Green Mountain Hypnosis - Articles #habit change

But Can You Be Hypnotized?

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

Have you ever thought, “Hypnosis sounds great, but I’m not sure I can be hypnotized. I have to be in control, and I have trouble relaxing.” Or maybe, “I’m very stubborn.” or “I don’t have a very good attention span.”

If you have, you aren’t alone, and you may be surprised to learn that hypnosis is actually a natural shift in conscious awareness that we typically experience several times a day.

Think about a time when you were working on a task, playing a game, or reading, and were so absorbed in what you were doing that everything else drifted into the background. Someone might have walked into the room and said something, and you sensed their presence but didn’t catch what they said.

Another familiar example is the phenomenon of “highway hypnosis.” The experience of driving along a familiar route, missing your exit because you were absorbed in thought, or realizing that there is a landmark or whole town you don’t remember passing.

You were using your subconscious mind in a state of “auto-pilot” to do the familiar task of driving the car while your conscious mind got bored with the familiarity and wandered off. If something on the road needed your attention, your awareness would have returned immediately, without effort.

Whenever something like this happened to you, you were experiencing a different level of conscious awareness. Moments like that mirror the same kind of focused, inward attention we create during hypnosis.

When you experience hypnosis in a session with a professional hypnotist, they use specific language patterns and suggestions to create the same type of shift in your conscious awareness. In this state, you are more receptive to new ideas and suggestions, and changes in thought patterns and behaviors can be made easily without practice or reinforcement.

What makes someone able to be hypnotized?

All that is required to be hypnotized is a willingness to participate in the process. That's it. Nothing fancy, and no special requirements. The process works with your cooperation, and you stay in control of what you choose to allow.

Each person will experience hypnosis differently, because each mind works in its own natural rhythm. The beauty of it is, there is no wrong way to experience hypnosis. Some people drift into a deeper, heavier feeling. Others stay aware and comfortable.

A skilled hypnotist is working with you, tailoring their approach so that you reach the level of inward focus and state of consciousness that allows change to happen more easily.

Why Does Hypnosis Work?

To understand how hypnosis works, it helps to look at how our subconscious mind organizes information and habits.

Your mind has layers of awareness. Your subconscious mind holds your habits, memories, emotional patterns, and responses. It speaks in imagination and emotion, and it uses information it has gathered over time to prompt your actions and feelings now.

The subconscious mind has the job of protecting us and keeping us alive. We learn from the moment we're born how to interact with the world around us, and all of those lessons and strategies stay with us until we replace them with something better.

There is a filter that sits above the subconscious mind and only allows in certain kinds of information. Your subconscious mind can't hold on to two opposing beliefs at the same time, so your filter, the Conscious Critical Faculty, only lets in information that you already agree with. This is why we think change is hard, because while we are consciously aware of how things should be different, we have trouble implementing them as new behaviors because of the filter.

Where our subconscious responds through imagery and feeling, the conscious mind uses logic, reason, and rational thinking. They work together, but they have very different roles.

When using hypnosis we use a specific set of language patterns, tonality, and suggestions designed to tap into your subconscious through your imagination. Hypnotic language allows that Critical Faculty filter to begin to lift just enough, giving us access to your subconscious mind. In this state of heightened focus we can begin to introduce suggestions for changes that you'd like to see in your life, in a state where you are more open to accepting those suggestions. Because of this, those changes begin to implement naturally and automatically.

You also have certain safeguards in place. Even in hypnosis, you cannot be made to do anything that you are not willing to do. Hypnosis can help you to eliminate the subconscious barriers that may have been holding you back, and help you to build and tap into your resource states more efficiently and effectively.

Creating Lasting Change with Hypnosis

Think of hypnosis as a way of updating old patterns, the way we update a device so it runs more smoothly. Changes can feel big and profound, or they can grow subtly in the background. Either way, they feel natural, as if these new responses have simply become the way it's always been.

All of this means that the question isn’t whether you can be hypnotized. It’s how you want to use the abilities your mind already practices every day.

Discover what changes you can create.

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What If Losing Weight Isn't Just About Food?

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0500

We’ve been taught to think weight loss is mostly about eating less and moving more, but for many of us, that’s only a small part of the picture.

Emotional, mental, and even social patterns all play a role in how our bodies hold or release weight. Stress, coping habits, self-image, and unrealistic goals can all keep us stuck in a loop where we do everything “right” and still feel like we’re not making any progress.

The truth is, it’s rarely just about the food.

When Food Becomes Comfort

Most of us have reached for food when we’re not hungry. Feeling overwhelmed, lonely, bored, or simply stressed can have us looking for a snack. It can feel soothing in the moment as a quick way to quiet discomfort. But those same feelings return, sometimes stronger than before.

That’s how the cycle of emotional eating keeps itself going. When we eat to manage emotions, it gives us the illusion of relief without any real resolution.

How to Break the Emotional Eating Cycle

The first shift begins with awareness, not restriction.

Next time you find yourself reaching for a snack, pause for a moment and ask yourself: Am I really physically hungry, or am I craving comfort?

If it’s hunger, give your body something nourishing that you’ll enjoy. If it’s comfort you’re looking for, that’s an invitation to begin to care for yourself in a different way. That might mean taking a break with a few deep breaths, stepping outside, or simply allowing the feeling to move through instead of trying to push it away.

Small moments of awareness like this are where change starts. They interrupt the old automatic pattern and make room for new choices.

How Hypnosis Helps

Hypnosis works by resetting those automatic responses in the subconscious so that we can begin to separate food from emotion. What’s maybe even better, hypnosis helps break the emotional associations with eating, strengthen self-trust, and build healthier ways to meet our needs.

Discover what changes you can create.

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Magic Words That Can Change Everything

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:04:28 -0400

The things we tell ourselves have a huge impact on our feelings, reactions, and even our health. The truth is - we will end up in whatever direction we're focused on.

According to your subconscious, you are the smartest person you know. Your mind hears your thoughts and words as directions, and it forms our experiences to match the tone we set.

You Are What You Say You Are

"This is going to be hard"

"I'm afraid of _____"

“This is so stressful.”

“I'm going to screw this up.”

“I’m not good enough.”

“It's hard to lose weight.”

“I have anxiety.”

“This is just how I am.”

“I can’t do it.”

As you read these phrases, pay attention to how they feel. You'll notice that there is an absoluteness to them. These statements don’t leave any room for things to be anything else.

When we hear ourselves say things like this, our subconscious minds hear them as a direct suggestion, and it does everything it can to make sure that they stay true.

And here’s the interesting thing - you may have tried to tell yourself that the opposite is true. And you probably didn’t believe it. That’s because your subconscious mind has a built-in filter (think of your “BS” filter) that is designed to filter out anything that doesn't line up with the beliefs that we already hold.

This filter keeps us from creating unresolvable conflicts of thought. It's also why we think that change is hard. You try to say positive things and think positively, but the mind keeps pulling you back to old negative patterns.

Change happens naturally and automatically once you know the right way to make it possible.

There are two words that you can use to bypass that filter and begin to think more positively. And when we're focusing more on possibilities than negative patterns, that's where our minds will bring us.

“Used to…”

Putting the words “used to” into negative self-talk moves the ideas from something that is happening right now to something that happened in the past. These magic words also, and maybe more importantly, allow for the possibility that things can be different now, moving you out of that rut.

Let’s try it out.

"This used toseem hard"

"I used tobe afraid of _____"

“This used to feel so stressful.”

“I used to think I was going to screw this up.”

“I used tothink I wasn't good enough.”

“I used to believe it would have been hard to lose weight.”

“I used to believe I was stuck having anxiety.”

“This is just how I used to be.”

“I used to think I couldn't do it.”

Notice how each statement opens up new possibilities now? Notice how your mind accepts them without the BS alarm? Now try it with your own self-talk!

As we use these magic words, we stop reinforcing the negative patterns, and the faster our subconscious minds will begin to create positive changes to match the new possibilities we've made room for.

How Hypnosis Helps

This is one of the ways hypnosis works so perfectly in creating changes. In a session, we don’t argue with the old story. The things that happened already happened. But that doesn't mean they need to keep happening. We don't need to try to force new beliefs. Instead, we give the mind new directions it can follow easily and naturally. Hypnosis helps incorporate those “used to” statements into the deeper operating system of the mind, so the changes not only feel possible, they become automatic.

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Create The Changes You've Been Looking For

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Can Hypnosis Work For You?

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:58:42 -0400

Before I knew what hypnosis was, I was pretty sure it wouldn't work for me.

My partner John had just come back from a hypnosis training and was excited to share what he'd learned. I remember shaking my head, thinking, "I'm a nurse. I deal in science. Hypnosis sounds like swirling eyes, swinging pocket watches, and losing control."

But the experience was completely different, and so much better, than I imagined.

The whole thing felt surprisingly ordinary. I was alert, aware, and entirely in control. I was just more open to what he was suggesting. When he asked me to think of something, or nod my head, or consider a new possibility, it was easy to go along with it. I knew I could open my eyes and stop anytime, yet I stayed because it felt genuinely good to be there.

Afterward, it was like stepping into fresh air after being in a stuffy room. My mind was clearer. I felt energized, motivated, and refreshed, as if I'd slept for hours.

And I was hooked.

Can Hypnosis Work for You?

Have you ever thought, “Hypnosis sounds great, but I’m not sure it can work for me. I need to feel in control,” or “I have trouble relaxing”? Maybe you've said, “I’m stubborn,” or “My attention span isn’t great.”

If you have, you’re not alone. Many people are surprised to discover that hypnosis is a natural state of consciousness you already experience daily.

Think about a time you were so absorbed in an activity, whether it was working intently, playing a game, or reading a great book. When you were so immersed that the rest of the world seemed to fade away. Someone might have come into the room and said something to you, and while you knew they were there, you didn’t really register what they said. In that moment, you experienced a subtle shift in your conscious awareness. And that's exactly what hypnosis feels like.

Another example is the phenomenon known as “highway hypnosis.” Have you ever driven a familiar route and suddenly realized you'd passed a landmark or entire stretch of road without noticing? Your subconscious mind was driving the car on autopilot while your conscious mind drifted off into thought. Yet the moment something required your attention, your mind snapped right back, effortlessly and naturally.

When you work with a professional hypnotist, they use specific language patterns and suggestions designed to create that same natural shift in awareness. In this state, you're more open to accepting new ideas, making it easier to change thought patterns and behaviors without struggle, pressure, or constant reinforcement.

How Hypnosis Creates Real Changes

You can think of hypnosis in the same way we think about updating the operating system on your phone or computer. When our behaviors, habits, and patterns aren’t giving us the results we want, our internal operating system is out of date. Everything still works, it's just using old and outdated information.

Hypnosis accesses your internal operating system directly, clearing out old programs and installing new information, so that everything runs a bit smoother and with better outcomes.

The changes created through hypnosis range from obvious to very subtle. Often these changes are immediately clear, like feeling calmer, more confident, or more at ease in situations that used to be difficult. Other times, these changes are quieter and become obvious when you notice how differently you respond compared to the past.

Because hypnosis works directly with your subconscious mind, your new patterns, habits, and beliefs often feel completely natural, as if that's how it's always been.

How Hypnosis Helps

The mind is remarkably good at change. And once it has the right instructions anything is possible. Hypnosis isn't about giving up control or losing yourself. It's about clearly communicating with the deeper part of your mind to make the results happen that you want.

The beauty of it is, the changes feel effortless, natural, like they've always ben there. And just like me, you can find yourself surprised by just how easy it all was to become hooked on feeling this good.

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Understanding Stress

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 17:37:34 -0400

I used to think that stress and tension was just something I'd have to figure out how to deal with. I'd power through, find ways to decompress, take ibuprofen for the tightness in my muscles and wait until it boiled over to let off some of the pressure.

And I was just partly right.

The truth is, stress doesn't have to get in the way as much as it does. And I've got some really great hypnotic tools for changing the way we respond to stressful situations.

What is Stress Really?

Stress is our normal, physiological response to things that put pressure on us, either emotionally or physically. It can be triggered by events, situations, memories, illness or injury, and thoughts.

Our bodies respond to those triggers by releasing adrenaline, cortisol, and other chemicals to prepare us for a 'fight or flight' response. The heart rate increases, breathing gets faster and more shallow, muscles tense up, and our digestive system slows down.

This stress response is designed to keep us safe, and will continue to run like a high-speed engine until we feel like we're out of whatever situation triggered the event in the first place.

When we're faced with multiple stress triggers, our stress levels increase, keeping us at a "ready state" so that we're better able to cope with whatever comes next.

All of this happens because of cues from our subconscious minds. We store all kinds of memories so that we can recognize things that may put us in harms way, which is great, but the system isn't perfect. The subconscious mind will continue to store the memory of a trigger long after it's become irrelevant, so we can still find ourselves getting stressed out over things that are no longer an issue to us.

How To Be More Choosy About What Stresses You Out

So, your subconscious is doing you the favor of looking out for things that could be potentially emotionally or physically harmful. And that's great! But most of the time it's using really outdated information to decide what triggers the stress response. What we really need is to give the subconscious better information to work with.

First, we need to get the mind to stop what it's doing and listen to us for a minute. We can do this with a tool called a "pattern interrupt." Pattern Interrupts are anything that brings your attention away from what's happening, and they cause a small break, or pause, in the flow of thoughts. in that small pause we can redirect the mind to something else.

Abdominal breathing is one of my favorite pattern interrupts. Not only does it let you focus on taking a breath, the abdominal breath (or belly breath) triggers a vagal nerve response that naturally interrupts the stress response.

Once you're in that brief pause, you have options! You can ask yourself if this is worth feeling tense about, if it's still relevant to you right now, or if you are actually okay for right now. Most of the time, in most situations, we are okay right now. Recognizing that gives us a solid place to stand while we decide what to do next.

How Hypnosis Helps

Hypnosis and hypnotic language lets the subconscious mind take in new information quickly and efficiently to create changes in how we think, feel, and respond. We're not tricking the mind, we're giving it better information to work with you rather than against you.

Hypnotic tools like the pattern interrupt, cognitive reframing, hypnotic suggestions, anchoring, and future pacing all work to re-wire the mind so that you can feel calm, confident, and more relaxed in any situation.

Understanding Stress - The Workshop

Understanding how the stress response works gives you the ability to change how you respond. Over the years I've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients lower their stress levels and experience less stress in their daily lives.

It's been so successful that I've put together a workshop to share these tools.

Understanding Stress is a 90-minute workshop that gives you a deeper understanding of what triggers the stress response, what's going on in your mind and body when it happens, and how to make the changes that will allow you to feel better more often. Here are the details:

When: September 16, 2025, 6:30 - 8 pm EST

Where: Live, Online

How Much: $29

Space is limited to just 10 participants to give everyone time to learn, share, and practice.

The Monday Problem

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

How Our Expectations Shape Our Reality

Did you ever notice that people who hate Mondays have the worst Mondays ever?

I don't mean just rough starts or a little tension. It’s like the whole day takes shape around the expectation. The moment they open their eyes, the story’s already running: "this is going to be awful, I’m already behind, nothing ever works on Mondays."

And sure enough, the day is just awful. What would normally be slight inconveniences turn into disasters and the whole day feels like it's against you.

Years and years ago I worked in a job that I hated. We were always understaffed, and management was out of touch and pushy. I’d wake up already thinking about everything that was going to go wrong. Every day felt like a disaster. I was certain it would be awful, and then it was.

Until one day, without meaning to, I caught myself noticing something else. It was early. I was exhausted. But my coffee was warm and my house was quiet. The kids were still asleep and the sun was just coming up and there was a tiny moment of stillness before anything had started. And I noticed I liked that moment. I felt calm. I even smiled. And for the first time in a long time I wasn't focused on dreading the day ahead.

And you know what? The day wasn't awful. The slight inconveniences stayed small, and things just felt easier. All because I allowed my focus to shift from all the things I didn't want to happen to that simple moment of quiet.

Editing Expectations

Do you ever find yourself dreading something because you “just know” how it’s going to turn out? And sure enough, you do the thing and it turns out just how you knew it would.

In hypnosis, we refer to this as Future Pacing. It’s our ability to pre-determine an outcome through hypnotic self-suggestion.

Our subconscious minds are continuously listening to us for direction. So when we run that negative scenario through our thoughts, our minds hear those predictions and do their best to make sure our expectations are met. That negative narrative creates a template that our subconscious mind will follow, and everything we experience from that point forward is filtered through the lens of how we decided it would be.

Managing our experiences and setting ourselves up for success starts with changing the tone of our predictions.

Hypnotic Reframing

Hypnotic Reframing is a simple way to shift our focus away from the negative and stop making things so hard for ourselves. It’s effective, and it doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re trying to fool yourself.

Let’s start by being more choosy about what we focus on.

For example, you may be tired and begin thinking about how today is going to be long and difficult. If that’s the only option you give your subconscious mind, then of course that’s the one it will carry out.

Instead, you can shift your focus to what is good, positive, or right about the day. What's interesting is, it really doesn't matter how small or seemingly unrelated the positive thought is. You can simply start thinking about how great it is that you have fingers, that the coffee is warm, that there's a song you really love.

And because every thought creates an awareness of another thought, it starts a chain reaction. Once you begin thinking about one good thing, you find yourself starting to think about other good things, and you move farther and farther away from those negative expectations.

This is Positive Future Pacing in action. When you begin to shift your focus to something positive you allow for all kinds of options to open up, and give yourself the ability to notice when the good stuff does happen. You have the ability to decide how things are going to go. In fact, you've been doing it all along. Now let's use that power for good!

The Role of Hypnosis

Hypnosis uses focused attention and strategic language to introduce change in a way your mind can naturally accept and integrate. It can help you to free your mind of the negative patterns and beliefs so they don't keep showing up in your day to day life.

Hypnosis allows you to access that deeper patterning, reframe your thoughts, and create real, lasting change. You’ll also learn practical strategies you can use anytime, anywhere to help you navigate through times that, in the past, used to feel challenging.

Discover how you can create the real, lasting changes you’ve been aiming for.

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Supercharge Your Mindfulness Practice

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

The benefits of hypnotic language patterns

Mindfulness teaches us to notice. Whether it's the swirl of thoughts as we lie down at night, the tension that builds before that event even occurs, or the way our shoulders rise when the conversation gets harder.

That kind of awareness matters. It’s the moment we see the pattern clearly enough to begin shifting it.

And sometimes, even with that awareness, things can stay the same. Instead of changing the pattern itself, we develop work-arounds and strategies to cope with the behaviors and feelings.

That’s where hypnosis can take mindfulness further. Mindfulness allows us to be aware of what’s happening, and hypnosis gives our mind something else to do with that information.

Supercharging Mindfulness with Hypnotic Language Patterns

These hypnotic language patterns can help us go beyond the awareness into shaping real and lasting change:

“Up until now…” – Creates instant separation from the pattern and opens a door to change. This is particularly helpful when we're fostering limiting beliefs. By putting that belief in the past tense, it opens the door to allowing a different outcome.
"Up until now, I felt stuck." or "I used to feel stressed in these situations"

Embedded suggestions – By gently implying that what you want to happen is already happening, your mind hears it as a direction to follow.
"With each breath I can feel a part of my body beginning to relax."

Cause and effect phrasing – Link simple actions to desired outcomes.
"When I notice tension building, I feel myself breathing deeply."

Presuppositions – Assume the shift is already underway.
"Now that I’ve noticed the patterns, the rest gets easier."

Temporal pacing – Tie the shift to natural progress.
"The more we practice this, the more natural it becomes."

You don’t need to use all of them, and you can easily adapt these language tools to your own style. By adding a bit of hypnosis to our mindfulness you’re going beyond awareness to creating changes that benefit you.

Building on What’s Already Working

Awareness is the foundation. Every time we pause, every time we notice without judgment, we reinforce that capacity. And once that foundation is solid, our mind is ready for more.

This part isn’t about effort or precision. It’s about speaking to ourselves like people who are already changing, because we are. And your mind knows how to use these tools, so the changes come naturally and easily.

How Hypnosis Helps

Hypnosis works by speaking the language our deeper mind already understands. It gives clear positive instructions that helps the behaviors and feelings shift. And it starts with how we speak to ourselves in the moment.

Instead of just naming what’s here, we can begin shaping what comes next.

That might sound like:

“Up until now, this has felt overwhelming.”
“My shoulders used to brace here.”
“This used to be the moment I spiraled. And now it’s the moment I breathe.”

These aren’t affirmations, they’re invitations. Our subconscious takes them as instructions and begins to follow them.

This is still mindfulness, it's just charged with the power of hypnotic language.

Discover how you can create the real, lasting changes you’ve been working toward

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What I Leaned in the Toothpaste Aisle

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

How Healing Happens

After I left my abusive marriage, I went shopping for toothpaste.

It doesn’t sound like a big deal. But it was the first time in years that even something that small was mine to decide. The brand, the flavor, the price - tiny things, but unfamiliar.

As I stood in the toothpaste aisle at Walmart, looking at hundreds of boxes, and I realized I had no idea what kind of toothpaste I liked.

I stood there, completely overwhelmed by the options in front of me and before I knew it I was crying. Loud, snotty, full-body sobs. Everything came at me all at once. How had I lost so much of me? How was I ever going to move forward?

All the choices, all the permission, all the pain and past and stress. It cracked me wide open.

How Healing Happens

You don’t have to know what you want. That’s the part that surprised me.

I used to believe that healing meant just getting over it. Making the right choices. Knowing exactly what I needed and becoming the kind of person who never doubted it. Because really, there's no reason why I shouldn't be that person, right??

But that’s not how healing works. Especially not for someone that spent years adapting to someone else’s rules.

When you've had to live inside someone else’s preferences, someone else’s moods, someone else’s version of safe, you create patterns of safety and tolerance and we forget what freedom feels like.

The effects of gaslighting and emotional abuse create a loss of trust, not just in the other person, but in ourselves. We forget how to want, or express our needs and desires. And in the space after, even small choices can feel deafening.

Because when you’ve spent years adapting, pleasing, bracing, or surviving, the freedom to choose something for yourself can feel like a threat.

Your mind may freeze. Your chest may tighten. You may hear yourself thinking, “What if I get it wrong?”

That’s your subconscious doing exactly what it was trained to do—keeping you in familiar patterns, even when those patterns no longer fit.

And those patterns run deep. Not just in your thoughts, but in your body. In the part of you that knows how to keep the peace. Stay quiet. Stay small. Stay safe.

Change starts when you do something unfamiliar on purpose… and survive it.

We don’t rebuild trust in ourselves by trying to solve everything all at once. We rebuild trust by picking one box. One flavor. One small, ordinary thing, and deciding that's okay.

It’s not about the toothpaste. It’s about the pattern.

Because every time you choose differently (no matter how small that choice is), your body realizes it’s still okay you weaken that old loop. You rewrite the pattern. You show your system that it doesn’t have to brace for impact every time you pick something for yourself.

You don’t need the right answer. You just need an answer that is yours.

So pick something. Any something.

Pick the toothpaste. Rearrange the furniture. Say no to a thought that used to feel automatic. Let your nervous system learn, in real time, that you can choose something new and still be okay.

How Hypnosis Helps

Hypnosis helps your system learn faster. The magic of hypnotic language is that it speaks directly to the subconscious mind and helps it sort through those old patterns, letting you decide which ones to keep and which ones you can let go of.

And in that space, you can create a new narrative. One that gently reminds you that this isn't then, and right now you're okay.

Because you’re not just changing a behavior. You’re rewiring the part of your mind that decides what’s safe. And when your subconscious understands that freedom doesn’t mean danger, and that your new choices are safe, and real, and yours, then healing happens.

The choices get easier.

And then you find yourself in the aisle, reaching for exactly what you want.

Because you can.

Discover how you can create the real, lasting changes you’ve been working toward.

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You're Not Being Lazy

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 14:10:34 -0400

Last week was graduation for my youngest, and in a span of just a couple days my quiet home was filled with family and friends from across the country. There were so many emotions and activities and things to be done and keep track of that it was hard at times to keep it all straight.

We all had a wonderful time, and when all the festivities were done and everyone had gone, I did - nothing.

I didn't pick up the house or put things away. I didn't jump back into work on a full schedule. I slept in on the weekend, had pizza for dinner, rested, and took some time to just be.

Of course there was stuff to do that wasn't getting done, and that was okay. After all the commotion and stress of the last week, I just needed a break.

I wasn't being lazy, I was taking care of myself.

Rest isn't Laziness

That’s the part we’re rarely taught to recognize. Rest doesn’t always look intentional. Sometimes it shows up after you’ve spent days keeping track of logistics, emotions, conversations, and everyone else’s needs. Sometimes it hits when the event is over, the dishes are still out, and you realize you can’t keep track of one more thing. You go to answer a message and forget what it was about. You walk into a room and just stand there, blank. You sit down for a minute and start to scroll.

And even then, the mind might try to label it. Lazy. Behind. Avoidant. But that’s not what’s happening.

What’s really happening is the nervous system recognizing a chance to reset. The subconscious, long-trained to keep going under pressure, sees a quiet moment and finally lets go.

When the pressure lifts, the mind often drops. That’s not failure. That’s a practiced pattern.

When my kids were little they would, like most little kids, be going non stop all day. They were like tiny balls of energy barreling through the day at high speed. And more often than not, they resisted rest. They would fight sleep like champions, wanting to get just a little more out of the day.

All it took to get them to settle down was just a few moments of quiet, just a brief pause that gave them permission to close their eyes and wind down. That pause isn’t weakness. It’s permission. And when you stop fighting the need to pause, everything gets a chance to recalibrate.

Take a Break

After the energy has been spent, and the people have been cared for, and the things are done. After something meaningful has ended, you have a real need to recover that energy, those resources.

You don’t have to power through, or try to tidy up your stillness. You can just allow the downtime to be what it is: self care.

Start by allowing yourself to pause on purpose. And yes, there are things that need to get done, and they will. For now, take 15 minutes of downtime.

Set a timer and sit with your feet up. Step outside and feel the air on your face. Lay on the couch with your eyes closed and let your body exhale. Let the sun hit your skin. Let the silence gather. Let your mind wander without needing to catch it.

These aren’t throwaway minutes. You're not being lazy. You’re regulating, restoring, resetting.

Downtime isn’t doing nothing. It’s giving your system exactly what it needs in order to do the next thing well. And the more often that message gets through, the more your mind begins to trust it. That’s how the pattern starts to change.

How Hypnosis Helps

Hypnosis helps that shift take root in the deeper system by showing your subconscious a new rhythm. One where rest isn’t a failure, it’s part of the flow.

Your system doesn’t have to collapse in order to recover. That’s the difference. You don’t have to crash in order to deserve a break. You can arrive gently. Stay longer. And find ease, even when there’s more to do.

Discover how you can create the real, lasting changes you’ve been working toward.

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