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 for Exceptional Athletic Performance

As someone who has spent his life participating in competitive sports, I have long been fascinated by the subtle differences between a good athlete and a great one, as well as a great athlete and an elite one.

MJ, the ultimate clutch player.

Why is it that certain players shine during high pressure situations while others consistently come up short?  Is there a mental factor that contributes to an athlete earning the dubious distinction of being injury prone?

Earlier this month I spent time with a handful of college athletes while on vacation with my family.  Three of the women I spoke with are exceptional performers in their respective sport -- soccer, softball and cross country.

Each received a myriad of accolades at the high school level which led to them being recruited by a number of profile college programs.  They were always the best on their team and, in many cases, the most talented player in the league.

Yet, these young athletes harbor doubt about their ability to continually excel at the collegiate level.  They worry about maintaining an intense practice schedule (and its impact on burn-out), standing up to competition when everyone on the field is exceptional, and maintaining overall good physical health.

Can hypnosis serve as a tool to help an athlete achieve focus in training and in competition?  Can an athlete condition their mind for performance the same way they prepare their body?

I did hypnotize each woman, yet it was merely to introduce the concept and to alleviate some underlying and sustained stress they experienced during the summer.  I concluded the session with each with a positive visualization of them reaching their potential on the field.  (I discussed in a previous post on this blog about the power of positive visualizations to influence emotional and physical well being.)           

This will be an ongoing topic for the blog - athletic performance and physical well being through hypnosis.

Can hypnosis help athletes condition their mind for performance?  Photo source:  Cerritos.edu.

 

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.

The Evil of Workplace Stress

Here's a link to an informative blog post authored by recruitment consultant Alexandra Levit.  She explores the negative effect stress in the workplace has on physical and mental health and well-being.

5 Hidden Effects of Stress
Exploring the ways stress insidiously wrecks havoc on our lives.


Although Alexandra doesn't dive into how to mitigate stress , I suspect she might be a believer in approaches such as yoga, meditation and...yes...hypnosis.

Beach Hypnosis

I am just back from an amazing vacation with the family at the shore. 

One of the highlights of the week was conversations I struck up with people on the beach about the power of hypnosis to manage stress, enhance athletic performance and improve test taking (i.e. SAT, LSAT, etc.).  Most people are in such a relaxed mode while on vacation that they are more inclined to talk about personal interests and share some of their life aspirations. 

From these chats, I conducted informal hypnosis sessions with eight people, each of whom had a fascinating story to share.  Here's a quick recap:

--A woman who will be pursuing a nursing degree in the fall.  Her mother is a nurse in the oncology unit of a major hospital.  Their interest:  how hypnosis can help a person maintain a positive outlook during a difficult period.

--Two teenage girls who have a high level of anxiety about finding balance between the upcoming high school sports season, school work and their preparations for the SAT.  Their mom had some interesting feedback on our session.

--A collegiate runner who is preparing for her sophomore year at a major Division I program.

--A high school soccer player who has accepted a scholarship to a top notch Division I school.  How can she continually improve her play during her senior season while preparing for a high level of competition?

--Her friend who is a sophomore in high school and an exceptional soccer and lacrosse player.  She'll need to soon select a sport to focus on that's a source of stress.

--A softball player who has spent the past two years working through a series of significant injuries.  Can she get back into form, competing a high level while managing some lingering pain?

--Another athlete who bounced back in 90 days from a torn ACL ligament in her knee.

During the next few weeks, I plan to write an in-depth blog post about each session.  I'll do my best to explain why each had an interest in hypnosis as a tool to help them achieve success, fulfillment and, ultimately, happiness.

What an ideal location to experience hypnosis!

Hypnosis Helps a Newly Minted College Athlete

This morning I hypnotized a young woman who is leaving next week for her freshman year of college to play field hockey.

We were introduced at a fitness club.  She was there working out with a couple of friends and explained that her regime this summer had been so intense that she was physically exhausted.  Plus, she was anxious about how well she would perform at a higher level of competition.

She only had about 15 minutes, so I followed a fairly quick induction process.  She didn't go incredibly deep, yet was under enough that we could focus on two primary suggestions:

1.  Physical well being defined by a feeling of energy every time she completed a workout; and

2.  Visualize success on the field in specific activities (i.e. passing, shooting, defense, etc.).

While this quick hypnosis session won't likely produce an All-American.  She did come away from the experience feeling energized and refreshed.  She's more ready now for campus!

Hypnosis can be a wonderful aid to support athletic and physical performance - at the high school level, in college or even for the casual participant.  It's all about visualizing positive outcomes.

A Hypno Event Bombs

I've been on roll lately as I cultivate and mature my practice of hypnosis.

For starters, I have found a unique approach by marrying the stress management, relaxation and physical well being benefits of hypnosis with a dash of entertainment achieved from a select set of crowd pleasing suggestions.  Everyone has an enjoyable time and the participants come away from the experience feeling positive and energized.

I've recently performed at a birthday party and a girl scout troop fundraiser.  The feedback has been encouraging and I anticipate it will lead to invitations for future gigs.

I have also been fortunate to link up with a couple of individuals who wanted to experience hypnosis and then learn how to enter a trance state on their own.  Check out this blog post, this one and this one for a recap of a few of these personal hypnosis sessions.

So...I was jazzed this past Tuesday evening as I made my way on the Capital Beltway for my first ever performance at a community festival.  The organizers had a room set aside for me and anticipated a crowd of 400+ at the festival.  Surely I would attract a crowd and a great set of participants.

Oh no...the room 10 minutes after the performance was to start.

My hopes were quickly dashed as my performance turned into a complete bust.  Not a single person showed up.  The festival goers all chose to remain outside enjoying the carnival rides, checking out the vendors and grooving to the DJ.

What went wrong?

With a strong desire to avoid a similar disaster in the future, I have given this a lot of thought.  Here's what I have concluded:

--There was marginal promotion of my event by the organizer because I was added to the entertainment line-up a few days prior to the festival.

--I had intended to arrive an hour early to do some onsite promotion and distribute flyers.  Yet, because of traffic I made it to the festival with only about 15 minutes to promote.  I only passed out a handful of flyers.

--And finally (and most important), it was a family-oriented community festival.  It was crowded, however most people were there with children and it simply wasn't feasible for them to attend a hypnosis show.

My time at the festival may yield some benefit though as I am now in discussion with the organizer to host a dedicated "health and wellness" event in September that will feature hypnosis.  I'll take the lessons learned from this bomb to ensure my next appearance is as positive as the power of hypnosis.