Have you found that yet another set of New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside? Are you berating yourself because you feel like you have failed again?

In this edition of the blog we will explore the transformative power of hypnotherapy in the context of goal-setting psychology. As an accredited hypnotherapist, I will share with you how hypnosis can be the key to making lasting changes in your life, helping you to break free from old habits and embrace a new, empowered version of yourself. So, dust yourself off and read on about how to get yourself back on track.

The Illusion of New Year – New You

New Year's Resolutions can be notoriously difficult to maintain, where initial enthusiasm often gives way to familiar habits. Whether it's overcoming addictions, dealing with phobias, or addressing deep-seated traumas, many of us yearn for change but struggle to maintain it.  The pressure of a new year and the prospect of being a year older and in the same situation means January feels like a good time for many to start making these changes. The good intentions are there, however, January can feel like a slow, miserable and boring trudge through life – bad weather, bills piling up, increased work load – such that we often take comfort in our old habits, even when we know it’s doing us no favours.

Pressure!

Social media feeds are awash with stunning transformations (not all real, sadly) that often trigger feelings of jealousy, FOMO and inadequacy. The perceived solution is to jump onto one of the many "miracle" trends that allegedly facilitate these transformations - Fast 800, Hard 75, 90-Day Detox, Deprivation 3000... (OK I made up that last one). Add to this the lure of a summer holiday and the desire to look our best, concerned friends, relatives or health professionals asking us to make changes then mix in a heap of stress and boom - we fall off track as the pressure to spin all the plates becomes too much.

Why do we sabotage our own efforts to change?

Human beings, by nature, are creatures of habit, and when a behaviour is repeated over an extended period, it establishes a pattern in the brain.

Consider, for instance, someone who smokes cigarettes. There exists an unconscious anticipation that dictates something along the lines of, "Whenever you hold an alcoholic drink (or any triggering circumstance), you'll also instinctively light a cigarette." The two actions become intertwined.

Similarly, if you're inclined to comfort eat, a specific emotion can swiftly lead you to the biscuit tin or have you entranced before an open refrigerator.

In the context of past dieting experiences, initial optimism may have been present. However, the word 'diet' carries the weight of past failures, gradually allowing the unconscious anticipation of failure to take control. A single biscuit during tea becomes three, and a missed gym session extends to an entire month.

Perhaps, for some, suppressing emotions through comfort eating has become a habitual practice. It's worth considering whether weight loss or gain might serve as a form of self-harm. What guilt-laden feelings drive these behaviours?

Ultimately, self-sabotage arises because the entrenched pattern of anticipated failure in the unconscious mind holds more sway than our conscious aspirations for success.

However, it extends beyond mere undesirable habits influenced by unconscious blueprints.

Feelings over thoughts

Individuals grappling with panic attacks and phobias similarly exhibit an automatic response. Their unconscious mind is swiftly triggered, propelling them into a state of panic before their conscious mind has the opportunity to intervene.

This tendency is a key reason why traditional counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) often fall short of delivering the desired outcomes for long-term habit change. Attempting to instigate changes solely at a conscious level proves highly restrictive. The challenge with habits and automatic responses lies in the inability to consciously think or will oneself out of them. Feelings have arguably more power over thoughts and will win virtually every time. Therefore an approach, such as hypnotherapy, that tackles our subconscious feelings and interrupts habitual patterns, is often more effective than a cognitive based approach in isolation.

Only a select few can consciously decide to quit smoking and successfully adhere to that decision. The act of quitting smoking through sheer conscious effort, employing willpower, utilising nicotine replacement products like e-cigarettes, or resorting to medication, frequently feels like an ongoing battle against the persistent urge to smoke.

This perpetual struggle arises because the habit has been ritualistically performed for an extended period, transforming it into an instinctive response. Certain settings, times, situations, or emotional states become triggers, prompting the automatic manifestation of the ingrained habit.

It's crucial to recognise: you are not defined by your habit!

The big question

A very important question to ask yourself and reflect on is:

"Am I genuinely prepared to let go of old habits and embrace the new?"

Even when you are deeply committed to change, the stubbornness of ingrained habits can often overpower your best intentions to adopt a new mindset or behaviour.

The familiarity of these habits becomes woven into your identity, and intentionally pushing them aside may create an unsettling void, transforming even minor cravings into formidable challenges. Habits, past traumas, and disappointments become integral components of your makeup, held together by an emotional framework that can impede your commitment to the conscious change you desire.

Yet, it's imperative to recognise a fundamental truth: no matter how potent the habit, addiction, or emotion, they do not define your essence as a human being. You are not the problem – the problem itself is the challenge to be addressed. There exists a richness within you that extends beyond these struggles, a hero with the abundant internal resources to create and control your own narrative.

Awakening the hero within involves disentangling your core identity from the behaviours you aim to alter, breaking free from the trance that has held these old patterns in place. By nurturing your Observing Self through hypnotic work, you gain the ability to perceive challenges objectively. This empowers you to use your higher cortex to remain focused on your goals, liberated from the influence of old emotional impulses.

However, undertaking this journey requires a measure of faith and courage. It's tempting to revert to the known world – the chocolates, cigarettes, wine, low self-esteem, and traumas – all of which are familiar territory. True change necessitates stepping beyond your comfort zone and embracing a heroic stance, regardless of the challenges or uncertainties that may arise. It's about regaining control and refusing to be buffeted around like a plastic bag in the wind.

So how does hypnotherapy work in achieving your goals?

Hypnotherapy can facilitate profound changes and dismantle deeply ingrained behavioural patterns, essentially helping break down the barriers to your success.

Hypnosis taps into the unconscious mind, reprogramming instinctive templates that may thwart conscious efforts for change. Through hypnotic techniques, the REM state is activated, providing direct access to unconscious blueprints that may have contributed to repeated failures. The REM state is akin to the stage of sleep that plays a role in memory consolidation, emotional processing, brain development, and dreaming.

Within the REM state, your mind becomes receptive to new ideas, feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. Here, you can mentally rehearse positive scenarios, creating new blueprints aligned with your goals. The reinforcement of these templates in the REM state establishes them as the new norm, harmonising with your desired changes. It is in this state that we can nurture the Observing Self, so that you can observe challenges more objectively and turbo charge your internal resources that will guide you on the pathway to lasting change.

Hypnosis, as a powerful tool for reprogramming the unconscious mind, proves particularly effective in breaking habits such as smoking and vaping. Scientifically recognized by New Scientist magazine as the most successful method to quit smoking, hypnosis surpasses the efficacy of willpower alone by fivefold. ¹ 

In the realm of weight loss, the sustainable transformation achieved through hypnotic reprogramming fosters a healthier mental attitude and a more compassionate self-image.

Moreover, hypnosis extends its benefits to emotional states like anxiety and depression, inducing the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain and allowing you to reframe unhelpful beliefs about yourself that you may have carried for many years.

In essence, hypnosis emerges as the gateway to turning resolutions into tangible reality, offering a transformative path to reclaim control and foster lasting change.

So, what next?

If you find that your resolutions are a breeze and that you’re easily heading toward your goals, that’s excellent- keep going.

If you're tired of resolutions fading away and slipping back into old habits, book your free hypnotherapy consultation with me today to discuss your requirements and take the first step towards sustainable, long lasting change.

Maria Baldwin is a CHNC-registered hypnotherapist offering one-to-one hypnotherapy sessions online and from her therapy room in Worsley, Manchester.

Reference: How one in five have given up smoking | New Scientist