The Impossibility of Perfection

Perfection is a wonderful aspiration, right?

For many it's sought in physical appearance.  Do a Web search using the phrase "plastic surgery and beauty" and you'll see what I mean.

For others, perfection is paramount in professional or academic accomplishment, athletic achievement and/or family relationships.  I used the words "and/or" in the previous sentence for a reason.  That's because the desire to craft perfection in different aspects of life can become all consuming.

The perfect marriage...perfect kids...perfect friends...perfect career...perfect hobbies - I hear this all of the time from my friends, neighbors and people I interact with professionally.

To this my response is always the same:  "For me, good enough is good enough."

Perfection is simply an unrealistic expectation.  Its pursuit creates an unsustainable level of stress and dissatisfaction that can manifest itself in a myriad of unhealthy ways, such as restless sleep, irritability, illness, nagging physical injuries, poor career or classroom performance, etc.

In my pre-talk prior to the start of a hypnotic induction I seek to learn a bit about the person who has expressed interest in exploring emotional and physical balance and well being.  I don't probe too far, yet it is often apparent the person has set themselves up for failure and disappointment by pursuing perfection in aspects of their life.

It's not an age thing either.  Earlier this month I hypnotized a group of college and high school students who had defined completely unachievable goals for themselves in school, athletics and personal relationships.  A fair number of them expressed feelings of regret for perceived failure.

Hypnosis is a powerful tool that can help an individual let go of pent up stress and tension, and more effectively manage it in the future.

Plus, I typically encourage a person under hypnosis to embrace the concept they are beautiful, smart, energetic, confident and loved exactly the way they are.  Good enough is good enough!

Yuck!  The unrealistic journey to perfection can create stress and anxiety.  Source: CNN.com

   

Hypnotic Intersection: Focus on Positive Outcomes

In the six years that I have practiced and shared hypnosis I have come to focus my "Hypnotic Experience" performance and demonstration on four core applications that I have found to have the broadest appeal:

1.  Stress management for relaxation and emotional balance

2.  Academic achievement and test taking enhancement

3.  Athletic performance and physical recovery

4.  General entertainment and comedy

My performances this past weekend were an example of the intersection of hypnosis for entertainment, while focusing on a positive outcome -- success in the classroom.

Yesterday, I went through a basic hypnotic induction process with a woman who has practiced guided meditation since the 8th grade.  Her focus has been on establishing a healthy sleep pattern (which she has), along with general stress mitigation.

She has also shared her approach to meditation with her daughter who has also embraced its positive influence on general well being.  However, they had yet to explore how positive visualization could influence performance in school, in competitive athletics, physical health, etc.

I gave her a couple of things to consider and I suspect she'll dive into this further in private with her daughter. 

More than stress management...hypnosis for achievement.  Image:  Chapman Medical

      

One Hypnotizing Weekend

A group of exceptional students give hypnosis a try.

I was fortunate to have lined up this Labor Day holiday weekend three opportunities to introduce hypnosis to people who expressed an interest in learning how it can be used for stress management, academic excellence and athletic performance.  Here's a recap of each session:

Georgetown University's Midnight Carnival

What a wonderful event!  It was produced and hosted by two rising juniors as part of the school's welcome week for new and returning students.

Held on campus this past Friday night, Midnight Carnival featured food, games, rides and interesting entertainment -- DJ, fire juggler, pie eating contest and me (the hypnotist).

I've developed a unique approach for performances at community events, fairs, carnival, parties, etc.  Rather than a traditional comedy hypnosis show, I weave together a bit of stand-up comedy, an educational overview of hypnosis and its positive applications, a hypnotic induction for volunteers and then a set of entertaining suggestions.

Turn-out for Midnight Carnival was exceptional and I had a dozen volunteers.  I kept four on stage for most of the hour long show with two young ladies sticking it out through the end.  They went the deepest into hypnosis and were the most suggest-able.

The highlight was one of the women under hypnosis doing a wonderful rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to win the fictitious $10,000 Georgetown University American Idol competition.

I have a message in to the event hosts to see if I can get a couple of photos to post.


Helping Fix a Flawed Shoulder

The wife of a guy I play basketball with from time-to-time has had a tough go of it during the past few months due to a significant shoulder injury.  She has dealt with a couple of surgeries and is now in the middle of physical therapy, which can be incredibly painful.

She quickly entered hypnosis which allowed me to use one of my favorite visualizations - wash the pain away.  She emerged from the process energized, relaxed and focused on a successful recovery.

Amen to that!


Gathering of an Exceptional Set of High Schoolers

I very much enjoy working with young people to help them focus on academic achievement, successful test taking skills and athletic performance.  In fact, I conducted a number of informal sessions last month while on vacation at the beach with college and high school athletes.

Earlier today, a friend was kind enough to invite me to her home to introduce hypnosis to her daughter and a group of her friends.  They were all bright, smart, social and athletic.  I suspect they comprise the popular group at school, yet each acknowledged a level of stress that comes with dealing with pressures of this age.

The demonstration went well and everyone found the process relaxing, yet none of the participants actually went deeply into hypnosis.  This happens from time-to-time and is often attributed to distractions in the environment.  (In this case, there was a younger brother who raised a bit of a ruckus.)

Additionally, I suspect that because the kids are all such good friends there was a social element to the gathering that may have limited the hypnotic experience.  Next time around I'll probably sit the kids farther apart, rather than having them lounge comfortably on a couch.

Smart, stylish, athletic and popular...yet still faced with stress.

    

Taking the Stage at Georgetown University

I'll be live and onstage this evening at 10 PM at Georgetown University's Midnight Carnival, an event to officially welcome new and returning students to campus

My show -- called "The Hypnotic Experience" -- is a unique combination of hypnosis for stress management, academic achievement and athletic performance, with a healthy dose of entertainment, fun and stand-up comedy.

Organizers expect more than 2,000 to attend and I'm just part of an exciting line-up of acts, which include a DJ, bands, a pie-eating contest, sword swallower and fire spitter.  It should be quite a night!

Check out this blog next week for a recap and photos.

Hypnosis Helps Improve Test Taking Performance

School is about tests...and the stress, pressure and intensity that accompany them.

As a student graduates to more advanced academic environments, the importance and impact of exams ratchets up.  High schools place an emphasis on mid-terms and finals.  The SAT influences college destination.  College exams are then critical and shape advanced degree and professional aspirations.

Months of study often come down to the ability to perform during a small window of time.  Some shine on exams, others stumble, regardless of their preparation and knowledge of the material.

While on vacation with the family this month at the shore, I met a nursing student who shared a painful and all too familiar tale of test taking woe.  She was tops in her class and excelled during a number of medical internships, yet flamed out while taking the accreditation exam to receive her license.

Did she know the material?  Absolutely.  Was she well prepared?  You bet.

She simply got unnerved at the start of the exam by a fellow student who was tapping a pencil.  Once her focus slipped, she quickly spiraled and lost confidence.

This bright and talented young woman will be forced to return to campus after Labor Day for a second go at accreditation.  She asked if hypnosis could help.

After confirming that she had remained up-to-speed on the material and invested the necessary time to study during the summer, I explained that hypnosis could indeed positively influence her focus, concentration and, most important, confidence come exam time.

Using a warm and relaxing induction process, I put her into a trance right there on the beach.  We then walked through a set of visualizations of her in the test room, seated with the exam on the desk and completing the task.  We focused on feeling comfortable and confident, and remaining calm regardless of the noise and distraction around her.

I concluded this beach hypnotic session with a suggestion I typically employ with young adults:  infused with energy and confidence in all aspects of life.

Will she pass the exam the second time around?  That's still up to her.  Hypnosis just served as a tool to help sharpen focus and build confidence.

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Are you interested in learning more about how hypnosis can improve test taking skills and overall academic performance?  Would you like to learn self-hypnosis to use as a tool to support your educational endeavors?  Call me at (301) 538-8100 or Email m.russell.hausman@gmail.com.  I'd be happy to talk.

Hypnosis can improve focus, eliminating distractions during an exam that impact performance.