How to do self-hypnosis: a simple guide for everyday calm
If you want to know how to do self-hypnosis, here is the good news first: you already have everything you need. The ability to enter hypnosis is part of being human. It has probably been with us for as long as people have existed, back to the Neanderthals and other early humans. If they could do it, there is no reason it should be complicated for you.
Self-hypnosis can change how you feel on the inside, and often faster and more lastingly than you would expect. This guide explains what the state is, what it does and how to begin.
What self-hypnosis actually is
Hypnosis is simply a state. Nothing more, nothing mysterious.
Most people describe it as pleasant, a kind of calm, focused absorption. But you do not have to feel anything special to be in it. Some people experience the state intensely. Others slip into it so often in daily life, while daydreaming or lost in thought, that it feels completely ordinary to them. They think nothing is happening, when in fact they are already in hypnosis. Both experiences are normal, and in the end, both work.
All hypnosis is self-hypnosis
This is the most important idea to understand before you start. No one can be made to do anything in hypnosis that they do not truly want to do. Television shows that suggest otherwise are staged. What you see there is manipulation, not hypnosis.
Even when a hypnotherapist guides you, you are the one who enters the state and accepts or rejects what you hear. Self-hypnosis makes that explicit. You put yourself into hypnosis, and you give yourself suggestions that you chose yourself, or at least ones that match your goal completely.
Be careful with other people’s words
That is also why you should pay attention to the recordings you listen to. When you play an audio from someone you do not know, you do not know what the speaker is suggesting to you. Suddenly there are words, images or metaphors that do not suit you at all, and part of you pushes back. Choose your words wisely. Every one of them has an effect.
What self-hypnosis does in your body
Self-hypnosis is good for your well-being because it activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the branch of the autonomic nervous system that handles rest and digestion, recovery and regeneration, learning and creativity and the rebuilding of energy reserves. Under its influence, your body finds its inner balance again.
Its counterpart, the sympathetic nervous system, takes over under stress. It speeds you up and prepares you for action. That is helpful in an emergency and exhausting as a permanent state.
The parasympathetic system responds to love, trust, calm and joy. And it responds to self-hypnosis. Regular practice activates it on purpose and turns down the stress response. Your body gets a chance to rest in the state in which its own capacity for recovery can work.
This is why many people use self-hypnosis for stress and for sleep. It is not a treatment for illness, though. If you live with pain or any health condition, talk to your doctor before you use self-hypnosis for it.
What it does for your mind
The benefits reach the mind as well. People who practice self-hypnosis regularly tend to describe more calm, more contentment and a greater sense of well-being. Concentration improves, and so does the ability to notice what is going on in your body. The carousel of thoughts slows down, and nagging worries lose some of their grip.
You feel more centered and more in balance, and stressful situations become easier to handle. Above all, you get better at something that sounds simple and is not: relaxing on purpose and bringing body and mind back into harmony.
Where people use self-hypnosis
The range of topics is wide. People use self-hypnosis for relaxation, deep rest and recovery, for focus and concentration, memory and learning, and for creativity, inspiration and intuition. They use it for motivation, for more energy and emotional stability and for self-confidence. They use it against stage fright and inner restlessness, to manage stress, to cope with a separation and to stay calm before a dental visit.
Some topics need a second opinion first. If you want to use self-hypnosis around weight, blood pressure, digestion, sleep disorders, pain, surgery or childbirth, or to support recovery after an injury, talk to your doctor before you start. Self-hypnosis can support medical care. It does not replace it.
How to do self-hypnosis: five simple steps
Self-hypnosis techniques differ in the details, but the principles behind a good session are always the same.
1. Choose one goal. Pick a single, clear topic for your session. “I want to sleep more calmly” works better than a list of everything you would like to change.
2. Write your own suggestion. Put your goal into a short sentence in your own words. Phrase it as what you want, not what you want to avoid: “I fall asleep calmly” rather than “I stop lying awake.” Read it back. If any word feels wrong, change it.
3. Make time and space. Find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted for a while. Sit or lie comfortably.
4. Enter the state. Let your attention narrow and your body settle. The easiest way to learn this part is with guidance: a well-made audio that walks you into hypnosis the first few times, until you know the way on your own.
5. Repeat. One session is a start. Regular practice is what makes the difference, because it teaches your nervous system a new habit.
Learn self-hypnosis with guidance
Learning self-hypnosis is easy. Doing it well is easier with a teacher at the start. You avoid the most common mistakes, and you learn how to build suggestions that fit you. Even if you have no previous knowledge of hypnosis, you can begin today.
Your next step: register for Try before you buy, ten free lessons from the OMNI training. They include a self-hypnosis lesson with an audio, so you can practice right away.
