Instant Stress Management Articles

3 Free Yet Powerful Self Hypnosis Techniques for Anger, Anxiety & Stress Management

Read this page carefully and bookmark it for future reference. 

Del.icio.us   Digg It   Stumble It

Instant Stress Management Home

Stress Management Articles Home

The following free self hypnosis techniques are to be used after reading and practicing the meditation training for stress management article AND after doing at least one practice session using the self-hypnosis instruction article.

Use each one of the following techniques in individual session using the meditation training tracks... or in separate sessions. For effective results you will need to practice these techniques several times just like with learning any new skill.

1. Anxiety As An Object

This technique is very easy to do. First pick a situation that makes you feel a little anxious. Next take that feeling of stress and/or anxiety and give it a shape, as if it were an object. Maybe a square or a sphere or a big blob. Choose the object you want your anxiety to be represented by. Now take all the feelings of stress and anxiety and put it into that object.

Now you test. First increase the size of the object. Does this make you feel more stressed? Now decrease the size of the object, do you feel better? If you do, then you have linked the little anxiety/stressful situation you had chosen to this imaginary object. Now allow the object to get smaller and smaller till it just disappears. Feel great!

2. Releasing Negativity With The Red Balloon Technique

Everyone experiences negative emotions. Maybe you got angry over something. The emotion may have been justified. However, negative emotions create chemicals in your body that is not good for you. For your own well being you need to be able to release as much negativity as possible. In some cases it will be easy and in others not so easy. 

Exercise: Releasing Negative Feelings

Take a deep breath, relax and visualize a peaceful, relaxing scene.

Now imagine you are walking through a field, up a mountain carrying a backpack filled with objects of some kind such as rocks or fruit.

Imagine that the objects in your backpack are somehow infused with the negative emotion you were feeling about something.

Take your time with this technique. Imagine the walking, feel the weight of the backpack and even feel it get heavier as you climb the mountain.

At the top of the mountain visualize a large red balloon with a basket attached to it. It is tied down to keep from flying away.

Put the backpack down while imagining how good it feels to take it off your back.

Open the backpack and notice what objects are in it. And take each object and put it in the basket with the red balloon attached to it.

Release the rope holding the basket down and let the red balloon carry it off, filled with all the objects that are infused with that anger (or any negative emotion you had felt). Watch it drift far away into the distance and as it drifts away feel the emotions diminish as well. Till it has completely disappeared. 

If you take your time and visualize each object in your back pack with a corresponding emotion and then visualize it drifting away, you will be amazed at how fast you can let go of that negative feeling. 



3. A Mental Shield to Block Stress

Often we will pick stressful vibes from our surroundings or negative people around us and it will get us feeling negative as well. This is perfectly normal in any community of people. You can however, use the imagery of a shield to protect yourself to a greater and greater extant, from stressful situations, giving you an edge in dealing with stress. 

First, a little tip on body posture. If you are with someone you feel a ‘bad vibe’ from and you feel drained of energy, one method that works is to cross your legs. This is body language that your unconscious understands as ‘closing yourself off’. In the study of body language, when a person crosses their arms and legs they closing themselves off to the outside. You can take this knowledge of unconscious behaviors and use it consciously to close yourself off from negative situations or to create a little space for yourself. So as not to be obviously cutting anyone off, cross your legs at the ankles, not the knees. The effect for you will be the same. 

Second, you will want to create the imagery of a shield with the properties of how you want to feel and react.

Now follow this 5 step self-hypnosis visualization technique:

Step 1 Massage the four acupressure points for balancing your energy and relieve stress.

Step 2 (a) Do a Breathing Exercise/Meditation for 3-5 minutes to rejuvenate your mind.
           (b) ‘Ground’ yourself by imagining roots extending down from your feet into the earth. Feel and sense the earth/floor beneath your feet. Being aware of your surroundings, above and below can help you create a 'grounded' feeling which is important for meditation.

Step 3 Go into a meditative state of mind using your new knowledge of self hypnosis and the meditation training videos.

Visualize yourself surrounded by a ‘bubble’ of protection. Of a color that makes you feel safe and protected. Visualize yourself surrounded by this bubble, 2 feet away from you on all sides (above and below). If you feel more comfortable with 3 or 4 feet of distance, that is fine. 

Now vividly imagine the following:
(a) A time when you felt wonderful
(b) A time when you felt confident
(c) A time when you felt alert and ready.

Recreate each memory vividly enough to be able to fill your entire bubble with the feelings you are recreating. Recreate vividly each state listed above, separately and then combine them, so you feel confident, alert and overall just wonderful.

Step 4  Now, staying inside your shield/bubble, visualize a situation that had been slightly stressful. Watch it unfold as if in real time. Notice that the stress of that situation can be kept outside your shield. So you continue to feel good. 

Step 5  Finally, mentally go through several situations where you had been stressed before, keeping your shield as a barrier between you and the stressful situations. This will get you used to distancing yourself from negativity, keeping your own positive state intact.

Remember The brain believes the imagination to be real. 

Practicing the above techniques regularly (in a meditative state), will give you the ability to handle previously stressful situations with greater ease. I recommend that, at least once, you do the above exercises 3 times a day for 3 days to get the feel for them.

  Disclaimer & Terms Of Use