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Try
Self-Hypnosis to Fight Stress
Self-hypnosis is the
process of directing yourself into a deep state of relaxation and
suggestibility. Similar to classical hypnosis, this method allows you to
"program" your unconscious mind with suggestions to help you experience fewer
stress symptoms, sleep better, stop smoking, or to achieve other goals or
improvements in your lifestyle.
Self-hypnosis has been
used successfully in a number of situations, including:
Before you try out
self-hypnosis, decide what suggestions or ideas you would like to impart during
the procedure. Try to crystallize these into a short verbal phrase or word.
Examples might be "I don't need to smoke," "eat healthily," or " I am
calm and relaxed." Alternatively you can embed the idea of becoming relaxed upon
hearing or thinking of a specific word.
The basic steps in
self-hypnosis are as follows:
-
Make yourself comfortable, sitting or lying, in a
place free of distractions (once you've mastered the technique, you can
practice it in many varied places and situations, but a comfortable
environment is best for the learning phase).
-
Begin to relax - close your eyes and imagine "waves"
of relaxation flowing through your body. Pay attention to specific muscle
groups and concentrate on relaxing them, group by group. Think of stress as
"flowing out" of your body. You may also try this step by fixing your gaze at
a specific point on the wall.
-
Allow the relaxation to deepen - tell yourself that
you are becoming more and more relaxed.
-
Begin to focus on the suggestions you've previously
chosen and "embed" them into your mind.
If you're having trouble,
there are hundreds of books, training sessions, tapes, workshops, and counselors
to assist in learning self-hypnosis.
For more information:
Hypnosis.com
is a guide to the practice of
hypnosis, including books and resources on hypnotherapy.
The
Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis provides information
related to medical and scientific studies on the use of hypnotherapy.
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