Hypnosis for Habit Change
A Starting Point for Changing Your Life
By Susanna Sweeney, MSC, MBACP, CHT
Most people understand hypnosis for habit change to be one of the most popular uses of hypnosis.
But what is a habit?
A habit is understood to be a behaviour that occurs frequently, acquired through repetition and based on fixed ways of thinking and feeling.
People commonly understand cigarette smoking to fall into this category. Emotional eating is viewed in the same light. So is procrastination. So is nail biting. And often, alcohol addiction is, too. Clearly, these are all issues of different magnitude.
Therefore, what I want to do in this article is pull them apart and then set realistic expectations of what you can hope to achieve by using different types of hypnosis programs.
The Difference Between a Bad Habit and an Addiction
A key point I want to make here is this: In reality, what is a bad habit, and what is an addiction? Often, I think, people call things a ‘bad habit’ because it sounds better. On average, people want to feel like they are okay, and find it hard to admit when something more serious is going wrong in their lives.
For example, cigarette smoking being a ‘bad habit’ sounds so much better than cigarette smoking being a psychological addiction.
The thing is, the transition from habit to addiction is probably fluid here. There is no hard, clear cut delineation.
Some substances and some behaviors are more addictive than others- that’s one factor. And there are individual differences- some people are more prone to becoming addicted than others. This can be based on genetic factors as well as on underlying trauma.
Evaluate Your ‘Bad Habit’
When evaluating the issue or ‘bad habit’ that you want to change, consider the following factors:
- How long has this ‘habit’ dominated your life?
- How dangerous is this ‘habit’ for your health?
- How physically addictive is the substance you have developed a ‘habit’ for?
- Are you using this ‘bad habit’ to manage other underlying emotional or traumatic issues such as, for example, anxiety?
- On a scale from zero to ten, with ten being the worst your particular habit or addiction could play out, and zero being an absence of that habit or addiction, being completely honest with yourself, where would you rate yourself right now?
The rule of thumb is that:
- The longer you have had a ‘habit’, the more ingrained it will be.
- The more you are using it to manage the underlying symptoms of trauma, the harder it will be to drop without dismantling the traumatic encoding alongside habit management.
- The more physically addictive the substance or behavior is that you are engaging with, the harder it will be to drop the ‘habit’.
- And the more dangerous the ‘habit’ is to your health, the more urgent it is that you deal with it! (Deep down you probably know this very well...)
Use these pointers now to form a realistic picture of your bad habit. Do so with total honesty to yourself, while at the same time being really gentle and compassionate with yourself. There is no judgement! You have these issues for a reason.
Write your findings down in a notebook or stick them on a note on your fridge. Now you are ready to develop realistic expectations of bad habits hypnosis.
Realistic Expectations of Hypnosis for Habit Change
None of this is to say that you cannot benefit from hypnosis to cure bad habits. It’s just that I would encourage you to form realistic expectations.
Now that you have a clearer picture of your ‘bad habit’, consider what different types of hypnotherapeutic interventions can do for you:
A self hypnosis program for habit change
If you purchase a self hypnosis recording for changing your bad habit, you are getting a voice recording you can play to yourself at home daily while relaxing. Self hypnosis done in this way is great brain food. It can produce great results for you.
Your chances of getting great results are higher if:
- The program also gives you a workbook alongside that engages you conscious mind and gets you to learn things/ evaluate your life and your habit more deeply.
- You have the self discipline and motivation to engage with this every day- until you get a result.
- Your bad habit does not cover underlying trauma or emotional issues.
A once-off hypnosis session
If you attend a hypnotist once, for habit change only, your chances of success are higher if:
- You have a good rapport with the practitioner which means you can trust them and you like how they work
- You choose a hypnotist who does NOT work with scripts, but engages with you actively throughout the session, for example through NLP or hypnosis for permanent rapid change.
- You really do not have any underlying issues.
- If you accept that there are or may be underlying issues and are open to them coming up so that they can be cleared.
- You have worked on the underlying issues already.
A more comprehensive hypnosis program
Consider that you may need more than one session to break that bad habit. Factors for higher rates of success here are the same as for the individual session.
In Summary: Can you Break bad Habits with Hypnosis?
Can you break bad habits with hypnosis? Hypnosis, by either changing your brain state or by interrupting your usual thinking pattern and opening up new options, can be a powerful intervention.
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence for hypnosis for habit change working well for people who want to stop smoking, for example. You will likely have heard success stories in your circle of acquaintances. Hypnosis for habit change works. But does it work equally as quickly and reliably for everyone, for every habit and in every situation?
In reality, no therapy can do that. Whatever method you use, your results will always depend on what you bring to it, how much you engage with it, how much you engage with it and how well you like it, among other things. That seems straightforward logic when looking at most therapies, unfortunately with hypnotherapy, hypnosis myths prevail a lot of the time and lead to unrealistic expectations.
If you take up hypnotherapy with a miracle expectation that your issue will be solved in one session, in most cases, you will end up setting yourself up for failure.
Follow the steps above and start by evaluating your ‘habit’ realistically. Most importantly, is there a chance there may be underlying issues? If so, don’t contend yourself with hypnosis for habit change, but rather address the underlying cause and make breaking your bad habits the starting point for changing your life.
What is Hypnosis? Other Articles on This Topic
Understand the Basics
Discover the Power of Hypnosis
Discover the power of hypnosis through 10 amazing facts about hypnosis you most likely have not heard before.
Six Wonderful Benefits of Hypnosis for Creating the Life you Love
Find out the benefits of hypnosis over coaching and traditional talk psychotherapy in helping you change your life for the better and achieving your goals.
You may have heard anecdotal reports about hypnosis being nothing more than unscientific ‘mumbo-jumbo’ which might have planted this question in your mind. So, does hypnotherapy work? Find out my answer to this charged question, and it probably isn't what you would expect.
The 3 Worst Mistakes Hypnotists Make
Find out the three worst mistakes any hypnotist can make so that you can avoid them and find the right hypnotist for you.
Evolution has given humans a powerful tool that enables us to be the most dominant species on the planet- yet this tool contains a critical flaw that is limiting many people and preventing them from living their dream. This may be limiting you, too...
The Secret Language of Hypnotherapy
Learn the secret language of hypnotherapy geared towards the requirements of your subconscious mind so that you can reach your goals more easily.
Find out the most common issues that hypnosis can help you with and see what you could do with hypnosis to change your life.
This article is a great starting point to understanding what to expect from hypnotherapy treatment, including what you can do to get the most from your treatment.
Hypnosis has been shrouded in mystery. There are many myths or, simply, false beliefs attached to hypnosis. You, too, have likely picked up a few of them as they are ‘around’ in public consciousness. Let me bust those myths for you so you can be free to enjoy and appreciate hypnosis for what it is.
Hypnosis or Self Hypnosis Trance
Hypnotic trance is referred to with much mystery. Is it really that spooky? Allow me to talk you through what the experience is like.
Hypnosis Methods and Ways of Working
This article covers everything you want to know about suggestion hypnosis, including what it is, what it can do for you, how it works, what techniques are used and how you can get the very best out of it. Suggestion hypnosis can help you to reach your goals and change your life.
Regression Hypnosis can help you to clear blocks relating to the past which are causing you trouble now. Find out how it works, how it compares to coaching and psychotherapy and see if it is suitable for you.
This article fills you in on how you can get the very best from regression hypnosis and is a must read if you are thinking of embarking on hypnotherapy treatment for a complex personal issue.
Some hypnotists offer specific sessions to uncover past life memories. Is this a good idea? Find out what my thinking is on how to get the best results from past life hypnosis.
Does online hypnotherapy work or is it inferior to face to face work as some people say? Find out what's involved and form your own opinion about advantages and disadvantages working online with us.
What is Havening and how Can it Help you Change Your Life?
Find out about a novel psychosensory treatment we combine with hypnosis which can help you clear trauma, fears, phobias, anxiety, low self esteem and more while also supporting you in building resilience and positive emotions.
Discover how well hypnosis could work for changing your particular bad habit and how you can make it into a starting point for changing your life.
Hypnosis for Permanent Rapid Change
No more scripts. The new way to work with live issues. It's dynamic, fast, gentle and powerful.
Self Help Hypnosis Articles
Can you help yourself with hypnosis? Find out here...
You will find this question answered but in a way you probably would not expect. Find out how self hypnosis is always at work, whether you harness it as a skill or not...
The Benefits of Self Hypnosis
Find out in this article how you can benefit from self hypnosis in your life, including what issues you can use it for.
Self-Hypnosis Relaxation Techniques
A good place to start practicing self hypnosis techniques first before infusing them with images regarding your specific goals, or changes that you want to make in your life is with relaxation techniques. Find a sample relaxation script on this page that you can start using today.
Self Hypnosis for Goal Setting
Goal setting is key in working with personal goals. If you don’t get your goals just right, you are much less likely to get good results. Find out how to overcome the seven most common mistakes with goal setting when you use a self hypnosis based approach.
Self-Help Hypnosis- 7 Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Like any other form of therapy, self-help hypnosis, too has some limitations which you should be aware of before you start practicing. I also offer some practical tips and solutions to help you overcome most of these limitations.
Auto Suggestions
In this article, find out the history of auto suggestions, the science behind them and how you can use them to your advantage to change your life.
In this article, find detailed instructions on how to design, administer and troubleshoot your auto suggestions successfully so that you can use them to change your life.
Best of success to you with hypnosis for habit change.
Regards,
Recent Articles
-
Havening Technique Training auf Deutsch
Feb 08, 24 11:02 AM
Havening Technique Training auf Deutsch- Details und Buchung -
Client Testimonials
Oct 06, 23 06:08 AM
Client Testimonials of my Online REPAIRenting® Program that uses various psychosensory approaches for safe and quick transformation -
Smoke Free Thanks to This Amazing Resource
Aug 02, 23 09:26 AM
Oh thank you for this simple resolution to all my worries! I feel like I have had a weight lifted off my shoulders. It is like cheating on giving up smoking.
About Me | Contact | Privacy Policy | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter
Hello Venturer,
Welcome to my Online Hypnotherapy Clinic.
I am Susanna Sweeney, accredited psychotherapist and hypnotherapist.
I have been helping people to overcome their blocks and move forward for 30+ years.
Along the way, I have fallen in love with hypnotherapy.
Please note that any content or advice provided here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.
Always consult your doctor before starting any health regimen.
Outcomes of hypnotherapy vary between individuals and cannot be guaranteed.
New! Comments
What do you think? Leave a comment in the box below.