As such, Johnson explained how our thoughts are the starting points that shape our behaviours and deeper internal belief systems. Our thoughts, eg. “I already know I’m going to be so nervous during this presentation,” influence our feelings (cue nervousness and hopelessness), which then affect our emotions—hey, anxiety—which in turn releases a “cortisol cocktail” in our body. That’s the “fight or flight” hormone that would be really helpful if you were running from a lion, but in modern-day scenarios like delivering a daunting presentation, leaves you feeling anxious and nervous, and in my case, my voice shaking, heart racing and my throat feeling like it was closing in on itself. This then leads into deep emotion, the deeper-rooted part of our subconscious, where we develop internal belief systems (“I’ll never be good at public speaking”). See how quickly our thoughts can snowball? As Johnson eloquently puts it: “Quality of mind is quality of our life.”
When it came the hypnotherapy recording, I laid down on the sofa while wearing headphones and closed my eyes as Johnson began the recording, which I listened to live and would continue to listen for the next three weeks. In the audio, her voice helps you to visualise yourself physically walking in to your subconscious (in my case, I was walking into a beautiful forest) and rewiring those deep-seated internal belief systems that we often pick up in childhood. At first, it was hard to switch off (I’d worry, is this really working?) but after a few moments, I could easily focus, and it was very relaxing to listen to. Johnson also assures that even if you think nothing is happening, the audio is working to re-wire your subconscious by creating new neutral pathways in your brain. After our session, I treated it as a daily pilates workout for my subconscious in the lead up to my presentation, listening to it each evening to help to build stronger mental muscles and rewrite outdated belief systems I was holding on to. Because Johnson really tailors the audio to you, all the hard work is done for you. All you have to do is listen.
When my work presentation finally came around, I have to admit, I was really nervous. As I was about to present, my heart thumped in my chest, but, from listening to the recording, I had noticed a mindset shift and I was able to relax my thoughts and, therefore, my body, so I didn’t experience any severe voice shaking, or feeling my throat close in. I felt a huge wave of relief afterwards that I’d done it without any problems and now, I feel confident I could do it again in the future.
Having a better understanding of how our daily thoughts, no matter how big or small, shape how we view ourselves alone was enough for me to spot negative thoughts before they spiralled, and made me realise just how much these thoughts had been running riot in my mind before my hypnotherapy session. But listening to the audio each day has gratefully improved how I feel day to day, and has had a ripple effect in other areas of my life too. Sure, it might not work for everyone, but if you’re looking to resolve a problem and have exhausted a lot of options, from my experience I’d say it’s absolutely worth considering. What I loved about Johnson’s treatment was that she also shared wellness resources, books and breathing techniques that would also serve me, so I really felt like she had treated my fear of public speaking in a 360-approach alongside the hypnosis, too. I know it sounds hyperbolic to describe something as life-changing, but I would liken hypnotherapy to it. So, if you’re thinking of trying hypnotherapy, I’d say go for it, and I couldn’t recommend a session with Johnson enough.
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