Reaction Reversal (The Exercise)

If you're tired, frustrated, or just plain mad about how you react to a trigger, REACTION REVERSAL was made for you. If you don't like the feeling you get when a trigger presents itself, this 18-minute exercise will rapidly change your response to it. I have used this procedure with tens of thousands of clients and the results have been extraordinary. I wonder how soon you'll experience the calming effects of REACTION REVERSAL.

Grasshopper Notes are the writings from America's Best Known Hypnotherapist John Morgan. His podcasts contain his most responded to essays and blog posts from the past two decades. 

Find the written versions of these podcasts on John's podcasting site: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1628038

"The Grasshopper" is the part of you that whispers pearls of wisdom that  seem to pop into your mind from out of the blue. John's essays and blog posts are his interpretations of these "Nips of Nectar." Others have labeled his writings as timeless wisdom. 

Most of the John's writings revolve around self improvement and self help. They address topics like:

• Mindfulness
• Peace of mind
• Creativity
• How to stay in the present moment
• Spirituality
• Behavior improvement

And stories that transform you to a wider sense of awareness that presents more options. And isn't that what we all want, more options? 

John uploads these podcasts on a regular basis. So check back often to hear these podcasts heard around the world. Who wants to be the next person to change? 

Make sure to order a copy of John's new book: WISDOM OF THE GRASSHOPPER – 21 Days to Creativity. These mini-meditations take you inside where all your creative resources live. And you'll come out not only refreshed but recommitted to creating your future. 

It's only $16.95 and available at BLURB.COM at the link below. https://www.blurb.com/b/10239673-wisd...

Also, download John's FREE book INTER RUPTION: The Magic Key To Lasting Change. It's available at John's website  https://GrasshopperNotes.com

Transcript

Reaction Reversal (The Exercise)

Hi, I’m John Morgan. I’m going to walk you through a simple 3-step technique that will help you outgrow any bothersome or unsettling reaction to a specific trigger or stimulus.

I call it Reaction Reversal.

It’s adapted from a method created by the late hypnosis wizard Dr. Dave Dobson. He originally called it “Subjective Reversal”—but I found that name left people scratching their heads. So I renamed it to reflect exactly what it does: it reverses your automatic reaction to a trigger and replaces it with a response you choose.

Let me give you a real-world example from my Stop Smoking Seminars.

Many smokers are triggered to light up when they see a cigarette ad, racks of cigarettes in a store, or someone else smoking. The list goes on. So, I’d give them this suggestion:

“Anytime you see cigarettes—on a billboard, in a magazine, on a store shelf, or in someone’s hand—that will instantly reenforce your commitment to be smoke and tobacco-free. It will also reinforce your promise to yourself to reclaim your health.”

In other words, the old trigger (seeing cigarettes) now caused a new, healthier response—one they chose: to be smoke-free. The best news is the switch happens automatically without you having to think about it.

So, here are the 3 steps. I’ll explain them first, then guide you through the exercise:

Step 1:
Think of a triggering event that causes you stress, discomfort, or any unwanted reaction. Imagine it’s happening right now.
Notice what you feel in your body—the sensations that come up.
Now imagine placing all of those unwanted sensations into your left hand.

Step 2:
Next, bring to mind a moment when you felt completely calm, peaceful, and serene.
It could be from last week or 20 years ago—it doesn’t matter.
Feel that calmness in your body.
Now place all those wonderful, peaceful feelings into your right hand.

Step 3:
Here’s where the magic happens:

Switch your focus back and forth between your left and right hands.
Start slowly at first. Feel the negative sensations associated with your left hand, then shift to feel the desired sensations in your right hand.

Go back and forth a few times and notice the sensations in your body that each hand delivers each time.

Now do the switch a little faster . . . and then even faster.
Repeat until you can switch from left to right in just a second or two.

Now, clasp your hands together.

Think about the original trigger again.

Notice how your reaction has changed a bit. Those old, uncomfortable feelings have been replaced with calm and collected ones.

Your brain has learned a new response—and soon, it will happen automatically.

You may need to repeat this exercise a few times for it to really stick—but the peaceful response you’re building is worth the effort.

Now, let’s walk through the exercise together.

Ok, Let’s get comfortable . . . to begin . . . take a couple of nice, deep, relaxing breaths. Breathe in . . . and Breath out. And now again, breathe in . . . and breathe out. And if you haven’t already closed your eyes, please close them now if you’re in an environment that doesn’t need your conscious attention. And with your eyes comfortably closed, as you listen to the sound of my voice, and feel the resting surface beneath you, your body and your mind relax and unwind at your own pace. There’s nothing you need to do now except continue to listen to the sound of my voice, and give your body and your mind your permission to relax now. A part of your mind . . . is diligently sorting . . . all the material that we’ve learned  in this exercise . . . and making it available to you.  Each of us, have a part of our mind that . . . is perfectly wide open to . . . learn something new and useful . . . and is a superior state of mind for learning. And you can begin to use that part of your mind now . . . to  . . . absorb a calming way of responding to old, out of date triggers. And when you’re in a situation that requires a calm response . . . your mind will just shift gears as quickly as you were able to shift your focus from one hand to the other . . . and absorb that information and have it available to you. And as you continue to listen now, you can use that part of your mind to reinforce the constructive ideas and thoughts that you’ve given yourself to achieve the the feelings for yourself that you deserve, that you’re entitled to. And it becomes exciting as you offer yourself these new patterns of thinking, feeling, responding, behaving  . . . so that those other parts of your mind, with these undesirable patterns, can  update itself . . . and begin to recognize that they’ve served their purpose, and now you can use that energy in more constructive and valuable ways for yourself in your real life today.  And the best news is . . . the very same things that used to trigger undesirable feelings begin now to trigger feelings of being calm and collected. And Isn’t it amazing how your mind can learn something new and useful quickly and have the switch happen automatically without you having to think about it. That’s because the very same things that used to trigger unsettling feelings begin now to trigger feelings of calm and serenity . . . all because you’ve decided to learn something new and outgrow the old way and grow into a new way. You’ve always owned these calm and collected feelings . . . but until now you haven’t used them to reverse your reaction to unwanted sensations. It feels good to know the switch will be thrown for you, simply because you’ve done the work to outgrow the old way and grow into a new way. Just like a world-class athlete conditions his or her body to get phenomenal results, you too have reconditioned your mind to deliver the necessary peaceful feelings automatically, not only because you deserve it, but because you worked for it. You earned it. And no matter what those triggers are, your mind now knows to throw the switch. Automatically. Your mind is completely open to alternative, helpful ideas because your mind is a learning machine, and the most interesting thing is it learns new routines and patterns without knowing how it learns and learns them rapidly. And each time you listen to this recording, or do this exercise on your own, you get more and more adept at outgrowing the old way and growing into a new way. And when you feel you’ve done enough work this time around, you can gently alert yourself and open your eyes and feel refreshed and relaxed now.