Breaking Bad Habits With Direct Suggestion

Want your hypnotic suggestions to actually stick?

We’ve all been there – a client comes in wanting to stop a habit like evening snacking. They’re eager to make a change, but they’re struggling, and as hypnotists, we know that how we phrase our suggestions can make or break the process. When it comes to Direct Suggestion in Hypnosis (DSiH), positive phrasing is key. Let’s explore why that’s so important and how we can create powerful, positively framed suggestions that stick.

Why Positive Phrasing Matters, in Hypnosis

First off, let’s talk about why positive phrasing is so crucial in hypnosis. When we use direct suggestion, we’re speaking to the unconscious mind – that part of us that operates on associations and deeply embedded habits. Negative phrasing, such as "don’t snack" or "avoid eating late," can backfire because the unconscious mind tends to focus on the core concept, in this case, "snack." By focusing on the action we want to avoid, we risk reinforcing it. Instead, positively framed suggestions help the unconscious mind focus on the desired outcome, making the process smoother and more effective.

Click here to learn more about how the unconscious understands negative statements.

Using Direct Suggestions to Encourage Healthier Eating Habits

So, how do we apply this to clients who want to avoid snacking in the evening? We start by creating direct suggestions that evoke a sense of satisfaction and contentment with the day’s final meal. The goal is to encourage them to feel full, satisfied, and comfortable after dinner so that they genuinely lose the desire to snack.

Here are some positively framed suggestions:

• “You will feel satisfied and comfortable after your evening meal.”
• “You will enjoy the lightness of not eating after 7:00 p.m.”
• “You will go to bed feeling rested and content with your food choices.”

With these suggestions, the client’s unconscious is focusing on what they want – feeling full, comfortable, and satisfied. By giving the mind a sense of positive completion, we help them internalize a healthy evening routine.

Crafting Suggestions to Bring Awareness to Snacking Impulses

Sometimes, snacking happens without the client even realizing it – it’s an automatic behavior. This is where involving the unconscious mind to become aware of these impulses can be incredibly helpful. We can encourage the client’s unconscious to alert them if they start to reach for a snack. Essentially, we’re giving the unconscious a job to do: catch the impulse before it turns into action.

Here’s how to phrase that:

• “Whenever you feel the urge to snack, your unconscious mind will alert you, and remind you of your goal.”
• “You’ll catch yourself before you start snacking, and you will choose not to eat.”

This approach allows the client to pause, giving them the moment they need to consciously decide to avoid snacking. You can even have them internalize a phrase like, “I can choose to stay satisfied without needing extra food.” Simple, positive, and in control – exactly what we want.

Framing Past Habits in a Positive Light

For clients trying to drop a long-standing habit like snacking, it’s also helpful to frame the past in a positive, empowering way. Here, we’re not ignoring the past habit, but instead, placing it gently in the past without reinforcing it.

Use something like this: “For me, snacking is now a thing of the past.”

This way, you’re still mentioning snacking, but you’re reframing it as something they’ve moved beyond. This subtle shift creates a positive sense of progress and reinforces that they’re already succeeding. It’s a way of closing the door on the habit without adding any resistance or negativity.

Practical Tips on Positive Suggestion Phrasing

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when using positive phrasing in your sessions:

1. Stay Consistent – Make sure all suggestions align with what the client wants to achieve, like feeling satisfied after dinner and going to bed without cravings.
2. Frame Everything in the Positive – Even when discussing behaviors to avoid, keep the language focused on desired outcomes.
3. Focus on Small Wins – Emphasize positive feelings of fullness, control, and lightness. Clients often need to feel immediate, small successes to build momentum.
4. Get the Unconscious Involved – Give the unconscious a task, like noticing the impulse to snack or recognizing the feeling of satisfaction after dinner.

When dealing with bad habits like evening snacking, positive phrasing isn’t just a technique; it’s the difference between a client feeling like they’re struggling to resist something and feeling like they’re choosing a new, better habit. The goal is always to direct the unconscious toward what’s wanted rather than what’s to be avoided. This method of positive direct suggestion empowers clients, making it easier for them to establish the new behavior they desire.