You drift in and out of hypnosis every single day.
You might be wondering how you can hypnotise yourself, but the reality is that we drift in and out of hypnosis many times a day.
Think about the times when you scroll mindlessly on your phone, or find yourself driving somewhere on autopilot, or walk into the kitchen and automatically pick up a snack. This is us living our lives in a mostly subconsious state – in self-hypnosis.
What we can do is to use this skill to create a ritualised version of self-hypnosis, to help us to interrupt our less desirable habits and thoughts, and to help us achieve that goals that we desire in our lives.
I’ve written a step-by-step guide below to show you how to create a self-hypnosis practice that adapts with your needs. You can use this for a few minutes each day, or for 10 minutes, or longer! It’s adaptable for whatever you need and however long you have.
If it helps to have background music, there are plenty of free mediation and hypnosis tracks online. I particularly like Weightless by Marconi Union, but do have a listen to some different tracks to see what works for you. Or silence is also a brilliant soundtrack!
Step-by-step guide to self-hypnosis:
- Find an area in your home or workplace where you can have some undisturbed time for yourself. Make sure your phone is on silent or put somewhere so it won’t disturb you.
- Sit in a comfortable position with your back supported and your hands resting in your lap or by your side.
- Set an intention – what do you want to get out of this self-hypnosis? What question do you want to explore?
- Focus your gaze. Find something in your line of sight to focus on, and let your vision soften and blur.
- Take three slow, deep breaths. Every time you breathe out, imagine stress and worry leaving your body. Each time you breathe in, imagine calmness filling your body.
- As you continue to breathe steadily, focus your attention on your eyelids and imagine them getting heavier with each exhale. Notice the muscles around your eyes relaxing and releasing, until your eyelids feel too heavy to keep open.
- Imagine yourself in your happy place. This can be anywhere you feel safe and relaxed. You might be in a garden, on a beach, in a cozy chair, or wherever feels good for you. Use all your senses to create the experience of being in this place, feeling calm, relaxed and peaceful.
- Focus on your intention. Imagine your goal or question in front of you. Allow your mind to be open and curious about it. What thoughts come to mind? What emotions do you feel? Where does your train of thought go? Do you notice any images, sounds, memories, fears, desires? Whatever comes up is ok, it’s simply information to help you.
- When your mind has settles, you can start to let your body return to normal. Begin by counting from 1 to 5, telling yourself that when you reach 5 you will open your eyes feeling energised, alert and ready to get on with the rest of your day.
- Take a moment to note down any insights that came up during your self-hypnosis. You can come back to these later to reflect on and help you move forward with your goal or question.
If you’d prefer to listen to a guided self-hypnosis recording, you can find plenty online; through apps, YouTube, or other sources.
Alternatively, if you’d like a bespoke recording that is tailored to you and your goals, then please get in touch and I would love to create one for you!