Hypnotherapy can help you make new year’s resolutions that last

How long do your New Year’s resolutions last? As a Hypnotherapist, I often notice an increase in enquiries during March and April when people’s commitment to New Year’s resolutions has worn off. Many turn to Hypnotherapy to help them exercise, give up smoking or achieve other important goals.

Part of the problem is that people tend to focus on external outcomes without addressing what’s going on inside. Weight management is a classic case in point. Some people think that once they lose weight they will be happy. They struggle with various diets and lose heart when the weight piles on again. The chances are, they are struggling with internal issues that need to be dealt with before they can take control of other aspects of their lives, such as their relationship with food, stress, work, money or family.

Hypnotherapy helps people to regain control by helping them to focus on how they want things to be – their preferred future, rather than focusing on the problems. The therapy uses Solution Focused questioning techniques designed to help clients develop a clear vision of how they want to be.

Typically if I ask a client to tell me how they want to be, they will give me a list of what they don’t want – "I don’t want to be overweight, out of breath when I walk, staying indoors because I’m not confident going out". It’s my job to help them describe what they do want instead – "full of energy, feeling healthy, slim and confident". The difference is profound. Hypnosis helps to reinforce the positive image the client has developed.

It’s wonderful to see the transformation people can make to the quality of their lives, once they stop focusing on problems and direct all their energy towards thinking positively instead. And the great thing is that, because the client has addressed their internal thought processes, the changes are usually long-lasting. Unlike typical New Year’s resolutions.