Positive Self Improvement and Motivation

In this article we discuss how unwanted behaviors can be eliminated in an NLP technique called a Swish Pattern. This technique is also employed by hypnotherapists, and can be used to round off sessions regarding weight loss and smoking.

1. Create a picture in your mind of the behavior you no longer want to have.

Using this picture you can already begin to make changes to the way you feel about the unwanted behavior. Notice what happens when you dull the color in the picture or move it further away. Changing the fine details (Sub-modalities) can remove the emotional content that is programmed in your mind to associate to that picture.

2. Create a picture of a new empowering alternative.

This is a picture of a new behavior that will replace the old behavior. See yourself in this picture (dissociated). This is so that when your brain views it, it sees it as something you wish to achieve. If you're looking through your own eyes in the picture (associated), your mind may believe that you have already achieved the desired behavior and will not provide you with an adequate level of motivation to achieve it.

3. Make the change as quickly as Swish!

Put the picture of the unwanted behavior on a big screen in your mind. Then in the lower left hand corner, make the picture of the desired behavior. As quickly as you can say swish, move the picture of the desired behavior over and in front of the picture of the unwanted behavior, covering it completely, then open your eyes. Do this process several times, until you feel unable to recall the picture of the unwanted behavior or the feelings that went with it.

As you repeat the process, do so very quickly. The key to this technique is to confuse the old wiring in your mind with the use of the speed at which you change the pictures.