Stress relief in 3 easy steps with Hypnosis

Some stress is normal, but too much can be deadly. How can you tell when you’re are overwhelmed with stress? The easiest way is to listen to your emotions and body. All of us intuitively know when stress is getting out of control. The signs are obvious;  irritability, insomnia , upset stomach etc. The key is to pay attention to the signs. Individually, our stress tolerance varies. So while I can’t tell you how much is too much stress for you, your body will.

What to do if stress is overwhelming you? Hypnosis is one of the easiest methods to get relief from the grind of daily stress and anxiety.  For years I’ve practiced self hypnosis as a quick and effective way  to find peace of mind. I’ve created a shortcut of sorts, which has worked well for me.  Just follow these simple steps:

1) Find a quiet place to lie down for at least 30 minutes. I find it works much better to close your eyes and play soft music. If the music distracts you, turn it off. Make yourself comfortable and warm. Wear loose fitting clothes and take off your shoes.

2) Take 3 deep breaths and slowly exhale. Using  your mind’s gentle inner voice begin telling yourself to relax.The subconscious will listen and actually start relaxing you. Start with your head and work downwards. Tell yourself that the muscles around your eyes and mouth are relaxing…. Work down to your neck, shoulders, arms, fingers, chest, groin, buttocks, legs and finally your toes.  This should take around 5 minutes. Trust yourself, it works. You’ll begin to notice that you feel better.

3) In your mind’s eye imagine a staircase, elevator or escalator. Choose one that you like. If you can’t actually see them, don’t worry. Your subconscious will know. Imagine yourself at the top and slowly count down from 10 to 1, descending with each count. Take several seconds between counts. Tell yourself that for each count you will feel progressively more and more relaxed. Do this until you reach the bottom. If you feel like it, go down another level. I generally use 3 levels until I reach the bottom.  The inner dialoge could sound something like this:

“As I go down, I feel more and more relaxed. I feel calmer. I am going deeper and deeper with each count.” 

My personal method is to arrive at my own secret place. It’s a balcony overlooking the Pacific ocean. I can see a lighthouse and it’s peaceful and calm and the weather is perfect. There is a comfy chair in which I sit and just relax.  Your secret place could be anything or anywhere. It can be a cloud gently floating in the sky. Or your backyard as you enjoy swaying in your hammock. Whatever image, place or circumstance feels calming to you, use it. Be creative. And don’t worry if you actually can’t see it in your mind’s eye.  Simply thinking of it will work.

As you relax in your special place, you can tell yourself that you are calm. Always use positive statements such as “I am relaxed.” Don’t use negative sentences, such as “I won’t be stressed out anymore”. The subconscious does not respond to negative statements 

Take a little time and let your mind wander. You can imagine yourself walking along the shore and feel the warm sand between your toes. Or see yourself in a hammock on a calm summer day. It’s up to you. Stay there for awhile and let the peaceful feelings flow over you. When you’re ready to come back, tell yourself that you will slowly count backward from 5 and with each count you will feel refreshed, calm and alert. At the count of 1 you will awake feeling wonderful. Now try it!

Don’t fret if you don’t think it’s working, or if you don’t feel you’re going under. If you believe and trust the process to work, it will. It may take several tries, but soon you will begin to notice a pattern and a special feeling come over you during the procedure. Your body and mind will feel the tension ease and you will know that you are relaxing. As you become better, you can even create shortcuts and cues that will send you under almost immediately.

To get maximum benefit, however, I highly recommend you find a trained and reputable hypnotherapist.  Deep hypnosis under the guidance of a professional can be a profound and life changing  experience. 

Contact me if you’d like to learn more. I’m here to help.

 

Regards