It’s no secret that I’m a snack fanatic. Anyone who has spoken to me for longer than five minutes could probably tell you that I love to snack. And I mean, really love it. Popcorn, Pringles, Pretzels, Peanut Brittle, Peppermint Crisps…, and I’m only 1/26th of the way through the alphabet!

Apart from enjoying the act of snacking, it also suits my busy lifestyle. In addition to working for Mums of the Shire, I have two volunteer jobs and am studying an accelerated program to obtain my Graduate Diploma in Psychology. I do my best to fit these responsibilities within school hours so that I can spend time with my kids when they get home from school. Being time-poor means that I often don’t eat until I am ravenous. Then I wind up reaching for foods that require minimal (or zero) prep-time that I can consume quickly or, better still, graze on while working/studying.

You might now be imagining that I am the size of a house. Thankfully, I don’t usually go nuts on the quantities, and I enjoy enough exercise to maintain a healthy weight range. 

So when presented with the opportunity to attend a session with Efficient Minds Hypnotherapy, why did I choose to address snacking? Something that currently brings me much joy… Well, one reason is that I also trade meals for snacks on more occasions than I’m sure any health professional would advise. Deep in the recesses of my sugar-laden gut, I know that my eating habits are not sustainable long-term (especially not if I plan to continue bushwalking and shooting hoops in my sixties!) 

How can hypnotherapy help form healthy habits?

Sometimes people tend to view hypnotherapy as a silver bullet. It isn’t. The number of appointments you need will depend on your area of concern and where you are on your journey with respect to that particular concern. Sometimes one session may be enough. Other times multiple sessions are required. This can depend on whether you’ve only recently become aware of the issue, have worked on it in the past, or your readiness to make a lifestyle change. 

My session with Tanya, a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Strategic Psychotherapist, enabled me to articulate how my eating habits formed. We spoke about them for a full hour, which is far longer than I’ve ever spent thinking about them, let alone talking about them. I’m sure it was painfully dull for her to listen to. Still, Tanya appeared very engaged and curious while she helped me to stop and pay attention to the experiences that have led me to these behaviours, the mindset that is holding me back from change, and the potential consequences of not changing. 

It’s clear that the “therapy” element of “hypnotherapy” is powerful. In the busy world you and I live in, it feels rare and precious to pause and spend time analysing our habits, especially with someone as warm and authentic as Tanya, who felt easy to open up to from the moment we began.

Where does “hypno” come into it all?

“Hypno” is the Greek and Latin term that literally means “inclined to sleep.” While it may conjure images of people doing crazy things on stage or terrifying pop culture references like Get Out, the reality is very different and not at all scary. Unlike people you may have seen during stage hypnosis, who are suddenly acting like drill sergeants or falling in and out of sleep at the click of two fingers, during hypnotherapy with Tanya you will feel calm and in complete control the whole time. 

Tanya will ask you to lie back (if you feel comfortable doing so) and close your eyes because you are less likely to be distracted this way. You get to spend the next half hour simply listening while she reiterates much of what you have discussed to help you achieve your goal. Tanya’s words comprise of positive motivations and visualisations, which may guide you in unpicking negative thought patterns and unhelpful mindsets so that you may make better choices.

With your permission, this part of the session is recorded so you can replay it as frequently as you feel is helpful. Within a couple of weeks, Tanya will follow up with you to check in on the effects of the treatment.

How has hypnotherapy helped?

It has only been a week since my treatment, so it is too early to say whether I have changed my Skittle-scoffing behaviours permanently. What I have already observed is that because I have now spent so much time focusing on this issue, I think different thoughts when I approach the pantry. Sometimes I’ll eat one cookie instead of two, and sometimes I’ll turn towards the fridge and grab an apple instead.

My goal is not to eliminate snacks, but rather to stop treating them as a main course. I’m aiming to gradually reduce the amounts of certain snacks, and replace snacks with no nutritional value with the healthier kind that you would find in my children’s lunchboxes.

How could hypnotherapy help you?

If you book a session at Efficient Minds Hypnotherapy, you’ll be asked to complete a quick intake form, which covers your basic information and any health conditions you have. You will also be asked to indicate what you would like to focus on during the session. 

Hypnotherapy can be used to address a multitude of concerns, though narrowing your focus is advisable. You can select from a list that includes:

• Performance anxiety 
• Social anxiety
• Generalised anxiety 
• Work stress
• Relationship stress 
• Mild depression
• Stop drinking 
• Trauma/PTSD
• Weight loss 
• Addictions
• Phobia 
• Insomnia
• Pain/post-operative healing
• Modify behaviour, 
• Or list your own concern.

Hypnotherapy has proven to be a simple, effective and pain-free treatment for everything from smoking and stress to weight loss and sleep disorders. Essentially, if you have habits, behaviours or unhelpful thought loops you’d like to change, hypnotherapy may help you reframe how you think and act. 

To book your first hypnotherapy session, which can be conducted in the comfort of your home via Zoom, visit the Efficient Minds Hypnotherapy website. Or call 0403669388 for more information. You can also follow @efficientmindshypnotherapy for useful, insights, research and answers to many FAQs, which will help you stay focused on your goal.