There is always scope for development and improvement, no matter how evolved one is. Especially when it comes to affecting personal changes like inculcating new habits, improving self-esteem, changing diets, developing new skill sets or improving upon existing skills, and finding success in our endeavors we are constantly trying to upgrade or change ourselves.
But change is always challenging. Assuming one is able to find the courses or the technical resources for their area of interest, there are always the aspects of motivation, time, consistency and practice. Any change, to be consistent and long lasting, has to start with the mind and end with becoming a habit of the mind. That’s what I believe.
Hypnotherapy is a field that can help people with change. Apart from deep therapy sessions that deal with serious traumas of the past one has experienced, Hypnotherapy can help one in bringing change into their lives in be it in areas of self-improvement, breaking hard habits, or to develop new skills and alter self-limiting beliefs.
Hypnosis is a mental state of increased awareness and heightened suggestibility. It is a very powerful state of mind anybody can go or take themselves into if they are willing. It is a powerful tool not only to address mental emotional and behavioral problems, but it can also boost self confidence, improve memory and relieve anxiety and stress.
Self-hypnosis, Affirmations and Visualizations make a very potent combination for self change. They can rapidly and positively develop one’s abilities, performance, attitudes and behaviors.
Self Hypnosis
Self Hypnosis is auto-hypnosis. It is a practiced ability to direct oneself into the state of hypnosis without the need for a Hypnotist’s assistance every time. Though I wouldn’t recommend it to deal with deep traumas of the past, Self Hypnosis is perfect for most areas of self-improvement. You can use it to develop a new skill that you want to pick up, to improve your performance in an existing skill, to improve memory, to boost creative thinking, to improve general attitude towards life or work, and to manage anxiety and stress in your life.
Learning Self Hypnosis is done through attending a few sessions with a Hypnotherapist who can teach it. They take the subject into the state of hypnosis and place suggestions so that the subject can then practice it themselves. But the most important aspect of mastering self-hypnosis is through regular practice.
The first three/four weeks of practice can be challenging. That’s the time when you put in dedicated practice. The most common reason why many people give up at that time is because of overthinking. In the first few weeks of practice, many people cannot ascertain if they are under hypnosis or not when they practice. So they tend to over-analyze and try hard to take themselves into the state. But that is exactly opposite of what they need to be doing. They need to try less in order to relax into hypnosis and most tend to give up the practice in frustration. But those who simply persist through those weeks by simply allowing a state of relaxation to come naturally during the practice soon find that self-hypnosis is one of the most powerful tools they could ever ask for to address all areas of self-improvement and personal development.
Positive Affirmations and Visualizations
A lot of clients ask me if affirmations work. My reply is they do when used in a suggestive state of mind. When our minds receive suggestions or messages that are in contrast to its held beliefs, lessons from past experiences or that are simply going against it’s usual habits, it tends to scrutinize those messages and reject most of them. A suggestible state is when the mind is willing to receive and accept the new suggestions and perspectives. Hypnosis is, as I pointed out earlier, a state of heightened suggestibility. Of course even in a state of hypnosis, radical suggestions that go against the basic moral tenets of the client are still rejected. But affirmations and visualizations aimed at personal growth and improvement are accepted and acted upon by the subconscious. That’s one reason why self-hypnosis, affirmations and visualizations make a very potent combination for self change. They can rapidly and positively develop one’s abilities, performance, attitudes and behaviors.
The key difference between affirmations and visualizations is that one is verbal while the other is visual. They both have their own limitations and advantages but it all simply boils down the matter of choice and preference. Some of my clients in the past found affirmations easier to work with while some loved visualization exercises. Of course, hypnosis is not the only way to make the mind suggestible, there are also other methods through which one can take themselves into a suggestible frame of mind too.
How long does it take to work? The obvious answer to that question is it depends. There are many factors that weigh in to decide the time of change. A better question to ask first would be: Is it possible? Whenever you have goal for a change or improvement, asking is it even possible will bring in some reality checks and you can start addressing the objections step by step through self-hypnosis, positive affirmations and visualizations. For instance, let us say you are trying to learn a new language and you want to use affirmations and hypnosis to learn faster and retain better. Asking is it even possible to learn the language can bring up any fears and misconceptions about the task at hand. Then you can start addressing each one through self hypnosis and visualization.
Another instance is when a person wants to shape their body in a certain way through diet or exercises and that person wants to achieve it within a certain time frame, again, asking the question is it possible can tell the person if they are being realistic about their goals or the time frame. This can help them break down their goals into shorter chunks and use self hypnosis, positive affirmations and positive visualization to attain those smaller steps incrementally.
Another factor that determines the time to succeed is the intent of the subject to succeed. I get people who want to change and then I get people who are really set on change. It is the second lot that usually succeeds and they get there lot faster.
I would personally say leave out question of time unless there is a deadline for your goal, like writing an exam or attending an interview, etc. Focus on your sessions and you are likely to get there.
I do personally teach self-hypnosis and methods of positive affirmations and positive visualizations. If you are interested, you can call me on +91 9394301400.
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