Hypnotherapy and Performance: Rebuilding Confidence After Lockdown

In our post-pandemic world, many individuals have found themselves struggling with activities that once came naturally to them. Public speaking, in particular, has become a source of renewed anxiety for many. Today, I'd like to share how hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool for rebuilding performance confidence, illustrated through a recent case study with a client who rediscovered her public speaking abilities.

Public speaking can be nerve wracking

The Challenge: Post-Lockdown Performance Anxiety

My client—let's call her Sarah—approached me with a specific challenge. Before the pandemic, she was a confident speaker who regularly presented at professional events. However, following the extended isolation of lockdown, she found herself overwhelmed by anxiety at the prospect of returning to public speaking. With an important film premiere approaching, she needed to regain her confidence quickly.

Understanding Hypnotherapy for Performance Enhancement

Hypnotherapy works by accessing the subconscious mind, where many of our automatic responses and deeply held beliefs reside. For performance anxiety, hypnotherapy can be particularly effective because it addresses both the conscious anxieties and the subconscious patterns that trigger physiological stress responses (Hammond, 2010).

As Yapko (2012) notes, "Hypnosis provides a context in which people can rehearse new patterns of responding at multiple levels simultaneously—cognitive, emotional, and physiological." This multi-level approach makes it uniquely suited for performance issues where mind and body must work in harmony.

The Reframe Process: Creating a New Mental Narrative

In Sarah's case, we used a powerful technique called "reframing." Reframing involves creating a new, positive narrative that the subconscious mind can adopt in place of the anxiety-producing one (Erickson & Rossi, 1979).

The reframe document I developed for Sarah described her ideal premiere day, beginning with waking up refreshed and moving through a day filled with positive affirmations, self-care, and successful performance milestones. This wasn't simply positive thinking—it was a carefully constructed narrative designed to engage multiple sensory modalities and emotional states that would support confidence.

Key elements of the reframe included:

1. Somatic anchoring: Descriptions of physical sensations of relaxation and confidence

2. Temporal progression: A step-by-step journey through the day, creating a sense of inevitability

3. Positive emotional states: Explicit mentions of feeling "excited," "confident," and "proud"

4. Success visualization: Detailed imagery of the audience's positive response and personal satisfaction

Research by Kirsch et al. (2017) demonstrates that such detailed mental rehearsals activate many of the same neural pathways as physical practice, essentially "programming" the mind and body to respond differently in the anticipated situation.

Using Anchors to Stabilize New Responses

Another technique evident in Sarah's reframe was the establishment of anchors—specific physical or mental triggers that would help her access resourceful states when needed.

These included:

• The physical sensation of her new pillow, associated with rest and renewal

• The verbal cue of saying "boom" in her head before beginning her speech

• The ritual of meditation and conscious breathing to center herself

As O'Hanlon and Martin (1992) explain, "An anchor is any stimulus that evokes a consistent response pattern." By deliberately creating these anchors during our hypnotherapy sessions and embedding them in the reframe, Sarah gained reliable tools to access her confidence during challenging moments.

The Results: From Anxiety to Authentic Performance

The outcome was remarkable. Sarah reported that on the day of the premiere, she found herself naturally following the pattern we had established in the reframe. Rather than being overwhelmed by anxiety, she experienced what sports psychologists call "flow state"—channeling her nervous energy into excitement and presence. She texted me the positive news that evening; she was over the moon.

How Hypnotherapy Can Enhance Your Performance

Sarah's case illustrates several ways hypnotherapy can help with performance enhancement:

1. Reestablishing confidence: By creating new neural pathways associated with success

2. Managing physiological responses: Training the body to respond with appropriate arousal instead of anxiety

3. Creating mental rehearsal: Providing detailed practice that feels real to the subconscious

4. Developing personalized coping tools: Custom anchors and triggers that work with individual preferences

5. Building resilience: Strengthening the ability to maintain confidence in challenging situations

   
   

Is Hypnotherapy Right for You?

If you're struggling with performance anxiety—whether in public speaking, creative arts, athletics, or professional contexts—hypnotherapy may offer a path forward. It's particularly valuable for those who:

• Have previously performed well but lost confidence

• Experience physical symptoms of anxiety despite logical reassurance

• Find that conventional preparation isn't addressing their anxiety

• Need to prepare for a specific high-stakes event

As Spiegel (2013) notes in his research, hypnotherapy often works best when the client has specific goals and is open to the process of reimagining possibilities.

Conclusion

The pandemic challenged us in unprecedented ways, and it's natural that some of our capabilities may have temporarily diminished during that time. However, as Sarah's case demonstrates, these skills and confidences aren't truly lost—they're simply waiting to be reaccessed and strengthened.

Through techniques like reframing and anchoring, hypnotherapy offers a gentle yet powerful approach to rebuilding performance confidence and reconnecting with our capabilities. As we continue to navigate our post-pandemic world, such tools may be invaluable in helping us not just return to our former abilities, but potentially surpass them with new insights and resilience.

References

Erickson, M. H., & Rossi, E. L. (1979). Hypnotherapy: An exploratory casebook. Irvington Publishers.

Hammond, D. C. (2010). Hypnosis in the treatment of anxiety- and stress-related disorders. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 10(2), 263-273.

Kirsch, I., Wickless, C., & Moffitt, K. H. (2017). Expectancy and suggestibility: Are the effects of environmental enhancement due to detection? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(3), 577–586.

O'Hanlon, W. H., & Martin, M. (1992). Solution-oriented hypnosis: An Ericksonian approach. Norton Professional Books.

Spiegel, D. (2013). Tranceformations: Hypnosis in brain and body. Depression and Anxiety, 30(4), 342-352.

Yapko, M. D. (2012). Trancework: An introduction to the practice of clinical hypnosis (4th ed.). Routledge.

Common Questions People Ask About Performance Anxiety

Here are some questions you might be asking yourself when dealing with performance anxiety:

• How can I overcome my fear of public speaking?

• Why did I suddenly develop anxiety about presentations?

• Can hypnotherapy cure performance anxiety?

• How many hypnotherapy sessions for public speaking confidence?

• Why did lockdown make my anxiety worse?

• Natural remedies for speech anxiety

• How to stop shaking when giving a presentation

• Best therapy for stage fright

• How to regain confidence after a panic attack during a speech

• Can hypnosis help with presentation nerves?

• Public speaking anxiety treatment near me

• How to calm nerves before a big presentation

• Does hypnotherapy work for professional speakers?

• Alternatives to beta blockers for performance anxiety

• How to speak confidently in front of audiences

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