Congratulations. You’ve downloaded the hypnosis you will listen to every day (or more!) for the next two weeks (or more!) to influence your state to mind by reducing your anxiety and taking more control over your IBS symptoms.
The next step is to power up that hypnosis by making your personalised Mind Movie visualisation which will create an “instant calm” trigger so you can calm your mind and body whenever you want.
A Mind Movie is a visualisation in the form of imagined moving images – like a movie – which you create to watch inside your mind.
This Mind Movie shows moving images (just like in a movie) representing a calming experience or place you have enjoyed.
We are going to use your brain’s “conditioning” function to create a trigger to bring on feelings of calm whenever you need them.
What is the trigger? Exhaling and saying to yourself “calm”.
Our lives contain experiences which, if repeated, trigger an automatic response in our behaviour. In the most famous example, Pavlov, the Russian scientist, rang a bell every time he fed his dogs. After a while, just hearing the bell would trigger his dogs to salivate. An otherwise neutral stimulus like a bell ringing took on a positive meaning for the dogs.
Other examples of classic conditioning might be: standing up when the school bell is rung; or feeling tearful at the sight of a needle because of past painful injections; or a song from the happy moments in the past putting you in a good mood. Put simply, two stimuli are linked together to produce a learned response.
Identify a time and place where you felt calm and relaxed. It might be an imagined experience in the future or a real experience from the past.
Example:
In bed; curled up on the sofa; lying on a beach; walking through a forest.
Find somewhere comfortable to relax.
Close your eyes.
Take five deep breaths (inhale through your nose for four or five counts, exhale through your mouth at a slower pace).
Then breathe deeply in a way that is comfortable for you, taking breaths from low down in your abdomen. Place your hand on your stomach to check that it is moving up and down as you breathe.
Create a Mind Movie of moving images (just like in a movie) representing this positive calming experience.
Don’t forget to include the calming emotions which go with it.
Your Mind Movie should be in full colour and last about 20/30 seconds.
Imagine you have a control board in front of you which allows you to play with your Mind Movie.
Practice watching yourself on the screen, as well as experiencing it through your own eyes (jump into your body in the movie).
Trigger: when you watch your Mind Movie, remember to say to yourself “calm” on the exhale.
Your brain will make the association saying to yourself “calm” and the feelings of relaxation in your Mind Movie.
Play your Insant Mind Movie repeatedly.
Work it into your every day activities: e.g. when you brush your teeth, your hair, when you have a hot drink, or take a loo break and so on.
Remember to breathe out and say to yourself “calm” whenever you play your Mind Movie.
Example:
Dina made a Mind Movie of herself lying in her childhood bed feeling warm, safe and comfortable.
Example:
Freddie made a Mind Movie of himself lying on the sofa with his dog.
Example:
Florence made a Mind Movie of herself floating in a calm sea whilst on holiday.