Your most important hypnosis client is yourself! Hypnotists are of the highest service by being present, attentive, and compassionate to their clients -- and that includes yourself. The next most important client is the one that's sitting right in front of you.
Being present is the act of fully engaging with the current moment and immersing oneself in the present experience. You're not thinking about the past or future like trying to remember your grocery list, or thinking about a conversation from the day before. It involves cultivating a heightened awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, and sensations while practicing self-compassion. Being present allows us to appreciate life's simple pleasures, connect deeply with those around us (including our clients), and experience greater overall contentment. When present, distractions lose their power, and the mind becomes more focused, calmer, and less prone to stress and anxiety. Clients have a deep appreciation for knowing their hypnotist is present, which creates more trust and encouragement that they're in exactly the right place.
To practice being present, you can utilize the Alpha Sequence. It's so quick and simple with evidence based steps to help you drop into the present moment. You can visit thealphasequence.com for a guided video on how to use this daily practice.
One of the biggest first steps you can take is having an awareness of your self-talk. Take the time to identify when you may be having some harsh inner dialogue, and transform that into compassion and understanding. The better we are at practicing positive self-talk with ourselves, the easier it is to bring that same patience and compassion to our clients. Many of our clients are dealing with deep pains and feeling a lack of connection with others or themself, so by being able to let them authentically express themselves without judgement or negative reaction is a huge benefit for all. It also helps us notice when a client is using negative self-talk with themself so that we can help them transition into a healthier dialogue.
Your physical space is also very important. Keep it clean and bring in things that bring you a sense of calm or joy. Perhaps you have some art you love, a powerful quote that you have printed or written somewhere, a cute figurine or stuffed animal, or some fun lighting. By surrounding yourself and your clients with things that promote joy and safety, it is easier to mentally step into that positive space. You can do whatever you want with your personal space, but if you are transforming a space that you share with clients, try to only include things that are visual. Avoid strong smells and audios as these can hinder your client's ability to enter into hypnosis and may illicit strong subconscious connections that interfere with the important work that you're going to do together.
Take the time to check-in with yourself daily. Take notice of if you're having any trouble being present, or if your environment feels off in some way. Are you having any recurring feelings that need to be addressed more deeply? Are you taking care of yourself physically? Make sure you're eating well, practicing some form of physical activity, having good posture, drinking enough water throughout the day, getting enough sleep, etc. Sometimes we have an amazing routine that has us feeling on top of everything one month, and then another month we're feeling a little burnt out. It's perfectly normal to experiences changes or slowly forget an important part of your self-care. Be patient and compassionate as you notice these changes and find a way back to feeling great.
You are your most important client. By taking care of yourself, you can more easily take care of your clients and help them through their transformations.