Boost Your Job Search With Hypnotic Techniques: More About Step One and On to Step Two
If Step One, deleting the terminated job from your thoughts, was very difficult to impossible, you are in good company. If we stop to consider how many applicants there are for a given job, and if a certain percentage of them lost the previous job under stressful circumstances, and then we multiply that vague figure by every job that is now open, it is clear that multitudes are at risk for perseverating on thoughts of the old job and how they might have done things differently or had things done differently to them, or both.
If you are still haunted by thoughts of the old job, and you are not sleeping well due to these thoughts, it is wise to notice how long this situation goes on. If the insomnia does not naturally resolve itself, and you also find that you feel removed from your feelings, are often irritable, have trouble concentrating and feel all alone and somehow to blame for the whole experience, all of this makes sense. These are some of the more common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and are natural responses to a traumatic experience.
Whatever may be going on, if you are experiencing some of these symptoms, there are at least three strong reasons for getting a diagnosis from a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Firstly, if you do have PTSD, learning about it can help take some of the sense of isolation and self-blame out of it. Secondly, psychotherapy and/or medication can help with some of the symptoms. Thirdly, a documented diagnosis from a licensed doctor or psychotherapist will be necessary should you decide to seek disability benefits and/or file a lawsuit against your former employer. If you are considering filing a lawsuit, it may be better for your potential suit if you wait until the suit is settled or otherwise resolved before seeking professional hypnotherapy. This is because, if the defendants discover that you have used hypnosis, they can erroneously claim that your hypnotherapist implanted false memories in your mind that you are now using as evidence. This way, your accurate memories of actual events related to your employment can be legally invalidated. Of course, this is just a note regarding a process that sometimes occurs in the course of a lawsuit, and it is always best to seek legal counsel regarding all aspects of your situation.
Hypnotherapy and/or self-hypnosis can supplement psychotherapy and psychiatry. The following are techniques used by hypnotherapists. Of course, the results you receive are likely to be more pronounced when you go to a hypnotherapist rather than to use them on your own. This is because it is easier to concentrate on post-hypnotic suggestions when someone else is leading you through them, and a trance state is more easily induced and deepened when all you need to do is follow instructions, rather than having to both give and follow instructions for trance induction. Also, a hypnotherapist is skilled in helping people maintain a certain level of trance state. Simply put, it is easier to either be a client or a hypnotherapist than to be both at the same time. This is why often, excellent hypnotherapists pay good money for hypnotherapy.
However, the following techniques can still be quite useful when used in a self-hypnotic context. Before using one of the techniques detailed below, you can self-induce a light trance state by finding a quiet place where it will be safe for you to fall asleep, and then doing the following:
Observe your breathing and try to relax your breathing. Imagine all of your muscles relaxing, muscle group by muscle group, moving either from toe to head or from head to toe. Next, choose a number over five, and tell yourself that as you count down from that number, with each number, you will be relaxing ten times more deeply than before. Count down, and when you reach the number one, use one of the three techniques below.
Technique: Imagine that a movie of your old job is being shown on a television screen and that in your hand is the remote control device. When you have seen enough of the show, tell yourself that. Next, tell yourself that in a moment, you will change the channel and watch a show of the new, better job that you will soon acquire. When you are ready, change the channel. Give the picture time to come clear and fill itself in. Notice shapes, colors, movement and, mentally, listen for the soundtrack. There is no need to fabricate anything with your conscious mind; your role is simply to relax and let whatever comes, come, in its own time. It may take several repetitions of this exercise to get an entire scene or narrative. And, each time you do this exercise, you may get different results. When you like what you see and hear, imagine yourself entering the scene, and experiencing the feeling of being in the show, working at the new job. If you enjoy the sensation, then give yourself a code word or phrase, and tell yourself that from now on, whenever you say or think that word or phrase, you will get the good feeling of being in your new job. (The code word or phrase may put you back in a trance state, so it is wise to avoid using it when you are not in a place where it would be safe to fall asleep. However, once you are used to going into the "new job trance," your code word or phrase can be a useful tool for calming and preparing yourself to answer questions during a job interview. After the interview, please be sure you are fully alert before getting back into traffic.)
Technique: Imagine a white board with the name of your old job on it. There might be other information about the job illustrated or written on the board. Imagine taking an eraser in your hand and erasing everything. Now, allow words and/or pictures describing the job you would rather have appearing, bit by bit, on the board. Study them thoroughly, and tell yourself that this is your reality now.
Technique: Think about and get a strong feeling of being in your old job as you clench your non-dominant fist. Let all of the feelings about your old job be isolated in that fist. Now, relax that fist. Now, think about and get a strong feeling of being in a job you much prefer to the old one as you clench your dominant fist. Now, relax the dominant fist. Both hands are now open. Now, clench your non-dominant fist a second time, and keep it clenched. Wait for the feelings of being in the old job to come. Now, maintaining the non-dominant fist, also clench your dominant fist, and wait for the good feelings of being in the new, preferable job to come. Also maintain the dominant fist. Both hands are now in fists. Finally, push the dominant fist under the fingertips of your non-dominant fist, so that, as you continue to push, the dominant fist opens the non-dominant fist. When you are finished, the dominant fist will be resting in the open, non-dominant hand.
After you have done one of the above techniques, you are ready to come back to normal consciousness. To do that, tell yourself that you will count up to the original number from which you counted down, and that with each number, you will be more refreshed and more alert, until you are completely awake when you reach that number. Count up to the number and repeat the suggestions for refreshment, alertness and waking up with each number.