Is 2026 going to be a new identity for you?

byPWhittaker

163 followers

3 weeks ago

For years, I struggled with bad habits that felt almost automatic. You know the kind, the ones you promise yourself you’ll stop, but somehow your brain hits “play” before you can intervene. Nail biting, procrastinating, scrolling on my phone late at night, reaching for junk food when I was stressed. The list went on. But thankfully what changed things for me wasn’t willpower or guilt, but discovering a powerful NLP technique called the Swish Pattern.

The Swish Pattern works because bad habits are often driven by mental images. Our brains are incredibly visual. When I used to procrastinate, for example, I had an internal picture of myself sitting comfortably, phone in hand, avoiding the task at all costs. That image felt good in the moment, so my brain kept choosing it. The Swish Pattern helps rewire that automatic response by replacing the old image with a new, more empowering one.

Here’s how it helped me.

First, I identified the exact moment the habit kicked in.

With nail biting, it was seeing my fingers near my mouth.

With late-night snacking, it was opening the kitchen cupboard.

Then I became aware of the mental picture that followed, usually a vivid image of me giving in and feeling temporary relief. This is called the trigger image.

Next, I created a replacement image. This part is extremely crucial. I imagined myself after the habit was gone. Calm, confident, and proud.

For nail biting, I pictured clean, healthy nails and my hands resting calmly on my lap.

For procrastination, I imagined myself finishing work early, feeling accomplished and relaxed.

The image had to feel emotionally rewarding, not forced or dull.

The “swish” happens when you rapidly replace the old image with the new one. In my mind, I’d see the bad-habit image shrink, fade, or slide away, while the positive image rushed in, becoming brighter and stronger. I repeated this several times in quick succession. Over time, something fascinating happened. My brain stopped offering me the old habit as the default choice.

One habit this really helped with was emotional eating. Especially chocolate. I love chocolate and could eat a full 200 gm bar in an hour or two.

Instead of picturing comfort food as relief, I trained my mind to instantly switch to an image of me handling stress in healthier ways. Taking a deep breath, going for a short walk, or drinking water. Eventually, the craving lost its intensity. It didn’t feel like I was “fighting” myself anymore.

What I love most about the Swish Pattern is that it doesn’t rely on shame or discipline. It works with the brain rather than against it.

Bad habits aren’t moral failures, they’re learned patterns. And what’s learned can be relearned.

If you’re stuck in a habit loop, I genuinely believe this technique can help. With practice, the Swish Pattern teaches your mind to automatically choose who you want to be, not who the habit keeps you stuck as.

And once that shift happens, change feels surprisingly natural.

Check out this video so you can understand it a bit more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFY2qISj4nQ&t=29s

If you want change, check this video out

https://www.youtube.com/live/gCpK_H8aJWc

2026 can be an identity change for you. That will depend on how much you want to change.

Peter