Self-Hypnosis is a simple technique, but it does take practice. The practice is to be able to relax and to keep your thoughts focused on what you want.
Self-Hypnosis is something that will feel familiar because we go into a trance many times during the day. When you do something automatically and don’t remember doing it (like driving somewhere), you are in a trance. When you are watching TV and not noticing what is going on around you, you are in a trance.
When I say trance, I don’t mean you have no idea what is going on……or you are totally out of it. A perfect trance for self-hypnosis is being very relaxed with your mind being calm and alert. It is in this state that it is easy to focus on one thing. You will know what is going on around you and you will be safe.
There are many ways to become relaxed enough for self-hypnosis.
Find a place where you are comfortable and not be disturbed. If you are tired and could possibly fall asleep, lying on a bed is not a good idea.
NEVER do self-hypnosis when you are driving or in a situation that you need to be alert.
Focus on your breathing. Slowly breath in and out and feel your body relax more with each breath.
You can imagine a wave of relaxation slowly moving down your body from your head down to your toes. As this wave slowly moves down imagine it relaxing your head and face, then moving down to your neck and down to each part of your body. There is no hurry.
Some people like to tighten the muscles in each part of their bodies and then release the tension. This helps the body to relax.
Stare at a spot on the wall until your eyelids get heavy, and then allow your eyes to close.
You can imagine that you are walking down some stairs. Count the stairs as you go and with each step tell yourself that you are getting more relaxed and going deeper.
Imagine that you are in a special place for you, that is calm and relaxing. It could be at the beach, in a forest, or anyplace that is relaxing for you. Make it as real as you can. Feel the sun, the breeze, hear the sounds and allow yourself to really relax.
If there are other ways that you like to relax, do them.
Now it is time to reprogram your mind to accomplish what you want. It is best to focus on one thing at a time.
Imagine that you have succeeded with what you want to accomplish. If it is to not smoke anymore, imagine that you are going through your day and never holding a cigarette. You are breathing fresh air and feeling really good.
Focus on the positive. Forget the problem and think about the solution. Make it as real as you can.
When you are ready, you can come back to a fully awake state. Some people simply open their eyes. Stretching is good. If you feel like you are still a bit groggy, then count yourself up. Say to yourself “1,2,3,4,5 eyes open wide awake.”