Want to look younger? The answer may be no further than the thoughts and feeling running between your own ears.

Text: Jennifer Norris

Just as our past actions, as well as our internal and external environments, have a bearing on the present state of our skin, our past thoughts, beliefs and feelings are similarly reflected on the current state of our life and situation.

The misperceptions from the past, erroneous beliefs or negative feelings that we cling onto are detriments to our health – mentally, emotionally and physically. When these unhelpful patterns are let go, the weight that we’ve been carrying within no longer burdens us, and that release is mirrored in our expressive front to the world – our face!

So how is it possible to ‘drop ten years’ physically, by working mentally?
It has often been said: it’s all in the mind. In this case, it’s in two of the three realms of the mind – the subconscious and unconscious. The other realm, the conscious mind, is the logical, analytical, rational, list-making domain and does not feature much in hypnotherapy.

The subconscious holds all our experiences – good, bad and ugly. It is where habits and behaviours are reinforced. It associates and fortifies patterns that we have begun. Just as an old song on the radio can transport us back to a different time and place, we link and repeat familiar thoughts and feelings – even if they may not be helping us any more.

Feelings or emotions reside in the subconscious. They guide us to support our future choices. They advise us in altering our direction when we aren’t fulfilling our ability to create a life that supports our needs and wants. Uncomfortable, negative, or ‘bad’ feelings are ways to tell us that we’ve taken a wrong turn, but we normally ignore these warnings and find ourselves in even greater emotional strife. Our unconscious mind, while it takes into account our body functioning, also works with the subconscious. You’ve experienced this if you’ve ever had a tension headache or a nervous stomach, a physiological response to an emotional state. Simply put, the (subconscious) mind is where the action is, the body (unconscious mind) is where the reaction is. You’ve probably seen the result that negative thinking and feeling has on the physical body. From the furrowed brow, to the frown lines; the stressed or angry blemishes, or the sallow skin of an unhappy individual, the way we feel on the inside affects the way we present ourselves to the world. So, to turn back the clock from the inside out, here are a few tips to give yourself a ‘lift’ when you need it: Your Mind, Your Choice. We often surrender control to external circumstances or people. However, real change stems from taking back responsibility for our own thoughts, feelings and actions. While our past has passed, the future is yet unwritten, and those empty pages are yours to fill in the best way possible. Attention, please. We tend to go where we direct our attention. If our thoughts and beliefs are full of ‘cannots’, ‘musts’ or limitations, that’s what you’ll discover over and over. When you direct your thoughts towards your desires and positive outcomes, you’ll find your path cleared towards what you do want, rather than what you don’t want.

Emotional Guidance. Feelings are great directors to needs and wants, to help you connect and perform better. It’s an important feedback mechanism, so learn to speak the language and you’ll be better able to help yourself and others. Keep Score, Selectively. As they say, write your blessings in stone and your hurts in the sand. For a mental and emotional face-lift, there’s no better advice. Others may have hurt you in the past, but they no longer have to hurt you in the present. Even if we don’t like what might have been done to us, or even what’s going on around us, letting go of those injuries allows us to heal and move on. When we start being thankful instead for all the good that surrounds us, good tends to multiply; not only that, it shows up on your face! This is Not a Test. The life you are living is a gift and should be lived, loved and enjoyed. It’s not a spectator’s sport, so if you’re having trouble getting yourself out of an emotional or mental rut, there are many people who are able to help you. Whether it is Hypnotherapy or any other therapeutic method, professional support from the outside can sometimes give you the turn in direction that you need to really lift your life, for good. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water! It’s good for the mind as well as the skin!

Habit and Feeling Shifts Through Hypnosis
Jane came to see a Hypnotherapist regarding stopping smoking and a sad feeling that had been lingering since a romantic break-up three months earlier. During the first session she learned about the mind and hypnosis and understood that there wasn’t going to be any clucking or barking (as in a stage show) and she was in control and aware at all times, using her natural abilities to focus and imagine to help her into this natural and powerful state.

Once all her fears and misperceptions were cleared, a brief narration was taken. It seemed that Jane smoked more when she was networking or going out with girlfriends in the evening. She also mentioned that smoking relaxed her. That comment came from the conscious (or rational) mind, because cigarettes are actually a stimulant – it’s just a generally accepted but false suggestion that gets shared between smokers to help in ‘explaining’ the habit.

During the first session Jane got herself comfortable. She was assisted into hypnosis by the Hypnotherapist and was given suggestions for change, so that she could feel like, and be, a non- smoker for life. Usually when people stop smoking with the conscious (or ‘doing’) mind through willpower, they tend to be smokers who just aren’t smoking at the moment, but when change happens in the subconscious (the ‘being’ and ‘feeling’) programming mind, smokers become non-smokers again, taking back control and choice so that they don’t have to continue with a pattern that is no longer working for them. While hypnosis doesn’t have to be relaxing, Jane found it so and was excited about the new feeling of control. In a follow-up session a root and connection were made between smoking and her negative feelings during social circumstances – cigarettes acted as a diversion from feeling uncomfortable at being alone. Through the power of the mind, she discovered new and updated ways to deal with these situations, without cigarettes. Through works with the subconscious, where our beliefs about ourselves and others are stored, Jane learned to let go of past relationships, move forward and really live her life in the best possible way. By understanding, accepting, and adjusting the way we think and feel, new patterns and ways of being and doing can be created.

Hypnosis at A Glance Hypnosis is a brief therapy and most people can make positive changes in their lives within 4 to 6 sessions (many smokers stop within 2 sessions). Sessions usually run about an hour but the first session may take longer for information and orientation. Most sessions are scheduled between 3 and 10 days apart, to give the mind time to readjust or react to shifts within the subconscious, creating the most effective and longest-lasting changes.

Jennifer Norris is founder of Grey Matter Network, the Hypnotherapeutic and Subconscious Excellence Centre based in Singapore, helping individuals, groups and businesses to make positive changes using the power of their own minds.