and practically during perimenopause. Small gestures, words, and habits that actually make a difference when life feels overwhelming.

Because yes, September will still be September… but she doesn’t have to stumble through it unsupported — and neither do you.

💛 Check out the blog here:
👉

How to support your partner going through perimenopause.

23/08/2025

Perimenopause Partner Playbook: RED FLAG vs GREEN FLAG

🚩 “It’s just stress.” → ✅ “I believe you—how can I help?”
🚩 “Are you cold/hot again?” → ✅ “Want me to grab the fan/window/water?”
🚩 “Let me fix it.” → ✅ “Want ideas or just a listen?”

More green flags inside the blog—send this to the man who gets it.
👉 Read now: https://perimenopausesupport.uk/f/the-heat-is-on-navigating-perimenopause-together-as-a-couple

28/07/2025

You’re trying to feel calmer around food… but still want to feel more in control.

Now what?

This comes up so often in conversations with the women I work with.

There’s a fear that easing up around food means giving in.

That if you stop restricting or fighting your body, it all goes off track.

But what if real change starts when you stop battling?

I help women in perimenopause who feel overwhelmed by anxiety — especially when food has become a way to soothe the stress.

Together, we untangle the habits, the guilt, and the pressure.

Inside my Midlife Food & Feelings Reset and Soothe & Settle programmes, I blend hypnotherapy, nervous system work, and practical support to help you feel calmer, clearer, and more in control — without relying on willpower.

💜 Curious how this could work for you?
Take a peek here:
👉https://perimenopausesupport.uk/feelings-and-food-reset
👉https://perimenopausesupport.uk/soothe-and-settle
I offer a Free No Obligation Consultation too! Here’s the link if you want to talk things through 👉 https://calendly.com/bonnie-01/free-initial-consultation