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The ultimate objective of self-hypnosis is to help you retrain your thinking for any number of ends. Whether you want to become more confident, to be more adept at speaking in public, or to give up a habit like smoking – self-hypnosis can potentially make a big difference. And the potential effects of self-hypnosis can be even more impressive when combined with the power of placebo…

What is a Placebo? A placebo is essentially any potent effect that results from the belief that you are doing something different. The most common example of this is the 'sugar pill' – which is simply a pill that is made entirely from sugar with no active ingredients. Patients will take this pill, believing that it is some kind of medicine and as a result, they will often get better or see improvement despite the fact that there's nothing in it. Likewise, placebos can help people to get over addictions, to overcome phobias to become more confident… sounding familiar? How They Work But how can a pill made of sugar possibly result in someone becoming smarter, fighting an illness, or even combating psoriasis? Well, it's all to do with the power of the mind and specifically the impact of neurotransmitters and hormones. Simply, if you believe that you're getting worse, then you produce stress hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine which actually tax your body and result in you getting worse.  On the other hand, if you believe you're getting better, then you will produce positive neurotransmitters like serotonin and endorphins which can help to strengthen the immune system and to fight pain. You'll sleep better, you'll be more optimistic and you'll be less likely to focus on all the negative thoughts that get in the way. 

For something like 'confidence when speaking' a placebo gives you 'permission' to forget your inner critic and to just be your best without second-guessing yourself. Surprise, surprise, this leads to better performance!

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