In compliance with current WHO and CDC recommendations to minimize risk of exposure to and spread of the COVID-19 virus, I am temporarily suspending in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. However, phone and Skype consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE!
(This blog was originally posted on September 28, 2014)
Image courtesy of Microsoft/Bing
Have you ever
noticed how it takes twice as long to complete a task when you rush to get it
done? Whether it is finishing a homework assignment or a big project for work,
somehow something goes wrong at the
last, worst possible moment and totally messes up your projected deadline. What
if you could avoid all that hassle in the first place and meet your deadline with time to spare?
The Automobile
Association of America has a great television advertisement that perfectly
illustrated this point. In it, someone in a flashy car speeds past another
vehicle. At first, it seems like the driver in the second car gets ahead, but
then he is stopped at an intersection with the driver in the original car
waiting for the light to change. This pattern is repeated the same way several
more times until the message becomes clear: driving fast and recklessly doesn’t
get anyone ahead; in fact, it may cause more inconvenience (and waste more gas)
than the apparent rush is worth. Similarly, in an episode of the police drama, Rookie Blue, one of the
characters reminded an officer he had trained why he once insisted she take a sip of coffee or a bite of her
sandwich before getting out of the squad car. Sergeant Shaw wanted her to take
those extra couple of seconds so the other officer could mentally prepare
herself for dealing with regardless of the situation she would be facing
outside. The crime scene would still be there, he explained, but the officer
needed to calm down and plan what she needed to do to apprehend the suspect or
else risk getting seriously hurt or even killed making the arrest.
Often, when we
are under pressure to complete a task, we rush through or even skip important
steps so we can get the job out of the way and move onto other more interesting
or “fun” things. Monty Roberts, an
award-winning horse trainer and author, often advises: “Give yourself fifteen
minutes and it will take an hour; give yourself an hour and it will take
fifteen minutes.” In other words, when we work carefully and
conscientiously—focusing only on the task at hand—we are in a better position
to get the job done quickly and usually on the first try. However, when we rush
through the job to meet a self-imposed or official deadline we are more likely
to neglect important steps to complete the task which may ultimately undermine it.
An unintentional byproduct of rushing to complete a task
is that we can put ourselves into hypnosis. Consider John G. Kappas, Ph.D.’s definition of
hypnosis: “Hypnosis is created by an overload
of message units, disorganizing our inhibitory process (Critical Mind), triggering
our fight-flight mechanism and ultimately resulting in a hyper-suggestible
state, providing access to the subconscious mind.” When we rush around trying
to meet a deadline, our minds are already whirling practically out of control as
we consider what we need to get done and if/how many steps we can get away with
“leaving out.” Even if we do not intend to take a short-cut to finish the task, in this
naturally induced hypnotic state we may neglect an important step because our
subconscious (not conscious) mind has taken over the behavior. We have literally
“escaped” into hypnosis to avoid the anxiety and stress we feel trying to
complete that project.
Unfortunately, the stress we consciously and
subconsciously tried so hard to reduce or avoid is likely to reappear, and be
even more intense, when we rush to just “get it done.” When we take those extra
few seconds or even an entire hour, at the end of the day the fastest way to
accomplish a goal is to slow down.
Limited-Time Offer: Free Phone Consultation
This is a great opportunity to find out why hypnosis is so
effective and how hypnotherapy can help you achieve your self-improvement
goals. Call/send me a text message at (661) 433-9430 or send me an e-mail at calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com
to set up your free, 30-minute phone or Skype consultation, today!
Offer valid through August 31, 2020.
Sara
R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern
California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. In July 2019 she was voted
the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California. For more information
about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an
appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2020
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about
Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2019