This old-timey skill will put you ahead at work

Take out your magician’s hat and pocket watch – hypnosis is back in style.

Though best remembered as a parlor trick or outdated therapy method popular in the early 1900s, hypnotherapy has been used to treat everything from schizophrenia to smoking cessation. And while hypnosis might seem like just another silly exercise in gimmickry, it can actually improve work performance, ease over stressful work encounters, and connect you with your teammates.

What exactly is hypnosis?

The history of hypnosis began in 1788 with mesmerism, invented by German physician Franz Mesmer as a way to treat the mentally ill. While “animal magnetism” never really caught on, hypnosis did in 1841 when Scottish physician James Braid began producing literature based upon his research, rather than just waving magnets in front of unsuspecting hysterics.

Since those days, hypnosis has been through a long journey from pseudoscience to legitimacy, from Freud to Milton Erikson to hypnotherapy offered at Mount Sinai Hospital. Even organizations like the Mayo Clinic cite hypnosis as an effective treatment for “pain due to burns, cancer, childbirth, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint problems, dental procedures, headaches, insomnia, bed-wetting, smoking, overeating,” and much, much more.

How does it work?

So, this 200-year-old practice supposedly treats almost every ailment there is. How does it work? And where’s the proof?

Rather than a stage hypnotist waving a watch in front of a participant like a parlor trick, formal hypnosis is conducted in a much simpler way. Usually, a subject is seated somewhere they feel comfortable and relaxed, told to focus on a specific point in the room, and led in a kind of guided meditation into a particular calm state known as a trance. One can be guided through this by a hypnotist, a therapist, or even themselves, known as self-hypnosis.

There’s a long list of theories that postulate why hypnotic states seem to be effective, ranging from psychoanalytic theories to brain scans. Famed hypnosis researcher David Spiegel, in an interview with Time Magazine, mentions that in his 2016 study conducted at Stanford, the brain experiences reduced connections to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex when in a trance state, allowing for a more connected feeling of one’s brain to one’s innate bodily functions, such as breathing and heartbeat.

From a more sensory perspective, VeryWellMind cites that one reason hypnosis is effective is that it creates a sense of “detachment or extreme relaxation during the hypnotic state while others even feel that their actions seem to occur outside of their conscious volition.”

However, only some hypnosis patients truly sink into a dissociative state; others “remain fully aware and able to carry out conversations while under hypnosis.” Additionally, people who approach hypnosis with a positive mindset tend to respond more positively to it.

So how do I use it?

While you can’t exactly wave a magic wand over your boss’ eyes to make them less uptight, there are a few ways that you can implement some of the tenets of hypnosis into your workday to ease the burden of taxing situations.

VeryWellMind reminds us that despite the many YouTube videos or self-help books on how to hypnotize those around you without them even realizing it, “hypnosis does require voluntary participation on the part of the patient.” Some are more suggestible than others while under hypnosis, however, and research has indicated that those people are likely to experience “a reduced sense of agency while under hypnosis.”

The main way that one can use hypnosis to one’s advantage is through self-hypnosis. WebMD notes that hypnotherapy, on the whole, is as easy as “guided relaxation, intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness,” so it’s safe to say that with just a bit of wherewithal and drive, one can guide oneself into a hypnotic state relatively easily. If you’re considering hypnosis as a treatment for other more intense maladies, however, consult a professional first.

Corporate Wellness Magazine, in an article about the benefits of hypnosis in the workplace, notes that “anyone who can follow directions can reach a hypnotic state and work with their subconscious mind.” In truth, it’s helpful to remember that hypnosis “is actually a naturally occurring state of mind, in which healthful suggestions can be communicated to the subconscious mind.”

So, if you’re looking to utilize self-hypnosis in the workplace, chances are, you might already be doing it, especially if you’re the type to “zone out” and get lost in your work. And if you’re not, and you choose to approach hypnosis with an open mind, you could take 15 minutes to sit and breathe to guided hypnosis narrated by a gentle British man, and perhaps the answer will work itself out without much thought.

Another way to enhance your own and your team’s productivity through hypnotic states is to suggest approaching these moments of introspective hyper-focus as a group. Whether it’s active listening during a meeting, an hour of silent work time without phones or emails, or even a group activity like a socially distanced walk, there are lots of ways to connect with others while also increasing your own cognizance.

It doesn’t matter what your drive to hypnosis is – in many ways, it’s a catch-all for dealing with everything from stressful coworker relations to feeling overloaded on a project, or unheard by your bosses. These mindful moments throughout the day can allow our subconscious thoughts room to process information, like putting your thoughts in the crockpot and keeping the burner on low heat for a few hours. When the timer goes off, and you’re able to step away from your increased awareness, you might find that those problems you put in the slow cooker have turned into tasty solutions.