Habits run more of your life than you might think. Some are obvious — reaching for a cigarette, scrolling late into the night, snacking when you’re stressed. Others are less so like overthinking, people-pleasing, procrastinating, or that automatic inner critic that pipes up at the worst possible moment.
The good news is this: habits aren’t “who you are.” They’re learned patterns — and learned patterns can be unlearnt and updated.
And if you’re reading this around the New Year, you’ll know the feeling: a natural shift in the air. A fresh chapter. Not a “new you,” but a chance to choose what you want more of… and what you’re done carrying.
Good habits and bad habits are built the same way
Whether a habit helps you or holds you back, it’s usually created through the same basic loop:
Trigger → Automatic response → Short-term payoff
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Trigger: stress, boredom, certain places, certain people, certain times of day
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Response: smoking/vaping, snacking, avoidance, doom-scrolling, overworking, reassurance-seeking
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Payoff: relief, comfort, distraction, a sense of control (even if it’s temporary)
This is why habits can feel so hard to change. You’re not just stopping an action — you’re interrupting a pattern your mind learned for a reason.
“I’ll change later” is a very human trap
A lot of people delay change because they’re waiting for the perfect future moment:
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When life calms down
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When work is less stressful
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When they feel “more motivated”
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When they’re in the right headspace
But in real life, perfect timing rarely arrives. What tends to change people isn’t the calendar — it’s a decision: “I’m ready and willing to do this now.”
With my subjective experience of having helped clients for over 7 years now you don’t need to be fearless. You just need willingness and the belief that change is possible.
Why willpower often isn’t enough
Willpower can help in the short term — but it has a problem: it keeps your attention locked onto the very thing you’re trying to stop.
When you’re “trying not to think about smoking,” you’re still thinking about smoking.
If you’re “trying not to overeat,” food is still taking centre stage in your mind.
If you’re “trying not to panic,” you’re still scanning for danger.
In addition willpower requires effort and when you’re tired, stressed, emotional, or busy — effort is exactly what disappears first.
Hypnotherapy helps because it works with the automatic mind
Most habits live in the subconscious part of the mind — the “autopilot” system that runs learned behaviours, emotional reactions, and familiar coping strategies.
When we go into states of hypnosis we are able to access that automatic layer of our minds in a calm, focused state, so you can reduce the emotional charge behind a trigger and build new automatic responses without thinking about it much.
What kinds of habits can hypnotherapy help with?
One of the things I love about this work is how broad it can be. Hypnotherapy can help with anything you want to stop doing and anything you want to start doing — because both are habit patterns at their core.
Here are common examples people come to see me for:
Habits you may want to stop or reduce
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Smoking or vaping
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Emotional eating / snacking out of stress
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Nail biting, skin picking, hair pulling
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Procrastination and avoidance
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Overthinking and worry loops
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Unhelpful routines around sleep
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Negative self-talk and self-sabotage
Habits you may want to build
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Calm, consistent sleep routines
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Better boundaries and assertiveness
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Confidence in social or performance situations
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Healthy eating habits and mindful choices
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Feeling more in control under pressure
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Consistent motivation and follow-through
I’ve helped clients change responses around flying, driving anxiety, spiders, public speaking, interviews, confidence, habits, and many other issues — and if what you’re dealing with isn’t listed here, it doesn’t mean hypnotherapy can’t help. Most challenges are just different flavours of the same underlying pattern: trigger → response → payoff.
There’s no perfect time — there’s just a starting point
If you’re waiting until you feel 100% ready, you may be waiting a long time. Most people don’t feel fully ready. They feel fed up… and hopeful… and uncertain… all at once.
That’s normal.
Change starts when you decide you’re done repeating the same pattern — and you’re willing to try something different and new rather than with willpower alone. You can read examples here of people just like you and me who made that decision and changed their lives.
Ready to build better habits?
If you’re in Gillingham, Medway, or anywhere in Kent or UK (sessions are also available online), I offer a free telephone consultation so you can talk through what you want to change and how hypnotherapy could help.
