We are constantly changing and trying to develop good habits throughout our lives. From brushing our teeth, flossing, being more mindful of what we eat, and fitting in time each day to exercise, we all want to try and treat ourselves better and maintain our health and wellbeing.

 

But, what about those more unhelpful habits? The ones we tend to ignore, play down, and continually proclaim that we'll "do something about it one day." Hypnotherapy has long been the go to treatment for behaviour modification when it comes to dealing with habits, whether it be the ones that you'd like to develop, or those that you'd rather not have anymore.

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We often feel ashamed, guilty, and judged by others for our habits. They ask us "why don't you just simply stop?" Any hypnotherapist, psychotherapist, or counsellor will tell you that just stopping is not simple at all. Habits are unconscious coping mechanisms and we often don't even register that we are performing them or don't know how we got to the point of doing so.

 

The behaviours that we often wish to change were created because part of our unconscious minds thought that at some point they were of benefit to us. Our unconscious minds seek only to protect us and find the quickest route to making us feel better. They simply don't know if what they are making us do is beneficial and healthy for us, or not. Once we unconsciously learn a habit that we perceive to be helpful to us, we then repeat it again and again. The habit becomes maintained because it is familiar and this familiarity and constant repetition only serves to ingrain it deeper and deeper and as a consequence, the habit grows stronger. 

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The habit that you wish to remove may have begun as a child, perhaps as way of soothing and calming yourself, or maybe as a way of dealing with difficult emotions like stress, anxiety, grief, or guilt. Sometimes habits are developed because we saw our caregivers or peers using those less healthy habits as a coping strategy and we simply copied them, believing that this was the only way to manage life. Maybe the habit manifested later in life at a time of stress, anxiety, sadness, or after experiencing a loss.

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Over time, as we change and develop, we may no longer consciously see the benefit in the behaviour that once served a direct need, but our unconscious mind kicks back, thinking that the continuation of this habit is necessary for us to function and to keep on feeling safe and protected. 

 

Having a habit that controls you or controls how you live your life can impact many aspects of your life including:

 

• Emotional well being

• Self-esteem

• Self-confidence

• Self-image

• Relationships

• Career

• Social acceptance

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Hypnotherapy can be a highly effective strategy to break many different habits including smoking. But, hypnotherapy can also help with other physical habits such as:

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• Vaping

• Pen clicking

• Nail biting (Onychophagia)

• Skin picking (Dermatillomania)

• Thumb sucking

• Cracking joints

• Hair pulling (Trichotillomania)

• Teeth grinding (Bruxism)

 

Hypnotherapy can also help in overcoming technology-based habits such as:

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• Over-checking of phones or other devices

• Over-checking of Social Media

• Scrolling

• Excessive gaming

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It can also assist with food-related habits like:

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• Eating too much sugar

• Eating too much junk food

• Unwanted snacking

• Eating too fast

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Hypnotherapy can also assist in changing other self-defeating behaviours such as:

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• Procrastination

• Time keeping / lateness

• Indecision

• Hoarding

• Over-checking door locks, windows, electrical devices, hobs, or taps before leaving the house

• Over-cleaning

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At the more severe end of self-defeating behaviours lie addictions or anxiety-related behaviours. Most of the time, counselling or psychotherapy will probably be required alongside hypnotherapy with more severe addictions, but if you are thinking about reducing your alcohol intake, then hypnotherapy alone can be used successfully in this instance. Hypnotherapy can be successfully be used as an adjunct to:

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• Over spending

• Gambling

• Illicit, prescription, or over-the-counter drug misuse

• Alcohol misuse

• OCD

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If you are thinking about breaking a habit that no longer serves it's purpose, then hypnotherapy might be the right strategy for you but, please remember that the key to any behaviour modification is that you must first, really, truly desire that change.  

 

Hypnotherapy for simpler habits can be completed over three to four sessions, but some clients who are living with more complex habits or addictions such as procrastination, alcohol misuse, gambling, drug misuse, or OCD, may require more in depth methods such as regression if a root cause needs to be investigated. If this might be a possibility, the amount of sessions that you may require will be discussed after the first few sessions and the approach that we take then negotiated to get the best possible outcome for you. 

 

As part of your comprehensive hypnotherapeutic program, you'll be provided with voice recordings of your individualised scripts at several stages so that you can listen to them between sessions to re-enforce what you are learning and to provide ongoing support in the future should you need it.

 

Please feel free to contact me or to launch a chat if you require any more information. Alternatively, if you are ready, click the button below to book your free, no obligation initial consultation.

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I look forward to meeting you and working with you soon!

 

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