Teach Middle East Magazine June 2014 Issue 2 Vol. 1 | Page 29

A Moment With

T

here are many among us who
suffer in silence from a variety
of issues such as anxiety
and panic attacks. There are
others who are unable to live life to the
fullest because they are being inhibited
by fears and phobias.
Educators are not exempt as there are
those of us who struggle with these
psychosomatic and psychological
conditions. If we are to be honest with
ourselves, seeking professional help
might be just what’s needed to help us
get better.
Russell Hemmings is a world-renowned
Clinical and Cognitive Behavioural
Hypnotherapist. He has garnered global
success and recognition for his work,
in particular with his unique weight
loss therapy, the Advanced Hypnotic
Gastric Band. He has been featured on
the BBC, MBC Dubai, Studio One, RTL
Germany and in Japan as well as in the
national and local press.
The fifty-three year old native of the
UK has been offering help to clients in
the UK, Dubai and Singapore for more
than ten years. His clinics are known
to provide a safe, professional and
confidential environment for clients.
His agenda is simple. He is here to help
you. No hidden tricks. No mysteries.
Just the assurance that you will get an
explanation of what the process entails,
how it works and how it will benefit you.
Let’s take a moment to get to know Mr
Hemmings a little better.
Who was your favourite teacher and
why?
My favourite teacher was my English
teacher, Miss Moore. As a child, I was
always looking for ways to explore the
world creatively. She taught me how to
harness that effectively. I love reading
and that’s down to her. It allows you
to open doors into other worlds; past,
present and future. There’s nothing
like the feeling of getting lost in a good
book to fire up the imagination. To me,
the ability to read is one of the most
important gifts you can give a child.
Give three tips for educators who are
experiencing difficulty in balancing
work and home life?
I totally understand how difficult it is
being a teacher, because many of my
clients work in that profession. The
workload can be intense and also
that sense of responsibility for young
people’s futures can weigh heavy on

the mind. So my three tips for putting
balance back in your life are:

• It’s important to plan your free

time into your schedule. Be really
strict about this, because work can
consume your time. Tell yourself ‘I’m
going to work for three hours here
and then take two hours to spend on
myself and my family.’ It’s important
to see ‘me time’ as productive time.
Anything that helps to recharge
your batteries will mean you are
more effective in the classroom.

• Value the restorative properties

of good quality sleep. Stress is
the enemy to sleep. If you find
yourself unable to drift off because a
thousand things are playing on your
mind, then it’s a good indicator you
are suffering from stress. Deal with
it head on. Take a step back and
look at how you can make positive
changes to alleviate stress. Often
people say to me ‘I can’t do anything.
I’m trapped in this lifestyle.’ This
simply isn’t true. Everyone can make
small changes and they all add up.

• Value your health and fitness levels.

It’s so easy to let this slide when
you’re busy. If you’re not fit and
healthy, energy levels plummet.
When you’re in a demanding
profession like teaching, this can
make the job much harder. Good
physical health has a very positive
impact on your mental well-being. It
is vital that both of these are strong.

Do you have a philosophy that
you use to guide some of the key
decisions that you make? If yes,
what is it?
My philosophy is you can never stop
learning. You can take something
new from any situation. I learn a lot
about what makes people tick from
my clients. I love the idea that you can
learn until your very last breath and
that every new piece of understanding
builds layers and adds depth. I would
hate to think that I could never feel a
sense of awe and wonder again, so
when I’m making key decisions F