Reprogram Your Mind – The Transformative Power of Self-Hypnosis
- Brainz Magazine
- Nov 11
- 6 min read
Donna Reynolds empowers clients to build confidence, understanding it as the foundation for achieving personal goals. With experience working with people of all ages, her Confidence is Key approach helps foster a positive mindset, enabling individuals to move forward with clarity, self-assurance, and resilience.
What if you could rewire your thoughts, boost your confidence, and create a more positive outlook, just by changing how you speak to yourself? This article explores the power of self-hypnosis and how Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy helps transform everyday thinking into a tool for calm, happiness, and personal growth.
Self-hypnosis – what is it, really?
How many of us have been in a social situation and, if we pause for a moment to really listen to the conversations around us, what do we hear?
“I’m ADHD.”
“I’m peri-menopausal.”
“I’m anxious all the time.”
“I’m so tired.”
“I didn’t sleep.”
“I’m exhausted, I’m just so stressed.”
These kinds of statements have become the norm. But how often do we hear people say:
“I’m happy.”
“I’m excited.”
“I’m relaxed.”
“I’m content.”
Think about that for a second. We’ve become an epidemic of negative self-talk, so is it any wonder that we’re not feeling good about ourselves?
It’s a scientific fact that the brain hears what we say to it. So, if we spend our days focusing on what’s wrong, comparing ourselves to filtered, cinematic versions of other people’s lives, our minds begin to believe those messages. And when we start looking to others to diagnose or label us, it’s often just a way of justifying the negative narrative we’ve already created for ourselves.
As a hypnotherapist, I often get the odd joke about what I do (as you can imagine). But something struck me during a meeting recently, while I was explaining hypnotherapy, we are constantly being hypnotised by our phones, by advertising, by the endless stream of information designed to grab our attention.
Here’s the truth, hypnosis is simply relaxation. When the brain is in a relaxed state, it becomes more suggestible, and no one knows that better than marketers. When our brains are open to suggestion, what we feed them becomes our reality.
If we’re feeding the mind with calm, positive, and empowering messages, that becomes our truth. But if we’re constantly feeding it feelings of inadequacy, “I’m not good enough,” “I can’t afford that,” “I don’t look like them,” “I’ll never be as successful,” then that becomes our truth too. It’s what they call a self-fulfilling prophecy, whatever we focus on, we reinforce until it becomes the reality we live.
Why, then, do we allow our worth as people, parents, friends, or business owners to be measured by what we see online? Personally, I’d happily grow my business without social media if I could. I’d be far more content. But society tells us otherwise. It tells us that if we’re not out there seeking validation, we’re somehow failing, even if those judging us are complete strangers.
And this is where self-hypnosis begins
It starts with two small words that hold enormous power, I am.
What? I am what? What are you ready for? What would you like for yourself in the future?
This isn’t just fluffy talk or ‘mumbo jumbo.’ It’s scientifically proven that we can change our outlook on life simply by shifting the way we speak to ourselves.
Not going to lie, when I scroll through things online, I often find myself thinking, What a load of nonsense. I don’t buy into every video I see. Instead, I focus on changing my own cognitions, my thought patterns, so I can move through life feeling happy, relaxed, and confident.
There’s often a lot out there that can kill any buzz, so finding the confidence to know what works for you, without feeling pressured by someone else, is a great space to live in.
I attend quite a lot of social events, and when I’m in a room, I love making people laugh. I’ll say things like, “I am funny, I am fabulous, I am happy.”
But when someone constantly says, “I’m miserable, I’m tired, I’m angry,” people tend to listen and start to get on board with that energy, often chiming in with their own negative self-beliefs.
We often hear that people are naturally drawn to positivity, but are they? Or do we simply mirror the person in front of us?
When I’m being positive and happy, people’s reactions often surprise me. They’ll say things like, “I wish I could feel like that,” as if I have something they don’t. But the truth is, my life is no more special than anyone else’s. We all have our struggles. I simply choose to look at mine differently.
I choose to say, “I am grateful for whatever comes my way.” And I love that about my thought process, my cognitive behaviour.
A friend of mine always says, “Your vibe attracts your tribe.” Or as others put it, “We attract what we become.” Both are true. When we speak negatively, we often attract more negativity in return (like I said earlier, people get on board with the negative). But when we’re light-hearted or positive, others respond to that energy too.
Think about it: when you leave a conversation, how do you want people to feel? Uplifted? Grateful to have shared a laugh? Maybe they’ll even walk away thinking, that was fun.
Everything starts with a thought, a cognition, if you will. Cognitions are our thoughts.
This is why I’m a Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist. I have the ability to think something positive even when someone around me is being negative. Maybe that’s a gift, or maybe it’s simply a choice.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know what Cognitive Behaviour Therapy was at first. It sort of found me. When I was told I wasn’t ready to be a counsellor, my tutor said, “We don’t think you’re ready.” And I agreed. I remember thinking, that’s fine, something else is coming for me. And sure enough, it did.
When I discovered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, I had this lightbulb moment. I remember sitting in class, listening to my tutor, and thinking. Wow, this feels like it was written for me.
Some people on my previous course took the rejection personally. One girl even rang me, spiralling about it, which, ironically, showed she might not have been ready to counsel others yet.
Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, though, is goal-oriented, and that’s me to a tee. I set myself a task, move forward, achieve it, and then set another. Along the way, I keep reminding myself, "Keep going. You’re doing amazing."
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is becoming your own personal cheerleader, and why not?
Why not tell yourself you’re doing amazing? Why not see something online and think, “Good for them, but look what I’m doing! Look how amazing my life is!”
Look at all the wonderful things happening right now. I am so lucky.
And even if there are challenges, it doesn’t hurt to imagine how good it’s going to feel when it’s all over. Everything changes, especially when we start to imagine it changing.
Research supports this too. Studies on self-talk and self-affirmation show that positive internal dialogue can literally change the brain’s activity. It boosts areas linked to motivation and self-worth and helps us rewire our thought patterns in healthier ways. In fact, what we tell ourselves daily influences our emotions, decisions, and even how our body responds to stress.
For instance, scientists are now saying there’s really no such thing as luck, it’s more of an energy force, a mindset that attracts good things.
Psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman, who has studied “lucky” people for decades, found that those who believe they’re lucky tend to be more open, positive, and observant. They don’t actually have more luck, they create it. Their outlook helps them notice opportunities and connect with people in ways that lead to more good things happening.
Neuroscience backs this up. When we focus on what’s going well, our reticular activating system, the brain’s internal filter, highlights more of the same. So if you walk around saying, “I am lucky,” your brain begins to look for and notice evidence that proves it.
Maybe luck isn’t random after all. Maybe it’s energy, attention, and belief working together, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy gives us the tools to direct that energy consciously.
Which brings us full circle and answers the question, “What is self-hypnosis?”
Self-hypnosis is the way we speak to ourselves. As we’ve explored in this article, it’s about being kind to yourself because you deserve it. And when you are kind to yourself, you start to see opportunities and circumstances differently. You begin to move forward feeling lighter, happier, and more positive.
And who knows, maybe even a little luckier.
Read more from Donna Kirsten Reynolds
Donna Kirsten Reynolds, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist
Donna Reynolds discovered her passion for mental health and personal growth while living abroad and navigating her own challenges. After experiencing a sudden divorce that mirrored the struggles of many women around her, Donna sought to understand why such upheavals were so common. This quest led her to study mental health and behavior, ultimately guiding her to Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy. She believes that by changing our thoughts, we can overcome any barriers and create meaningful, lasting change in our lives.
