Self-hypnosis is a safe and effective means of self-improvement, the applications of which are virtually limitless. It’s a valuable tool for achieving goals, improving in sports, athletic competitions, school, social, or personal performance, and for bringing about positive changes in your health, emotions, or for whatever reasons you may have.
Here is a method for hypnotizing yourself that you can modify and add any suggestions you would like to make. This is similar to hypnosis performed in the office, only you are the hypnotist and you make up your own suggestions.
1. Begin by thinking about what you would like to accomplish. Some suggestions are: improved sleep, relaxation, managing emotions, relaxing before and during test, medical procedures or dental visits, losing weight, or quitting a habit.
2. Go to a quiet room where you will not be disturbed and sit in a comfortable chair or on a couch.
3. Close your eyes and begin to take slow, deep breaths. Prepare to relax by putting aside any worries or thoughts that you should be doing something else. If thoughts intrude, just dismiss them by telling yourself you will deal with them later.
4. Begin to relax your body starting with your feet, then moving up your body, telling each part to relax and let go. Imagine a soothing light (your choice of color) moving through your body and causing it to relax and release tension.
5. As you exhale, imagine tension leaving your body and say to yourself, “I am completely calm and relaxed,” over and over again.
6. Imagine yourself at the top of a staircase. As you begin to step down the stairs slowly, each step takes you deeper within yourself into a place a perfect calmness.
7. When you reach the bottom of the stairs, imagine yourself in a beautiful place where you feel perfectly calm and peaceful – a garden, the seashore, or somewhere in nature where you are carefree and surrounded by beautiful sights and sounds.
8. Now think about the thing you wish to change, accomplish, or improve, i.e. the original goal for your self-hypnosis.
9. Visualize yourself having reached this goal. Reinforce it with affirmations, such as, “I am relaxed when speaking in front of groups,” “I am an excellent test-taker,” “My piano playing is improving every day,” “I am reaching my weight goal,” I am getting healthier every day,” “I am a non-smoker,” etc.
10. Stay in this relaxed state for as long as you want, then imagine walking back up the stairs, repeating your affirmations (there may be several). At the top of the stairs, remain in the relaxed state for a while longer and when you are ready, open your eyes and affirm out loud, “I am wide awake and have accomplished my goal.”
Be patient with yourself as you start out, realizing that this is a skill that needs practice. Pretty soon, you’ll find that you are able to achieve a state of calmness and relax no matter where you are.
Thank you so much for this! I just did a meditation/relaxation following these steps, and it was wonderful.
I love your blog – I can’t wait to read more posts!
Is self-hypnosis as effective as hypnosis guided by a therapist? Also, what would you suggest for someone who has a lot of trouble relaxing and/or concentrating? Do you have any tips for an anxious person trying to do self-hypnosis?
Great questions! First, I recommend doing hypnosis first with a therapist just to get a feel for what the trance state is like before learning self-hypnosis. For relaxation, you might want to consider combining self-hypnosis with yoga, or some other practice such as mindfulness, meditation,deep breathing, etc. Anxious people do great with hypnosis and self-hypnosis. Keep in mind that hypnosis is an agreement, either with yourself or the therapist, to listen, let go, relax, and allow positive suggestions to enter your mind. The best tip is to start with is slow, deep breathing (aka yoga breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, relaxation breathing). This sends a signal to your brain that it’s time to relax. From there, you can focus on sounds (soft music), a word (mantra) or a positive thought (I am deeply relaxed), to get yourself into the trance state. And don’t let the word “trance” throw you. It’s just a focused, relaxed state that allows the positive suggestions and thoughts to sink in. Hope that helps!