You have ten minutes before the board update. Or the market opens at 8:30. Or you're sitting in the car in the club parking lot before a tournament round. You don't need a pep talk. You need your body to stop treating the next hour like a threat, and your attention to land on the one thing that matters.
Self-hypnosis is one of the simplest tools for that window. This post walks through a 10-minute routine Jay Shaw, a certified hypnotherapist (CHt) at Identity 2.0 Hypnotherapy in Dallas, teaches driven executives, founders, traders and athletes to use on their own. No candles, no swinging watch, and no "going under." Just a short, repeatable way to settle and focus.
What Self-Hypnosis Is (and Isn't)
Hypnosis is a state of focused attention where you become more absorbed in an idea and less distracted by everything else. You stay aware the whole time. You can open your eyes, answer the phone or stop whenever you want. Self-hypnosis simply means guiding yourself into that state instead of having someone guide you.
It isn't sleep, it isn't mind control, and it isn't a substitute for preparation. If you haven't done the work, ten minutes of self-hypnosis won't do it for you. What it can do is help you show up as the version of yourself who did the work.
On the research side, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) notes that hypnosis has been studied for a range of uses, including anxiety before medical or dental procedures, where some studies have been promising but the overall evidence is not conclusive. (NCCIH, "Hypnosis: What You Need To Know") So think of this routine as a practical skill, not a guaranteed result.
The 10-Minute Routine
Find somewhere you won't be interrupted: an empty conference room, your parked car (engine off), a bathroom stall if that's all you have. Set a timer for 10 minutes so you don't have to watch the clock.
Minutes 0 to 2: Settle the body
Sit with both feet on the floor. Pick a spot slightly above eye level and rest your gaze on it. Breathe in through your nose for a slow count of four, and out through your mouth for a slow count of six. A longer exhale than inhale is the whole point here. After five or six breaths, let your eyes close when they feel ready.
Minutes 2 to 4: Deepen with a count
Count down slowly from 10 to 1, one number per exhale. With each number, let one area of your body soften: forehead, jaw, shoulders, hands, stomach, legs. If your mind wanders to the meeting or the market, notice it and go back to the next number. Wandering isn't failure. Coming back is the exercise.
Minutes 4 to 7: Rehearse the moment
Now picture the situation that's coming, from the inside, as if you're already there. See the room or the screen or the green. Then picture yourself handling the hardest part of it the way you want to: the pause before you answer a tough question, the trade you skip because it isn't your setup, the smooth first swing. Keep it specific and short. One clear scene, replayed two or three times, beats a vague highlight reel.
Minutes 7 to 9: Install a cue
While you hold that scene, pick a small physical cue: pressing your thumb and middle finger together, or one slow exhale through the nose. Pair the cue with a short phrase in your own words, something like "Steady. Next decision." Repeat the cue and phrase three times while you feel the calm, focused version of the moment. Later, in the real situation, the cue is your shortcut back to this state.
Minutes 9 to 10: Come back up
Count up from 1 to 5. On 3, take a fuller breath. On 4, move your fingers and toes. On 5, open your eyes and look around the room. Give yourself a few seconds before you stand up or drive.
Want a Routine Built Around Your Pattern?
On a free 30-minute strategy call on Zoom, Jay can help you pin down the exact moment where pressure takes over, and whether 1:1 work makes sense.
Book a Free Strategy Call →How to Make It Work Under Real Pressure
- Practice when nothing is at stake. Run the routine once a day for a week on ordinary days. A cue you've only tried once won't hold up in the moment that matters.
- Keep the phrase yours. Borrowed affirmations tend to feel fake when stress is high. Short, plain words you'd actually say work better.
- Shrink it as you go. After a couple of weeks, many people can get most of the effect from the breathing and the cue alone, in about 60 seconds.
- Don't use it as avoidance. If you're reaching for self-hypnosis to get out of a conversation or a decision you need to make, that's worth noticing too.
Self-Hypnosis Recordings vs. Doing It Yourself
Searches for "self hypnosis tapes" are common, and recordings are a reasonable way to start, because a voice guiding you takes the guesswork out of pacing. The Identity 2.0 Audio Series is Jay's set of guided recordings for exactly that. Over time, though, the goal is to need the recording less and own the routine yourself, so you can use it anywhere.
When Self-Hypnosis Isn't Enough
A 10-minute routine helps with ordinary pre-performance nerves. It's less likely to shift a pattern that keeps repeating no matter how prepared you are: the same freeze on every big sales call, the same revenge trade after every red morning, the same tight swing every time there's a card in your pocket. That's usually a sign there's something underneath worth mapping, and it's where 1:1 work comes in. (If that sounds familiar, read why you can't perform under pressure.)
For athletes and traders who want something measurable to practice between sessions, Jay also offers Identity Under Pressure, an optional add-on to the program.
- Free strategy call: $0
- 30 minutes on Zoom. Talk through the pattern and get an honest read on fit. Book it here.
- Identity Diagnostic: $99, credited toward the program
- Optional. Structured assessments plus a written report and a Zoom review with Jay. See the diagnostic.
- The 8-week program
- The full program is a premium, 8-week commitment. We'll walk through options on your free strategy call. Payment plans are available. Sessions are in person at 3838 Oak Lawn Ave, Suite 1000, Dallas, TX 75219, or on Zoom.
Hypnotherapy is not a substitute for medical or mental-health care. If you're under a doctor's or therapist's care, keep them in the loop. Don't practice self-hypnosis while driving or doing anything that needs your full attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is self-hypnosis safe?
For most people, a simple relaxation-and-focus routine like this one is low-risk. You stay aware and in control the whole time. Don't do it while driving or operating anything, and if you have a mental-health condition or are under a doctor's or therapist's care, check with them first.
How long does it take for self-hypnosis to work?
Most people feel calmer during the first session. Getting the cue to work reliably in a high-pressure moment usually takes a week or two of daily practice on ordinary days.
Can I do self-hypnosis at work?
Yes. All you need is somewhere quiet to sit for 10 minutes. Once you've practiced, a shortened version of the breathing and cue takes about a minute and nobody around you will notice.
Do I need a recording?
No, but recordings can help at the start because they handle the pacing for you. The aim is to own the routine yourself so you can use it anywhere.
Is self-hypnosis the same as working with a hypnotherapist?
No. Self-hypnosis is a skill you use on your own. Working 1:1 with a certified hypnotherapist (CHt) like Jay Shaw goes further: mapping the pattern behind your reactions and working on it directly over the 8-week program. The 30-minute strategy call on Zoom is free.