Are you often caught up in doing daily tasks that seem to be repetitive? Are you prone to repeating the same routine over and again unconsciously? If that’s the case, you could be experiencing the “everyday trance”, a routine form of hypnosis. In this article, we’ll explore the power of hypnosis and how it contributes to self-transformation and improvement.
What are Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a state of the mind where you enter a single-minded trance-like state, almost similar to a daydream. It requires the help of another person to get you into this daydream-like state. On the other hand, self-hypnosis is identical to meditation, where the goal is to attain mental clarity. The difference is that the hypnotic suggestions are similar to reciting mantras.
Self-hypnosis techniques are used to promote the right mindset or to motivate the individual. You will need first to enter a calm state of mind before becoming single-minded in your goal. For example, you will utilize self-hypnosis to allow yourself to finish a task such as a complex artwork. The result is that; you become single-minded to finish your masterpiece.
The key difference is that; meditation is all about acceptance and calming your senses. On the other hand, self-hypnosis entails pushing yourself to your goals by entering a single-minded state.
How Do You Hypnotize Yourself?
To enter a single-minded state of mind, you’ll need to learn self-hypnosis procedures. When you learn the self-hypnosis techniques, you can easily shift into a greater state of mind by unlocking the power of your mind. Fortunately, there’s a rather easy method to attain a state of single-mindedness so you can be driven to focus on pursuing your goals. Here’s a summarized discussion of how you can hypnotize yourself:
Find a Quiet and Comfortable Spot
Search for a place you find comfortable to help relax your mind and body. You can either sit on a soft chair; both legs and feet uncrossed. You can also try lying down on the couch or bed but you might fall asleep if you do so. Take note to wear loose clothing and avoid eating heavy meals before you search for a nice quiet spot to hypnotize yourself.
Relax through Hypnotic Induction
One of the self-hypnosis techniques you can use is progressive muscle relaxation. Do it by focusing on awareness of any tension present in your body. Release the tension sequentially.
Start with your hands and arms. After that, move downwards to your back. Then, release tension from the shoulders and neck. The stomach, chest, legs, and feet are to get relaxed next.
While trying to relax your muscles, imagine the tension you had is slowly melting away. Once you feel a deep sensation of comfort, that’s a sign that you’re ready for self-hypnosis.
Start Introducing a Suggestion
Self-hypnosis techniques aren’t complete without introducing a suggestion. Once you are in a very relaxed state, mention your suggestions. These suggestions must be clear and short. They can be forms of self-improvement such as “quitting smoking” or giving yourself an extra push to a goal.
Return to Your Standard Alertness Level
After providing the hypnotic suggestions, you should be more alert and aware. Count up to five while telling yourself that you are starting to be more aware of your surroundings. After reaching the count of five, open your eyes, stretch both legs and arms, and go on with your normal day.
As a bonus section, here are a few tips for hypnotic suggestions to make it more effective. These tips however apply to the third step of introducing a suggestion.
The Suggestion Must be Full of Conviction
Say the suggestion gently but with assurance and confidence. You’d want to make sure that the suggestion goes through and doesn’t get broken.
Suggestions Must Be Set in the Present Tense
For example, instead of saying “I will be confident”, you’d want to say “I am confident”. You want to be present at the moment and to provide certainty for yourself.
Suggestions Must Be Realistic
Self-hypnotic suggestions must be grounded in reality and attainable. Avoid grandiose suggestions as they can get you off-track and can set you up for disappointment.
Repeat Your Suggestions
Treat it like a mantra, and state your suggestions repeatedly during self-hypnosis. Repeating the idea over and again will reinforce it in your mind.
Self-Transformation: Benefits of Self-Hypnosis
Now that you’ve discovered how you can hypnotize yourself, let’s find out how placing your mind into a state of trance benefits you.
Improved Sleep
It is revealed in a study conducted in 2020 that self-hypnosis is a promising way to improve sleep. In the study conducted; 90 women who are experiencing sleep disturbances caused by menopause had better sleep after self-hypnosis.
Weight Reduction
Self-hypnosis for weight loss is real as shown in a study conducted in 2022. The research involved the participation of 46 individuals. These individuals were subject to the usage of audio self-hypnosis to suggest behavior change. Through behavior change, they were subjected to beneficial weight loss routines.
Better Pain Management
Hypnosis is endorsed as a means to mitigate pain in patients, especially the elderly. In a study conducted in 2016 – it’s shown that hypnosis and to an extent, self-hypnosis reduces pain in elderly hospitalized patients. Hypnosis particularly works on patients experiencing chronic pains.
Promotes Mindfulness and Lessens Stress
This study in 2019 shows that through mindful hypnotherapy, it’s possible that hypnosis can be used to improve mindfulness and lower stress. Aside from using mindful hypnotherapy, participants are also subjected to individual sessions and self-hypnosis audio recordings. The results of this research caused positive results where there’s a huge participant satisfaction and high treatment adherence at 84%.
Aside from the mentioned four benefits, there are also anecdotes of self-hypnosis being useful for anxiety and self-confidence. There are also claims of increasing one’s likelihood to quit smoking. However, in the case of these three, the research is still at work and will need a bigger sample size to see better results.
The Bottom Line
Self-hypnosis is a means to put yourself into a trance-like state while you are relaxed. By using the suggestions we’ve discussed and taking time to learn self-hypnosis techniques, you give yourself the extra push needed to fulfill the goals stated in these suggestions.
It’s also shown that self-hypnosis continues to improve the health of many people with the previously-explored results and new studies that are undergoing. More so, it is clear that self-hypnosis techniques could become a promising new method to improve mental wellness.