We are going to learn all about an easy to learn technique called anchoring, a simple way to allow you to change any unwanted feeling to a resourceful feeling in a matter of moments. When you create an NLP anchor you set up a stimulus response pattern so that you can feel the way you want to, whenever you need to.
Imagine what it would be like if you could, in a moment, go from feeling anxious to feeling decisive and absolutely capable right in the middle of a stressful interview when all eyes are on you. Would that skill make a big difference to your ability to make a good impression? Would it improve your odds of getting the job you deserve? Of course it would! NLP can help you to do just that. I will now outline how to establish an NLP anchor. Each step is concise and must be followed exactly to ensure you create a powerful anchor.
Creating an NLP Anchor
Identify the emotional state you want e.g. confidence, calmness, enthusiasm. This step is crucial. You need to define very specifically how you want to feel. Choosing to feel powerful and enthusiastic is specific and something you can work towards using the NLP Anchoring technique. Saying that you do not want to feel anxious or tense is not much help because you still do not know what you do want.
Select a desired state i.e. specifically how you want to feel. Recall a particular time in your life when you felt the desired state. Pick a powerful example. It is worthwhile looking back at your memories to relive times when you had this desired state, the context is unimportant, what is important is recalling a few particularly strong experiences and then selecting the most powerful one.
To create the state in your imagination, NLP Suggests you should put yourself back into that experience as if it is happening in this moment. Notice what you see, hear what you were hearing, feel what you were feeling in the moment. Allow it to be as if it is happening. Notice how the state builds to a peak and then declines.
Now repeat this process only this time just as the state is about to peak, make a unique gesture with the fingers of one hand as you say a word or phrase to evoke the feeling, while also visualizing an image that represents the state. e.g. clench your left fist as you softly say to yourself ICE COOL...while you picture someone who represents calmness for you e.g. a Buddhist monk. Hold the state for a few moments, release the anchors and then break state (change your emotional state by thinking about something completely different and by changing your posture).
Now you must go through this whole procedure about five times in order as to build a resilient NLP anchor. This repetition is crucial.
Test the anchors by firing them (make the unique gesture, say the word/phrase, picture the person that represents calmness) and check that you do experience the desired state. You will know that you have successfully anchored the resource when you can access the desired state by firing any one of the component anchors i.e. the visual (picture), auditory (word/phrase) or feeling (gesture) anchor. You ought to feel the anchored state within 10-15 seconds. If the feeling is not satisfactory then choose a different experience that more precisely gives you the appropriate state.
To make sure your anchoring works as well as possible you need to learn about the secrets to powerful NLP anchoring. There are six distinctions that will supercharge your anchoring skills.
Secrets of NLP Anchoring
Only anchor an intense state i.e. a strongly felt experience.
Pick an experience that is pure and not mixed with other feelings.
Use unique anchors so the state is accessed at will.
Timing is crucial, fire the anchors before the peak and release before the peak declines.
Spend time at NLP anchoring to become skilful. Allow 20-30 minutes per session.
Reinforce periodically to keep the NLP anchor strong since the intensity may fade over time.
Using NLP anchors can make a massive difference to your ability to deal with people. Instead of hoping you will feel capable when you next need to express yourself, just fire your NLP anchor and in a moment feel the way you want to feel.
Maybe you want to feel relaxed in that crucial job interview, fire your relaxation anchor and you have it in an instant. Perhaps you want to feel powerful, then fire your power anchor and in a few moments you can go from feeling like you are under surveillance to feeling in charge of your feelings and your world.
You can also stack NLP anchors. This means that you would select your desired state and anchor it as above and then repeat the process with a different state but using the same gesture, word and picture. For example you could anchor confidence to a clenched left fist, say POWER and picture James Bond. Then you could start the anchoring process again to anchor a time when you had a huge grin on your face to the same clenched left fist, POWER and the image of James Bond. Before you know it you will be able to feel powerful AND happy in a moment. How about stacking enthusiasm too? This is how I do so well in business when meeting people for the first time.
I always have a powerful NLP anchor ready whenever I need it. Just before a key meeting I will fire the anchor to ensure a great first impression, then during the meeting I will fire the anchor again whenever I feel my state slip. Will people spot you firing the anchor? No! The secret is to be subtle. You could say the word or phrase to yourself quietly in your head or just imagine that image that evokes the desired state. I like to anchor using subtle gestures such as bringing three fingertips together with a unique pressure.
This can be done without anyone noticing. NLP anchoring is a life skill that will work for whatever you apply it to. It has relevance for work, family life and relationships. Let's say your spouse has a special talent for getting on your nerves, just fire your calmness anchor and instantly you will have freedom from the torment!
Take some time as well to review your top goals and values. Then decide which emotional states you need to achieve these goals. Create a list of these feelings and schedule 20-30 minutes to set up an NLP anchor for each one.
Make notes to remind yourself which triggers you will use for each state. Although this may seem unusual at first, with practice this will become second nature. Approach it from the point of view of having fun learning something different and you will soon become skilled at anchoring. When I first learned about NLP anchoring I made a point of anchoring three resourceful states a day. You would be amazed at how quickly your life expands when you are feeling phenomenal!
You set an NLP anchor by associating a unique trigger to a certain state. When in that state, trigger a unique anchor to associate the anchor and the state together.
After repeating that process numerous times, that state will be conditioned to the anchor. Subsequently when you trigger that anchor later on, it will bring you to that state.
Here's an example. When you are in happy state, anchor that feeling to a unique trigger, let's say a light pinch on the palm of your left hand. Repeat that process numerous times. Once it is conditioned, each time you pinch your left palm you will be in a state of happiness.
The steps below are the way to set NLP anchors. Let's say you want to set an anchor for happiness.
1. Get yourself into a happy state. Think of a past experiences when you were happy. Construct happy thoughts and images. Visualize yourself and your loved ones smiling, laughing etc.
2. At the peak of your state, at the most intense feeling happiness, fire off a unique anchor. Let's say to pinch your left palm. Fire off the anchor a few more times (means pinching your palm a few more times) as long as you are still in that peak state.
3. Change to a neutral state. Break your state by standing up, moving around, shaking yourself out of it. Then repeat the process again. After numerous repetitions, the state will be anchored into you.
A fairly simple process although getting into the desired state in the first place may prove to be a problem for some people. The best way to get into the desired state would be to remember and re-live the memory of past experiences when you were in that state. When there isn't any relevant past experiences, constructing images or sounds of situations with that experience may help.
The effectiveness of an NLP anchor that you set depends on the following ;
• The intensity of the state – the stronger the intensity the better. Likewise if you set the anchor in a low intensity state, the effect will weak.
• Timing of the anchor – The timing of triggering the anchor is just as important. To be most effective, only trigger the anchor at the peak moment of the state. At it's most intense moment.
• Uniqueness of the anchor – Make sure your anchor is unique. Something that you don't normally do, see or hear everyday. For example actions like scratching, snapping your fingers or clapping hands are pretty common and we do it quite often. Use something really unique which isn't part of your daily routine or gestures.
• Number of repetitions – Naturally the more repetitions you make, the more conditioned the anchor becomes. So make sure you do enough repetitions to make it conditioned.
Advanced NLP anchoring
Moving forward from the basic anchoring technique, in the more advanced NLP anchoring technique we involve 2 anchors. There are 2 ways to use this technique ;
• 2 positive anchors can be paired up together so that the 2 strong states will be integrated together. This is called Integrating Anchors.
• 1 positive and 1 negative anchor are paired up. This is done to chain the negative anchor to the positive one. By doing so, whenever you start to feel the negative state it will flow to the positive state. This is called chaining anchors.
Integrating Anchors
Here is the process for integrating anchors.
1. Using the same method as above, get yourself into a desired state #1.
2. At the peak of the state, fire off a unique anchor, anchor #1.
3. Break your state by standing up, moving around, shaking yourself out of it.
4. Repeat a few times.
5. Now repeat the first 4 steps with another state and anchor. (state #2 and anchor #2)
6. Integration. Get into state #1 & fire anchor #1. While experiencing that state fire anchor #2. Let the 2 experiences mix and watch and listen to everything that happens as those two experiences combine to make you even stronger and better.
This can be used for example in integrating energy and creativity together so that you can perform even better in your job.
Chaining anchors
Chaining anchors can be used to bring yourself from a negative state that you usually feel to a positive one. For example you usually get upset when stuck in traffic jam. By chaining anchors, you can chain the state of calmness to it so that the next time you are stuck in traffic, you instead of being upset you will be calm.
Here is how to chain anchors using the example above;
1. Get yourself into a calm and relaxed state.
2. At the peak of the state, fire off anchor #1.
3. Break state and repeat steps a few times.
4. Now visualize yourself stuck in traffic. Experience the unhappiness and feeling upset.
5. Fire off anchor #2 at the peak of the state.
6. Break state and repeat a few times.
7. Now chain both anchors together. Start by visualizing yourself in traffic, then fire off anchor #2. Visualize yourself as you start to feel upset because of the traffic (fire off anchor #1) suddenly you feel a calmness and relaxed feeling.
In chaining anchors, make sure that your negative anchor is not too intense. Your positive anchor must be stronger than the negative anchor. Or else the stronger negative anchor will overpower the positive anchor instead and turn it negative.
That's about it for NLP anchoring. Practice makes perfect.The good thing is that if you are doing it right, you will immediately know it because of it's impact. So there's no guessing whether you got it right or not.
Take some time to master it. As long as you follow the steps and take note of the 4 keys to effective anchoring, you'll be fine.
Have fun!