How does Hypnotherapy "Un-Hypnotize" the Bad Habits?

I like telling clients you aren’t coming to me to be hypnotized, you’re coming to me to be UN-hypnotized. Because it’s true; there’s something subconsciously going on that we need to get rid of. And what could be a better example of that than bad habits? From procrastination to non-substance addictions like gambling, to OCD behaviour like nail biting or hair pulling. Even bad habits that relate to other issues, like snacking in the evenings or smoking on work breaks. Bad habits are just automatic behaviours stored in the subconscious, so let’s get them out of there with the one therapy designed around dealing with the subconscious directly: hypnotherapy.

Undoing The “Everyday Hypnosis”

Repetition is hypnotic. Maybe it’s hearing the same thing over and over until you start believing it might be true. Or the repetition of the yellow lines on a highway trying to lull you into highway hypnosis. Perhaps it’s driving the same route home every day for years, and then one day you turn into your driveway and suddenly realize you can’t remember the last ten minutes of your trip. Or maybe it’s just smoking or snacking or procrastinating or skin picking or something else you’ve done for years. Maybe you started doing it for socializing or out of anxiety or some other reason that no longer applies, but the habit persists. And maybe you kicked the habit, but then in a moment of stress or crisis you started it again. Even years later. Because it never actually left your subconscious.

Habits get ingrained though many means, but repetition is one of the big ones. The more you do something, the more pathways in your brain responsible for automating that behaviour grow and get stronger. And even if you stop cold turkey, those pathways persist. In hypnotherapy, we can not only deal with things subconsciously, but also future-proof against habits coming back. And if the stressors behind the bad habits are still there, like social triggers or anxiety, we can of course deal with that too. And not just that, but we can also change to …

New Pattern And Habits

It’s not just about the bad habits going. It can also be about sticking to the new habits. Years ago I lost 30 lbs over 2 months working with a nutritionist. She gave me a food plan to stick to, and I said “Okay” and stuck to it. Just like that. No willpower required; I just decided these were my new habits and that was that. Trying to do things through willpower never works; subconscious thoughts and imagination almost always beats willpower. So change the subconscious thoughts and imaginations. And just like that, new good habits. I know that sounds too easy, but we only believe change is difficult because everyone tried to make change consciously. But change can be very, very easy when you make the change where it really matters … the subconscious. So let’s not just change the bad habits: let’s do work to reframe, reassociate, and install better ones so you can be the best version of yourself possible.

Literally A Stage Routine

I can’t stress enough how simple it is to change habits and behaviours with hypnosis. Ever seen a stage show where an introvert suddenly acquires extroverted behaviour, or someone can’t stop dancing, or even just goes back under wit ha snap of the fingers? It seems like magic, but sometimes it’s just that easy. Those are all short-term changes of course; hypnotherapy takes more time to do deeper, more long-term work. But it demonstrates what’s possible when you bypass the argumentative, stubborn conscious mind and go straight to the source.

I’ve even had clients quit bad habits in passing. One of my favourite anecdotes is a client who came to me with a phobia and anger trigger related to money (the details are unimportant). Not only did we deal with that fully, but on one session he told me he had stopped biting his nails. I had no idea he bit his nails or wanted to stop. But just in the course of doing other therapy, he went to a place in his mind that whatever healing needed to be done got done. I had a referral friend in my professional network come to me to learn more about what I did, and I did a simple, content-free demonstration of an initial visit. Months later, he told me he hadn’t had alcohol since then. Again, didn’t know he even wanted to quit. But he did. Because the subconscious is where all the meaningful change is, and hypnosis is the doorway to that change.

In Closing

Habits are your subconscious behaviours. if you want to change your habits, you need to make that change where it really matters; in your subconscious. And nothing does that quite like hypnotherapy. Personally, I always do free consultations by phone, or even by email, so I can make sure my work is a good fit. So, if you have questions about how hypnosis can help for bad habits, or anything else, call me today at (403) 630-3166, or email me at chrisbarryhypnosis@gmail.com. Or just use the link below.