My well wishes for the festive season are at the end of this blog and this’ll be the past one from me this year…
My final technique of the year offered up on the blog is focusing on self-esteem enhancement. Today, we are utilising ( Milton Erickson would be proud) the festive time of year to ensure we’re feeling really good and building self-esteem.
So lets hail a cab and head for self-esteem street, shall we? Lets do the self-esteem waltz one last time this year… You gotta love those cheesy lines; it is allowed at this time of year, ok?
5 Steps To Building Self-Esteem
As with this week’s previous self-esteem boosting technique using self hypnosis, find a comfortable place where you are going to be undisturbed for a while, and sit in a comfortable chair rather than lying down in bed. Now sit back and relax with both feet on the floor, and place your hands on the armrests of the chair or in your lap — whichever is the most comfortable for you. Ensure that our arms and legs are not touching each other (uncrossed) and proceed.
Step One: Induce hypnosis. You can do so by any means you desire or know of. You can use the process in my self-hypnosis book, use the free audio at this website to practice or have a look at the following articles as and when you need them; they are basic processes to help you simply open the door of your mind:
Using eye fixation for self-hypnosis.
The Betty Erickson Self-Hypnosis Method video clip.
Using Magnetic Hands for Self-Hypnosis.
Once you have induced hypnosis, move on to step two.
Step Two: Imagine that you are in your local town centre or the city that you live in at this busy time of year (if you do not celebrate Christmas where you are based, you can pick any other celebration or time of year when the streets are full of people and it is a busy place to be).
Really engage your imagination and see the sights, the colours, the movement around you. Notice the shades of light and textures of all the activity. Notice the random nature of the busy-ness and the hustle bustle of people. Listen to the sounds of all the life going on around you, get a real sense of tuning into the liveliness.
Notice and observe all the buildings and become aware of the shape and direction of the street you are in and that you are familiar with.
Walking with purpose along this street, but slow enough to truly take in all the details, observe all the action, watch all the movement and motion happening all around. Tune in to the surroundings and fully engage in them. Tell yourself that each step you take along this street takes you deeper inside your mind, and that despite the frenetic nature of this place, you relax physically as walk along the street.
Once you have created and really got the details with as much clarity as you can all around you, then move on to the next step.
Step Three: Firstly, pause in the street, let the activity go on all around you and engage in this moment. Become very self-aware, notice your breathing, notice who you are at this time, notice your thoughts, notice your emotions, your mood and do not attempt to change anything, just observe how you are in this moment. Then with that level of self-awareness, start to watch all the people moving around you on the street. Watch them for a few moments.
Notice all the different shapes, different sizes, different facets, colours, mannerisms, ways, habits and idiosyncrasies that vary so much from one person to another. Yet despite all these distinctions and differences, there is so much that is similar between you and every one of the people you watch all around you.
You know that all these people have similar basic needs and basic desires for themselves and their loved ones.
Take a moment and look at the people around you, and understand this idea fully before moving on. Get a sense of connection with your fellow people, feel the commonality that you share with each person, become aware of what you all have in common at this time.
As you watch these people, your fellows in your town or city, take a few moments to just accept them all as they are in this moment. Realising how similar you are to these others, just take some time to truly accept them as they are – be accepting and understanding and notice how that feels, how enjoyable that is, and when you feel that you have developed a sense of that within yourself, move on to the next step.
Step Four: Knowing that you have so much in common with other people, and having accepted them all at a deep level right here and now, you realise that you can accept yourself as you truly are.
Accept yourself too now. Express acceptance about everything that you are. Accept your own feelings, thoughts, aspirations, ways of being. Imagine this self-acceptance is like a colour or a sound or a sensation that moves and travels throughout every aspect of your body and mind.
Start to repeat some affirmations to yourself at this stage to build up these feelings of assuredness – make sure you repeat it to yourself in a way that is undeniably convincing, with some real sense of meaning. Say it to yourself in way that feels like you truly believe it:
I feel more and more wonderful being me.
I am comfortable in my own skin.
I like and love being me.
I feel deeply reassured.
I am safe.
I am in control of how and who I am.
If there are other affirmations that you prefer, then use them, apply them to yourself with some vigour and in a way that really gives you a great sense of self.
As you say these things to yourself, now find a shop window to gaze at. Look at your own reflection, see yourself as vividly as you can and continue to repeat those words to yourself in your mind while looking at yourself and being appreciative of yourself.
Gaze deep into the eyes of your reflection and notice that the expression deep in the eyes is one that you know belongs to someone with a growing sense of self-belief and self-esteem and confidence in their ability to be in control of their own life. Notice what tells you that is true.
Once you have really connected with your reflection, all the time repeating those affirmations of well-being, when you’ve enjoyed enough of those developed deeper feelings, then move on to the final step.
Step Five: Enjoy the feelings within you and tell yourself that they stay with you after this session has come to end. Think of some action you can take this very day that is evidence to you of your developing and growing self-esteem. Show yourself that you trust in you and that you appreciate you and go and take that action whenever is pertinent to do so.
Take a deep energising breath, and let it radiate through you. Wiggle your toes and fingers, open your eyes, stretch your arms out and tune in to your surroundings.
This week, run through this session inside your mind and take some action, do something different in your life to truly confirm that you are growing in self-esteem and glowing with confidence. Use this festive seasons busy-ness and activity to great effect to help develop your sense of self and arrive in the new year feeling great about who and how you are, knowing that 2012 is going to be a fabulous year for you.
I am now out of here until the new year. In a couple of days, my wife and I are heading out to Africa for some sunshine and some much needed R&R. I plan on eating too much, drinking too much and getting my legs ready for all my marathons in the new year.
Thank you for reading and following my blog this year – you and your responses are what keeps me driven to write it. it is a real privilege to know that people regularly read what I have to say here and I thank you sincerely. I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful festive season, I hope you thrive in the New Year.
… And do go and have a look at the new audio sessions we have in the store on very special offer right now and only released yesterday – for all you hypnotherapists and hypnosis professionals out there – the video training programme “Rapid Inductions For Hypnotherapists” is now on sale at an introductory low price for one week only. Treat yourself for Christmas, you’ll love this video programme, we had such fun recording it…
I’ll be back in the New Year, have a good one! Much love and my very best wishes, Adam.
