We've all heard time and time again about the transformative potential benefits of practices like hypnosis and affirmations. But not everyone has the means or even the desire to hire a professional or attend seminars and retreats to facilitate the process. While it's helpful to have that sort of guidance, it's also completely possible to make hypnosis and affirmations a daily practice that you can do all on your own in the comfort of your home.

First, you might be asking: is there actually a difference between hypnosis and affirmations, and if so, what is it?

The History of Hypnosis

To answer, let's have a brief history lesson. In the early 20th century there lived a French psychologist by the name of Émile Coué who popularized the use of mantra-like positive and optimistic affirmations (back then they were called autosuggestions).

You may have heard the well-known affirmation, “Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better” which is to this day referred to as the
Coué method of autosuggestion, or Couéism.

What was revolutionary about Coué's approach was that he sought to transform the unconscious mental landscape of the patient, when during that time many believed that cultivating a strong “conscious will” was the key to healing the mind and heart's programming.

Back then, affirmation was considered a part of hypnosis, which required easing oneself into a state of deep relaxation (like a trance) in order to reach and influence the unconscious mind. As the wellness and self-development industries became more mainstream, a separation from hypnosis happened where affirmations became known simply as telling oneself positive things, such as saying “You're going to do great today!” in the mirror first thing in the morning.

Though the original context of affirmations and hypnosis has changed, they can still be used together or separately to reach the same goal. Much in the way that mantra or breath meditation is different than a guided visualization (often called guided meditation or also hypnosis), both are still useful in healing from trauma or negative programming, problem-solving, creativity, stress-management, and more.

Why Affirmations Work

Remember, the reasons affirmations work is because they challenge our programming—our beliefs that have coded the way we live in this world, and the way we treat ourselves and others. Humans haven't had the chance yet to evolve to modern life, so our negative programming comes from the need to survive in our environment. We program our behavior, reactions, and beliefs based on traumatic experiences so that we can easily recognize a dangerous situation in the future. The problem is, most of us aren't living in the wilderness where we need this kind of instinct to protect ourselves and our families. So we relive the trauma and we end up thinking the beliefs we gained from unpleasant situations are true.

If bullying and emotional abuse in early life made you believe that you're a worthless person who doesn't deserve love and so an affirmation such as “I love myself” causes an internal reaction, that's a sign that you need to work on that negative belief. It's like finding a knot on your shoulder. By saying this affirmation that your wounded psyche doesn't believe to be true, you're breaking down that false foundation, the protective knot of muscle, and reprogramming the mind. When the subconscious mind hears you saying this to yourself, it believes it, and this is how this kind of practice works.

Getting Started With Hypnosis

There are a lot of helpful tools out there, but all you really need for self-hypnosis is yourself and a quiet space. Here are some steps to help you get started:

1. Set your intention - Before you begin, get clear on your intention for using hypnosis and affirmations. Whether you're trying to heal trauma, quit smoking, build confidence, reduce stress, or something else, it's helpful to take a moment to sit and write down the affirmations you want to embed into your subconscious mind.
   
   Example: “I am a good public speaker. I speak clearly and confidently. People enjoy hearing what I have to say. I am worthy of being heard.”
   
   Try to avoid negative statements such as “I don't get nervous in front of crowds” and instead use something like “I am relaxed and comfortable in front of crowds.”
   
   Positive present-tense statements are easier for your mind to digest and integrate. If you can't think of affirmations on your own, there is a wealth of guided affirmation hypnosis videos and audio tracks online that you can listen to for your session. Some people even prefer to record their own voice saying the affirmations, then play them back during the actual hypnosis.

2.  Get comfortable - This can mean something different for everyone, but generally you should find a comfortable spot to rest your body. A chair, bed, couch, even the floor is fine as long as it doesn't cause discomfort. Make sure your clothes aren't too tight or uncomfortable in any way. A sensation like that may be distracting. Some people who live with chronic pain report that hypnosis and affirmations in the bath tub is helpful, so that the pain doesn't distract them as much. (Just make sure you're going to be safe with your head above the water!)

3. Remove other distractions if possible - Put your phone on silent, let your pet have a toy in another room, make sure to let your family members know that you are taking some quiet time to yourself and that it's important that you are not disturbed.

4. Time it - There is no standard amount of time, but it's recommended to give yourself a cushion before and after the hypnosis. Before, to allow yourself to relax into it, and after to allow yourself to be still in restful awareness as you come back. If you're a beginner, 15-30 minutes is a good place to start. If you want to go longer, hour long sessions are really great for deeper relaxation and insights. There is even a benefit to a quick 5-10 minute session when you wake up in the morning.

5. Clear your thoughts - When you're ready, close your eyes and allow your breath to slow naturally. When thoughts arise, don't panic! Thoughts are normal. Having thoughts doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. It's just what the mind does. Simply observe them, and let them go on their way. Our thoughts are like news headlines scrolling by on ticker tape. I NEED TO DO LAUNDRY! I FORGOT CARROTS AT THE GROCERY STORE! IS MY NEIGHBOR MAD THAT I WAS DOING NOISY WORK IN THE MORNING? Just let it scroll on by.

6. Relax your body - Many find it helpful to focus on relaxation before starting the affirmations. This will help the statements stick better. You can start either at the top of your head or the bottom of your feet (or by chakra if you're familiar with that energy system). Take in a deep, nourishing breath, and imagine each part of the body relaxing. There are full body scan meditation tracks that can be helpful for beginners. You can even imagine that you're going down an elevator into a cool, comfortable, dark place. Whatever kind of sensation or imagery is relaxing to you, use it.

7. Begin your affirmations - When you are relaxed and feel like you're almost floating, you can begin the affirmations. Some people say them out loud while others prefer to say them in the mind. You can say your chosen statements in a sequence, or randomly, or focus on one at a time over and over. Just use your intuition to feel which affirmations seem to tug at the tightest cords. The tighter it is, the more work that belief probably needs.

8. Use your imagination - Many also find that spontaneous visualizations and sensations come to them during self-hypnosis without even trying. You may suddenly imagine yourself walking along a path, or diving into a deep cave. It's common to find items like a book or chest that contain your affirmations written out for your mind to read. Let your imagination do its thing. Have fun with it.

9. Bring yourself back - When you have finished repeating your affirmations and exploring any visualization that may have come up, let yourself slowly come up out of it. You can imagine that elevator again, going up this time.

10. Enjoy, and thank yourself - Once you're back, give yourself time to stay still in that restful awareness. Enjoy the feeling of relaxation even as you open your eyes and sit up. Recognize what it means that you have taken time out of your busy day to take care of yourself. Extend that gratitude towards yourself. Say “thank you” if it helps.

Remember to Give Yourself Time

Depending on the intensity of your programming, you may not feel an immediate effect. It's easy to say “this doesn't work!” and write it off after one go. The reality is that it takes time for this practice to really sink in. That's why we call it a practice. No matter what your goal is, we're all trying to better ourselves. As with anything in life, it's better to focus on the journey than the destination.