How long does it take to form or change a habit?
Most people think that to create a new habit takes around 21 days. In reality this is not correct as for some people can take less and for others much more, even months. This is important when we are trying to change something so we don’t think that if we don’t do it after 2 or 3 weeks it means it is imposible to do.
It depends on the person and the circumstances. As a Consulting Hypnotist I see people creating changes in their life very fast and very easily. Much better that just using will power. This being said it is important to keep the belief and positive emotion.
For example lately I have being doing a lot of Motivational Hypnosis, so clients feel better, more optimistic, full of energy and are able to concentrate better and get more focused in their goals.
During the session I show them how just positive thinking is not enough, they must have the emotion, the belief that they can do it. And of course they must take powerful positive actions.
Yes, I know it is very easy to say “I believe”, but it is totally different to really believe.
One way I do this is to show them the power of their mind … we do simple “mind games”, something as simple, funny and entertaining as having your hand stuck to a table.
I always tell my clients, friends or people wanting to experience Hypnosis (sometimes I do this in cafeterias and/or parks) … I’m just a guide, a coach, you are the power behind. It is your mind. It is your power.
We do the mind game, first using will power, using your conscious mind … nothing happens. Then we change and use your subconscious mind, the power behind your mind … and something happens.
Sometimes clients just feel a little bit of difference in the amount of conscious effort they have to take to move the hand. And sometimes their hand get completely “glued” to the table even when they use will power to move it.
Notice here that when we do this, they have their eyes opened, they are completely aware.
Seeing your own hand stuck, glued to a table, knowing that consciously is impossible. Knowing that there is nothing that keeps your hand “glued” to the table. It is powerful.
Magic? Diabolic powers? Mind control? Bad spirits around? Scary?
Really, there is nothing to be scared. There is no mind control. There is no magical power. You know that your hand is ok, safe, that you can move it away from the table any time if you want, but you have told your subconscious to “believe” and it believes and keeps your hand there.
It is powerful because you see the power of your own mind, the power of your subconscious and how “really believing” in something can affect the results.
Then I say … “when I touch your hand, it is the signal to your subconscious mind to stop believing”, and like magic they are able to unstuck their hand from the table.
In a symbolic way, bad habits are false beliefs. Bad habits are like being stuck in our false beliefs. So for creating a new habit or eliminating a bad one. It is important to “believe” that you can do it and to understand that sometimes it takes less than two weeks, others might take months.
The power of Hypnosis is that because you “talk” directly to your subconscious, where habits are, the time for change becomes less and chances of success on changing increase.
Notice, I always say, hypnosis is not a cure-all, is not magical, is not 100% effective, but it is a powerful technique for change. If you want to change bad habits that you have not being able to change using only will power, talk to your Doctor about using Hypnosis.
If you want to create positive and powerful new habits that help you feel better, happier a more successful, hypnosis certainly can help. Of course you can use only will power and repetition. And of course there are many methods to change and/or create new positive habits, but I truly believe Hypnosis is one of the best ones.
Olivier Hidalgo
www.nlphypnosiscentre.com