Awful Christmas Gift? Learn to Love It Through Hypnosis

Everyone is bound to unwrap an awful gift or two on Christmas, but your reaction to that gaudy reindeer sweater from grandma doesn't have to be as bad as the gift itself.

According to Australian comedy hypnotist Matthew Hale, there's a way to use self-hypnosis to elicit a natural, happy reaction from yourself during the Christmas gift exchange -- even if the present you're unwrapping is a nose hair trimmer, a scale or something equally offensive.

Hale, who's been a traveling stage hypnotist for years, said his "Christmas happiness technique" is quite simple. In fact, with the right focus and relaxation, it should be a snap.

First, Hale suggested grabbing a couple of minutes to yourself before the gift exchange begins -- even if it's in the bathroom -- away from your relatives.

The quieter the place, the better.

Then, as with any self-hypnosis technique, Hale said one must completely relax the body and mind, channeling all of your focus into one thought.

"Systematically relax every part of your body from your head to the tips of your toes," Hale said. "Close your eyes and start to vividly see, in your mind, a gift you were once given on Christmas that made you extremely happy. Really feel the emotion you felt when you received it, and try and make it as real as possible.

"Once you're at the height of feeling that happy emotion, press your thumb and second finger of one hand together tightly. This will anchor that emotion with that action. Do this whole process two or three times so your mind makes the association each time your press your fingers together."

Hale said that once you have that great Christmas memory anchored to the hand motion, you can access the happiness in times of need.

So, when you're unwrapping something truly awful, focusing and pressing your fingers together will take you back to that happy place, perhaps a time when you were receiving a shiny new bike instead of a cheesy Santa Claus tie.

Hale explained that the pure delight on your face will be as real as it gets because you are, in fact, "generating genuine happiness."

"Your mind will take over, your face will light up and your smile will be genuine because you're thinking of those better times. Best of all, the person giving you the crappy gift won't know any different. They'll think you really like the present," he said with glee.

Just to be sure the technique works, though, Hale recommended doing a few test runs with any random presents you get on Christmas. This way, you're fully prepared should something really terrible be lurking beneath the wrapping paper and ribbons.

Hale said the simple self-hypnosis, which can spare feelings and prevent awkward moments around the Christmas tree, will work on anyone, as long as they're fully open to the process.

"If you have a few minutes to go through the visualization exercise and have an average imagination, there's no reason why it won't work. Relaxing during the setup is essential, but it doesn't matter what state you're in when you fire it off later," he said.

So even at a loud Christmas party, you can still fake the funk.

The hypnotist also insisted that the happiness hypnosis should work on any and all bad gifts -- except for maybe one.

"If you were given a particularly thick pair of fashion disaster gloves for Christmas and were made to put them on before you could fire your 'happiness trigger,' it could render you physically helpless," he warned with a laugh. "Other than that, you should be fine."

Although he's never heard of a self-hypnosis trick quite like this, Eric Newhall of the National Guild of Hypnotists in New Hampshire told AOL News that it sounds fairly legitimate.

He said Hale's technique should work just fine, especially if you're using a physical action like the pressing together of your fingers to trigger a specific emotion.

Newhall said relaxation will be essential for this, and, more importantly, lots of practice.

He suggested practicing Hale's technique for many days leading up to Christmas, not only right before opening presents, to add to the chances of it fully working.

Though this holiday hypnosis may seem a bit odd, Hale said it could come in handy throughout the year, not just on Christmas.

He said that if your cell phone breaks or you're stuck in traffic "listening to hour three of the Village People music marathon," you can fire off the same "happiness trigger" to instantly make yourself feel better.

It can also be used if your boss gives you a hideous gift for your birthday or if your child makes you something "creative" out of macaroni for the umpteenth time at school.

For those who may still feel strange practicing self-hypnosis like this, Hale insisted the happiness technique isn't even the wackiest thing he's seen people do while they're "under."

"At my last show alone, I had someone talking into their knee believing it was their cell phone and someone trying to get out of a speeding ticket by telling me they had a giraffe about to give birth in the car with them. Another person was convinced that they were an alien from another planet and they told me they were here to reveal that Justin Bieber was one of them."

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