The role of hypnotherapy in managing test anxiety for students
We are all asked to perform at times. Moments in our life where we have to step up to the plate and give our best swing. During these moments we either knock one out the park and trot the bases to victory! Other times, we strike out and fall short.
Often times when clients seek a hypnotist for anxiety relief, it is often due to the fact that in their past when asked to perform they have struck out. Wether it be a job interview, giving a presentation, or passing a test in school, anxiety can creep in at merely the thought of engaging in these demanding tasks.
Approximately 25-40% of students experience anxiety while test taking:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7646484/
Other times when clients seek a hypnotist for anxiety relief, there are misconceptions or rather false beliefs in their mind causing anxiety. The belief of not being good enough is an example, or comparing themselves to others is another. Even having a negative mind that imagines the worst case scenario in any avenue of their life can lead someone to seek out a hypnotist for anxiety relief.
Students who are asked to perform and prove their worth often report high levels of anxiety during the testing procedure. Years of preparation with the direction of their future(s) can often be encapsulated into a single test. This of course leads them to seek out hypnosis for anxiety relief.
Hypnosis is an amazing tool for removing anxiety from the student allowing them to focus and concentrate with ease leading to better test scores. Hypnosis can enable the student to remove any mental blocks that may be hindering performance. Also, hypnosis is a fantastic means for removing anxious feelings from past “strike outs”, learning from them, and move forward feeling confident and empowered no matter which performance task they may encounter.
Perfectionism
Most of my clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief while test taking have something in common. They all struggle with perfectionism, the need to be perfect and never make mistakes. For them making a mistake or falling short in any metric is considered unacceptable. The mere thought of making a mistake, wether small or large can induce high levels of stress and anxiety, not only while during the examination but all the moments leading up to it.
More times than not students seeking a hypnotist for anxiety cessation learned that they have to be perfect from parents or authority figures. Perhaps the parents are always encouraging the student to do their best expressing disappointment when achievements are not meant. In other cases students seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief while test taking simply absorbed their parents teachings and guidance in an improper manner. Meaning, they may have been highly sensitive to ridicule and constructive criticism and merely internalized that in order to be good enough they have to be perfect.
Wether the parents guidance was excessive or the student simply internalized it that way, anxiety while test taking is the result.
Worrisome Thoughts
Clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief often experience an overactive fearful mind. A mind who works tirelessly to keep my clients safe by constantly keeping them vigilant of possible disasters. Disasters that are far from real and completely imagined.
Clients who experience these types of thoughts experience anxiety in all areas of their life, not just moments of performance. However those moments where the client has to step up to the plate and perform provides the perfect scenario for those clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief to really struggle.
The Subconscious Mind
Clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief for test taking or other areas of their life, all learn immediately that their habits, behaviors, and emotional responses are all stored in their subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is who and what we are. The reason hypnosis is so effective is it allows for the ability of the hypnotist to speak directly to the subconscious and literally change beliefs, emotional responses, and habits.
For example, if during the course of their life the client seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief formed the belief “I have to be perfect”, that belief is going to present itself in the physical response of anxiety like symptoms while test taking. After all, the test may be a measure of someones knowledge and capabilities on a large scale. Hypnosis allows for a redirection of the subconscious mind and the beliefs stored within it.
Once clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief can fully absorb and accept themselves as they are, no matter what they do or may not do, they can experience freedoms they never thought possible. Giving the subconscious mind the simple suggestion “you are human which means you are allowed to make mistakes” can fully be absorbed and integrated allowing for all anxiety like symptoms to be removed.
For further information on how the subconscious works and a full presentation on the workings of hypnosis, please watch this video:
Habits and Behaviors
Often times clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief experience symptoms of anxiety during test taking because they are simply unprepared. And they know it! Clients of all ages come to my practice to improve productivity, wether it be keeping a cleaner home or getting more accomplished during the day. Hypnosis is a valuable tool for changing the meaning of those activities that clients have been avoiding.
Within hypnosis on the subconscious level, the client and the hypnotist are able to assign different values to certain behaviors. For example, the test taker may be avoiding studying because they view it as painful. The meaning they assign to it subconsciously is one of agony and annoyance.
However, hypnosis allows for a deep reprogramming of the meaning assigned to those menial tasks. Instead of studying for the test being viewed as “annoying” it can be seen as liberating or freeing. Instead of seeing chores as a waste of time, it can be viewed as an easy path to feeling happier.
Shifting the meaning we assign certain activities allows for productivity to increase 100 fold. Clients who seek a hypnotist for anxiety relief for test taking often shift the meaning they assign to their study habits. Often times simply feeling prepared leads to confidence and allows for all those negative emotional responses during the test to dissipate.
A Very Powerful Mindset
Clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief for test taking are overwhelmed with the fact that their entire future is solely in their hands. Meaning, every step and every action they take will drastically determine their fate, either good or bad.
For some having this mindset can be rather empowering. Feelings of being in control leading to advanced optimism and problem solving skills allow those who embrace this mentality to drive them towards victory on many fronts.
For others it holds disaster, as far too much pressure is placed on the client who is the victim of this negative mindset.
To alleviate this fear based mentality, I need only give them one suggestion that completely flips how they see themselves, their actions, and the world:
“Trust that everything will work out exactly as it should”.
For clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief especially while test taking, this may be the most freeing concept that they can ever consider, then integrate. Imagine going from holding on so tight to every choice, every action, every movement, too trusting the universe and their own unique path.
When this belief and mindset is imbedded deeply at the root of the subconscious, anxiety in all areas of life especially those of performance are immediately removed leading to ease and life satisfaction.
PTSD
Often times clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief picked up these anxiety responses due to a moment in their life that didn’t go as planned. Perhaps many years ago there was a moment of performance where the client fell short. This moment of “losing” was likely very taxing on the clients sense of self and was a detriment to their internal belief systems.
If the client seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief while test taking had a traumatic experience while attempting to perform, they may have picked up incessant negative emotional responses to the same type of events moving forward. In a sense, this anxiety response is learned and acquired.
These anxieties are very much akin to PTSD like symptoms.
Hypnosis allows the client seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief to travel back in their time to the event, and provide their younger self with wisdom and compassion. To give them the proper guidance and knowings the place of a much wiser adult. When the younger version of themselves, the one who didn’t know better at the time is given the proper care, a new experience can be obtained while test taking or during other moments of their lives that typically cause concern and/or anxiety.
Running Programs
One of the simplest ways to shift emotional responses during test taking is to assign another program to that moment. Let me explain:
We are all running various programs in our lives. When we are with our best friend, we are running a program of love, laugher, and connection. When we are working out we may be running a program of motivation, confidence, and focus. When we are taking a test we may simple be running a program known as anxiety.
It’s importation to note that all of these various programs exist within is. Meaning, we know how to run them.
While in hypnosis, we can simply take all the characteristics from one program, and assign them to the program causing negative emotional responses. The client seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief can simply experience the feelings of love with the best friend, imagine the sounds and sights of that pleasant program. The music present, the colors, the feelings, and any other sensory input they wish. Then, in an instant, we can transfer all the wonderful feelings and sensations to the test taking environment.
The program is now upgraded and new, allowing for those clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief while test taking to feel confident, in control, and have extreme ease combined with focus.
For a simple technique on how you can achieve such a program shift, please watch the video below:
Waking Trance
The feelings associated with hypnosis are quite special. Clients experience and report sensations of lightness and ease. Feeling completely relaxed while focused at the same time. These sensations are commonly referred to as “trance”. Clients who seek a hypnotist for anxiety relief love to be in this trance state as the sensations the sensations experienced are far more pleasant than their normal state of being.
I provide the this gift for my clients to take with them into all areas of their life whenever they prefer.
It is known as waking trance. While in Hypnosis I provide my client with the simple suggestion that all they have to say is “waking trance” and these feelings come on them immediately. It is powerful!
Clients who are seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief are able to produce the light focused feelings of trance on command which is beneficial while test taking. Instead of walking in feeling afraid and concerned, they can sit and perform from a place of complete and utter ease.
Conclusion
Clients seeking a hypnotist for anxiety relief while test taking learn much more than they assume they would. They are given tools to remove anxiety, and to feel any way they choose in any area of their life, especially while performing. They understand that they picked up these negative beliefs and the subsequent emotional responses, and they learn that they can just as easily let them go. Sometimes, within mere minutes.
If you are struggling with anxiety while test taking or in any other area of your life, please contact me and I would love to get started on your hypnotic path to removing anything getting on your way of feeling your best.
Thank you so much for reading, and I look forward to speaking with you. Until then, feel well.
Brad Plotkin
305.778.9236
