How long will it take before I notice any positive changes from self hypnosis?
This is one of our most frequently asked questions and it is impossible to give a definitive answer. Not only does it depend on the nature of the problem, but, we are all unique and everyone’s experience of hypnosis is also unique. Each person will therefore experience changes at different speeds and levels. Some people may notice immediate changes, but for most the changes are more likely to be progressive, occurring over a period of time: days, weeks, even months.
Change is rarely noticed as an “Aha!” moment
When it comes to positive change, it is unlikely you will experience some kind of eureka experience. It can happen, but change is more often something that happens without us really noticing. Little by little, changes take place until the issue has been resolved. If the problem originated at a subconscious level and is resolved at a subconscious level, why do we then expect to automatically or immediately become aware of that change?
Depending on the issue(s) you are seeking to resolve, you might notice that you start to behave differently, in a more positive way. It may be that you unexpectedly deal with a stressful event in a calm way, spontaneously and without realising it until afterwards. Friends and family may notice that you have changed for the better. This is actually very common. For example, here is a snippet of a testimonial we recently received:
“A few days ago, I had lunch with a colleague who hadn’t seen me in a while and she said: You seem to have a different attitude about problems! I thought to myself: SelfHypnosis.com!”
If you browse through our testimonials page, you will read various instances where friends and family seem to be the ones who first notice any positive changes. You will also read about how lots of those who have had success with our self hypnosis recordings, tend to notice changes occurring gradually, as we have already mentioned. We know this is the case from our own professional experience in having helped thousands of people worldwide over the past 13 years.
The importance of realistic expectations
Although self hypnosis can be extremely effective, as with any kind of therapy it is important to have realistic expectations. We occasionally have customers contacting us to say that their self hypnosis session has not worked for them, sometimes within 30 minutes or so of ordering. They might simply say something like, “It didn’t work”, yet we know they could only have listened to the session just once.
Although it is entirely possible to notice a positive shift after listening just once, expecting instant results is often overly optimistic and unrealistic. For many people, the effects of hypnosis can sometimes seem like magic, but hypnosis is not magic. If you have read our self hypnosis instructions, then you should know that, for the best chance of self hypnosis success, you must commit to listen to them regularly — daily would be ideal.
Your contribution counts
It is always best to think of hypnotherapy, whether in person or via our guided self hypnosis sessions, as a process of team work. You cannot always do it on your own – that is why you are using self hypnosis. And, we cannot do it on our own, even with hypnosis. For long lasting success, you need to put in the work, which means not only making the commitment to listen regularly, but also to being open and motivated for the process of change to occur.
You have probably heard the saying, “Be careful what you look for, because you might find it.” Well, in the context of hypnotherapy, this means you need to be looking for what you want to happen, rather than what you fear will happen. It is necessary for you to look for improvement, rather than just wait for it to happen. Sometimes it does just happen, but it is in your best interest, to do your best to find improvements in the way you feel or behave.
Another way for you to help yourself, is to allow yourself to actually feel a positive response to the suggestions that you hear, within our self hypnosis recordings — if what you hear is what you truly want to happen. It really helps if you can experience an appropriate emotional response. The better you can tap into this feeling of positivity, the greater the chance of success. The greater that emotional response, the more successful any therapy will be.
Additional conditions may need to be dealt with
The cause of a problem is not always straightforward and for the best chance of lasting change, it may be necessary for you to work on any related issues. We know that emotional issues often underpin certain habits and behaviours. For example, in one to one hypnotherapy we can be working with someone on a simple smoking cessation session and suddenly discover that the individual is immersed in unresolved grief connected to a bereavement that happened years ago.
Most people are aware of the connection between low self-esteem and weight conditions. Therefore, people with weight problems are usually more willing to accept treatment for self-esteem too. But, for other issues people are often reluctant to address emotional issues. For example, smokers may believe that their smoking is purely a combination of habit and chemistry. It can indeed be what we might call an “empty” habit, with no underlying emotional issues. But, this is not always the case and it is often necessary to work on additional issues, as well.
Our objective is that your treatment with us is so effective that you will not need our help for a specific issue again. So, if you believe there may be underlying emotional issues that need to be resolved in order to overcome your problems, then we strongly recommend you work on those too.
We each have our own time frame for change
Self hypnosis is undoubtedly one of the most effective means of bringing about permanent behavioural and emotional changes, even if we are not immediately aware of it. It is impossible to predict when and how change will occur. It can sometimes take effort to make even small changes in life, including taking the initiative to change in the first place. But once you make the decision to begin change and take the first step, you can change whatever will make your life more comfortable.
When you do make positive changes, be sure to thank yourself because after all — you did the work. You induced the changes, consciously and subconsciously, which most likely seemed to have “magically” occurred. Congratulate yourself for a job well done!
