Do you do medical or "recreational" hypnosis?
I've found that those easily overwhelmed have trouble with this technique as they tend to just give up. I've also found that based on how one's mind is oriented (logically or creatively) can affect how distraction induction works. Of course, the mind is much more complex than this and not everybody is either-or, but it seems to be a decent approximation. It's worked for me (almost) every time. 
If you're a generally logical person, I find using numbers and rhythms works very well. i.e. Have your subject count up to 100 from zero. At the same time have them focus on an external rhythm (metronome or operator tapping on the wall), at the same time have them count from one to four on their fingers, and restart at one every time they get to four, then start a cycle of counting down from 100 at the same time, etc.
For a more creative or abstractly-minded person, use scenarios, imagery, and a mantra. I have much more experience with this method, so it's more polished than the other. i.e. Have your subject imagine themselves on a boat looking up at the night sky. They see the moon. The moon is getting slowly closer with every second. At the same time have them imagine the moon is a clock face, the hands going faster for a bit, (pause about 2-3 seconds) then slower for a bit, repeating at about that speed. Then have them repeat a single word, either out loud or in their head. Choose any word, and have them change the word every once in a while. Then change the clock's direction. Then have it get slowly smaller. etc, etc.
After you have them doing this, you can start suggestion or suggest that they will stop everything and go into a deeper hypnotic state when you say stop, then wait a second, and strongly/loudly say STOP and physically stop their hands if you have them moving their fingers. Then use this split-second moment of surprise to spew as much suggestion as you can, or move on to deepening.
I can't imagine these methods would work any differently for self-hypnosis. Remembering to keep adding things and changing it up is just one more thing to focus on. I try to aim at about 7 specific concepts. (Very specific, as you want to completely fill their short-term memory) I usually end up dropping a few things (like the boat) later on in the induction. Rather than going into suggestion after the distraction, just repeat the suggestion on your mind during the distraction.
Note: I thought I was an abstract thinker until I tried the induction on myself. The logical induction ended up working much better on me. If one doesn't work, try the other.
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