We are often asked, “How many self hypnosis sessions can I use at once?” The answer to this question is… “It depends.” There is some recent research that suggests that we are often more successful when we deal with two or more issues simultaneously. This challenges the traditional viewpoint of it being best to “fight on one front at a time.” Even so, we recommend you avoid overloading your mind with too many new ideas, at any given time. Taking on too much, too soon, is one way to achieve no change at all.
Many of us have more than one area of our lives that we would like to improve and self hypnosis can be a spectacular tool for accomplishing positive, lasting change. However, it is important to keep in mind how deeply embedded some of our behaviours and emotions are, and attempting to tackle too much at once will not necessarily yield the results you are looking for. Most likely, you would not walk into a psychotherapist’s office, or hypnotherapist’s office, for that matter, expecting to resolve all your issues at once. It can be too much for our minds to handle.
It is perfectly okay to listen to more than one self hypnosis recording over the same period of time, but you need to be realistic. You need to think carefully about which self hypnosis sessions you use and most importantly, you must ensure you have the time to listen to each session effectively.
Compatible sessions
The vast majority of our self hypnosis sessions can be listened to over the same time period. For example, if you are suffering from anxiety or stress and are using self hypnosis to alleviate your symptoms, then you can benefit from a wide range of sessions. Almost all of our sessions would be compatible, as they all provide similar benefits.
If your anxiety stems from a particular phobia or an issue related to grief of some kind, then you may want to choose a more specific self hypnosis session and work on that first. Although it would still be fine to listen to other sessions at the same time, as it is unlikely there would be any conflict.
Your chosen sessions do not need to be related. For example, it is totally fine to use self hypnosis to improve your golf and work on any anger management issues simultaneously. They do not benefit each other in the same way as in our previous example, but there is no conflict either. They are both unrelated issues, but it is actually when certain issues are related that the potential for conflict arises.
Conflicting sessions
While most of our self hypnosis sessions can be considered complementary, there are some issues that need to be taken on separately. For example, listening to our stop smoking self hypnosis session at the same time as any of our weight loss sessions is not recommended. Both smoking and overeating are habitual. They involve similar automatic subconscious behaviours; we must eat to thrive and breathe to live. Attempting to resolve these issues at the same time can create a conflict when the actions are so physically intertwined. While self hypnosis can yield fantastic results in both areas, it is best to choose one to work with first.
In the above example, we would advise most people to stop smoking first. It is a personal choice, so if you cannot bear the thought of cutting down on your food intake without a cigarette, choose what is best for you. Our stop smoking session does include suggestions to discourage the replacement of smoking with eating, but that alone is not necessarily going to be enough.
We are often asked, “Which sessions are compatible and which conflict?”. The truth is that there are very few that actually conflict. Smoking and weight control is a prime example. Smoking and alcohol addiction is another. In this case, it would usually be better to tackle alcohol abuse first, as this is the more destructive behaviour.
How to listen to multiple self hypnosis sessions effectively
Our self hypnosis instructions state that you should listen to a recording every day for the first week, then every other day for a further three weeks. This is a general guideline. It is perfectly fine to listen to the same session every day for several weeks or more, and on the flip side, some of our sessions do not need to be listened to repeatedly, such as those for general relaxation and stress relief. Nevertheless, for the majority of our sessions it is very important to listen regularly, to give the therapy time to take root and flourish. This obviously creates a bit of a problem when using multiple sessions at once.
So, what is the best way of resolving multiple issues with our self hypnosis recordings? Well, it comes down to personal preference, but we suggest you either listen on alternative days or listen to two different sessions on the same day. We do not recommend listening to a single session more than twice a day, so we also suggest that you do not listen to more than two sessions on the same day either. You might prefer to listen to a specific session for the first week; then, during the second week you could listen on alternate days and at the same time, introduce a new session into the mix. There are no hard and fast rules, so do whatever suits you best.
Deep emotional issues deserve specific attention
Your mind and body are interconnected and self hypnosis can help you achieve the goals you desire, but no one can tackle everything at once. In order to obtain optimal results with self hypnosis and hypnotherapy, you need to take an honest look at any physical behaviours and their impact on your life. Ask yourself which of the behaviours you are most concerned with and begin there. If you need to work on a specific issue, then consider working on it exclusively. Once you have achieved success, or are at least well on your way to getting there, then you might decide to begin working on the next issue.
To summarise, it is fine to listen to multiple self hypnosis sessions, but be realistic and ensure you have the time to listen to them, as instructed. If you are new to self hypnosis or need to work on more complex emotional issues, then we suggest starting out slowly, one at a time, until you notice a positive shift. If you are in doubt, then please ask us! We are always happy to advise you.
