Seven self-hypnosis steps for anxiety

Maybe you have experienced one of these scenarios or you know someone that has:

• Your boss gives you a stack of papers and instructions at the end of your working day and then says you have to submit a report in the next 48 hours or else.
• Your mother sends you a guilt-tripping text message saying that you don't come and visit enough.
• Your credit card bill is massive and you can’t sleep at night because it plays on your mind.
• There is a leak in your apartment and the landlord completely ignores your email about it.
• Your other half ignores your phone calls when you urgently need to speak to them

Life experiences like this can cause an individual to feel increased levels of stress or anxiety. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by those feelings, it’s often a good idea to just stop for a moment, sit down, take a deep breath, close your eyes, relax and unravel what’s going on in your mind.

When life seems to be a bit out of control, chaotic or stressful then it’s important to take hold of the situation and start to search out resourceful states of mind that will actually create changes in our behaviour and therefore influence the end results. How can you find those resourceful states of mind? Well it all starts with your unconscious mind.

You can communicate with your unconscious mind using self-hypnosis and it’s actually easier than you might have first thought.

For some people, when reading this article you may find you are already familiar with self-hypnosis but for those of you who want a refresher or a sample of this basic process, here are 7 easy to follow steps:

Step one. Find a place where you can sit back comfortably and relax.

Find a quiet place, somewhere that you won’t be disturbed and just sit back comfortably and relax as we open up all of your resources that are held deep in your unconscious mind.

Step two. Go into a relaxing state of hypnosis.

Now I know you have experienced trance-like states before right now. Just go ahead, close your eyes and relax.

Can you imagine going into trance now? Imagine yourself feeling totally relaxed and make believe for a moment that you are a great subject for hypnosis. Just pretend that you are now starting to drift into a trance ever so easily.

What is it like when you are going into a trance? What’s it like inside your mind when you become more relaxed?

Step three. Deepen your state of relaxation.

Now let’s count from five down to one. With each count I want you to double your relaxation and go deeper into a trance. On count five go deep, then count four and go deeper. Three, deeper still. Two is even deeper and deeper. That's right, all the down to count one into a deep, deep, deep hypnosis.

Step four. Tell yourself this.

You may be aware of the sounds that are around you. Know that these sounds will allow you to go deeper and deeper into hypnosis.

Wherever this journey of discovery takes you inside your mind, you are perfectly safe and come back into the room whenever you like.

Feel the chair against your back and know that you are safe.

Step five. Create a positive suggestion for yourself about how you want things to be.

You may create a suggestion something like this:

“Because I’m feeling comfortable and relaxed I can focus inside my mind and I realise that in many areas of my life I feel in control and totally relaxed, and that means that I can access this control and positivity any time that I want to and I know that now.

Every time I want to feel in control I know that I can access that resource because it is part of me. Feeling relaxed and in control comes naturally to me and that means that I can easily do all that I want knowing the control is mine and having now experienced that sense of control. That means I can relax and every time that I do this I am empowered, knowing that I am relaxed and in control.”

Step six. Boost your self-esteem.

Follow up the positive suggestion with this hypnotic booster for your confidence and self- esteem:

“I am an amazing person with such a warm and magnetic personality, creating such a positive effect on all those people around me and who come in contact with me day to day realising now the changes that this journey has created for me.”

Step seven. Wake up.

Emerge from hypnosis feeling wonderful by clearing your mind and become more alert. Your eyes are beginning to open now. Once you eyes are wide open and awake you should be feeling wonderful and refreshed in every way.

For the best results, repeat this self-hypnosis process twice a day for 28 days. Repetition is the key to creating and then implementing this positive change.