In today's world, the sad reality is that most people are overly stressed, and very few realize just how helpful hypnosis can be in eliminating that stress. Hypnosis is essentially a very deep form of relaxation. However, because of some incorrect ideas about the process, many people are skeptical or even afraid of hypnosis. Here we'll take a quick look at just how easy it is to use hypnosis to reduce or even eliminate your stress.

What Hypnosis Does

Hypnosis is alternately known as a trance-like state. This state is very much like the feeling we experience right before falling asleep...peaceful, very relaxed and serene. We can purposefully induce this feeling in ourselves at any time, with or without the help of a hypnotherapist.

Meditation is a time-honored way of reducing stress and bringing about a better sense of overall well-being. Think of hypnosis as a different form of meditation, for the end results are very much the same. While hypnosis is often induced by another person, self-hypnosis is rapidly gaining in popularity. Both practices seek the same deeply relaxed and meditative state. The only difference is that hypnosis is more closely associated with changing behaviors, such as through the use of post-hypnotic suggestions. In reality, this isn't much of a difference at all. Many people meditate with the intention of changing something in their lives. They simply call this process by a different name.

While we are under hypnosis, we're not really “under.” We are still aware of our surroundings. We are simply extremely relaxed. While we're in this state of deep physical and mental relaxation, our conscious minds are almost asleep. This allows our subconscious mind to surface, making it much more receptive to new ideas.

Using Hypnosis to Treat Stress

Your first decision is whether to employ the services of a hypnotherapist or to use at-home self-hypnosis techniques. There are disadvantages and advantages to both choices. However, for a relatively simple thing like relieving stress, most people choose to try at-home methods first. If you find that these don't work for you, then the services of a well-qualified hypnotherapist will most likely be necessary. Just be sure to do your research and find somebody with an excellent reputation.

In a hypnotherapist's office, you'll be made comfortable, and outside noises will be blocked out before you arrive. If you're using at-home methods, you'll have to do these things for yourself.

Find a comfortable place to either lie or sit down. Sitting is preferable, since you want to be relaxed during your session, but not necessarily asleep. Don't worry if you do fall asleep, though. Most of the stress-relieving words and images that your hypnosis recording offers will be readily taken in by your subconscious mind even if you're sound asleep!

Block out distracting noises. You can use a white noise machine for this. These machines produce a constant, neutral background noise to block out anything that might distract you. Most of them also play nature sounds, which many people find very relaxing.

Once you are comfortable and in a quiet, soothing environment, begin your recording. You can find many CD's and mp3's for this purpose; choose the ones that work best for you. There are many available for free on the internet, and this is an excellent way to determine which kind of hypnosis works best for you without spending a lot of money on recordings.

The Process Itself

Since stress produces illness, tension and general negative energy in the body, the simple act of fully relaxing is a powerful tool in fighting stress. Due to this, most hypnosis for stress relief will begin with a full-body relaxation. Once you're physically relaxed, the recording will guide you through some imagery, visualization, or some other sort of relaxation exercise. There will most likely be some sort of a suggestion while you are deeply relaxed, such as “I am calm and serene.” This suggestion, once accepted by your subconscious, will allow you to deal with stressful situations in a much calmer manner once you end your hypnosis session.

Eliminating stress with hypnosis is actually one of the simplest forms of hypnosis, and you're sure to see dramatic reductions in stress after just one session!

Author's Bio: 

Since the mid 1980′s, Steve G. Jones has dedicated his life to hypnosis and helping people lead better and more incredible lives. The breadth of his knowledge is wide and for over 20 years, he’s helped clients with almost any condition you can name: weight loss, anxiety, smoking cessation, exam taking, phobias, anger management, pain control, business and sales confidence, and many others.
So if you’ve ever dreamed about taking control of your life, living your dreams, and channeling your energy and focus towards fulfillment, abundance, confidence, and happiness, Steve is ready to help you.
Studying at the University of Florida in the 1980s, Steve completed his degree with a focus on cognitive psychology and understanding how people learn. However his experiences have since expanded greatly and Steve is now a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and counseling, a master’s degree in education, and is now completing his doctorate in education at Georgia Southern University.
Steve’s practice has taken him into business settings, medical and psychological circumstances, and a variety of other difficult situations where he has helped individuals and groups overcome their limitations, fears, pains, and problems.
He has also worked extensively with Hollywood actors, writers, directors, and producers, helping them achieve their very best in a highly competitive market.
Currently, Steve is a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, American Board of Hypnotherapy, president of the American Alliance of Hypnotists, on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung Association, and director of the California state registered Steve G. Jones School of Hypnotherapy.

If you're interested in learning more about how stress relief hypnosis can improve your life, continue reading here: http://www.hypnotranquility.com/articles/self-hypnosis-technique/stress-...