Steps to Removing Negative Experiences in Your Life through Anchoring

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Were there times when you saw a certain someone and you just felt angry all of a sudden?

Were there also times when you saw someone you loved and you just smiled without a thought?

Do you know why?

The fact is that all of us are anchored (or linked) to a certain emotion to something we see, hear and feel.

The reason why we see a certain someone and experience that certain emotion (as a result of seeing that particular person) is because through a period of time, we have been unconsciously linking that specific emotion to seeing that person.

In terms of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), linking a specific emotion to something we see is called a visual anchor.

Likewise, linking a specific emotion to something we hear is called an auditory anchor and linking an emotion to something we feel is a kinesthetic anchor.

Knowing all these, how can learning how to link a specific emotion to something help us in our daily life?

Here's a great example...

Let's assume that a shy salesman experiences fear and uncertainty when he sees a certain authoritative client. What he can do is to apply the principles of collapsing the disempowered anchor (the feeling of fear and uncertainty) and instead, link confidence to the client's face.

If he can do this, he will be in a better position to develop a better relationship with the client and promote his company's products.

Does this make sense?

Okay. Right now you might be wondering how we can collapse a disempowering anchor. So let's get right into it...

Let's use the example to overcome stage fright. Here are the five steps you can use if you experience a state of fear when you see a stage (visual anchor).

Step 1. Decide on the negative state to be collapsed

In this case, it would be fear and the lack of confidence.

Step 2. Decide on the positive states needed

A common trait of influential public speakers is that they all possess a high level of confidence. So in this step, confidence will be one of the positive states that we'll need.

Next, we'll think of the times when we experience the most of the positive state. In this case, we'll have to think of the times when we felt totally confident.

Step 3. Elicit the different positive states and anchor them

In this stage, we'll have to experience how it would be like if you were to feel totally confident. Breathe the way you would breathe, stand the way you would stand and gesture the way you would gesture when you're totally confident.

And when you're feeling a maximum level of confidence, perform a unique action such as snapping your fingers or beating your chest. In this stage, you'll be setting up a kinesthetic anchor to the feeling of confidence.

Do this for at least 5 times.

Step 4. Fire off positive anchors while picturing the stage simultaneously.

Next, imagine yourself seeing the stage, snap your fingers. See the stage, snap your fingers. Repeat this procedure so that your mind starts linking "seeing the stage" with the emotion of "confidence".

During each time when you 'fire' off the anchor, experience the positive emotions for 5 seconds before thinking about something else to 'reset' your mind.

Repeat this step for 5 times until you feel a total sense of confidence when you imagine the stage.

5. Test it out Finally, the best way to test it out is to imagine seeing the object, in this case, the stage and ask if you're experiencing the positive emotions that you desire.

The process and results of this anchoring process depends largely on us. The more time we spend on this process and the more times we repeat this process, the easier it becomes. So go ahead and test this anchoring process out for yourself. You'll be surprised at how effective it can be.

Removing Negative Experiences in Your Life through Anchoring – Contributed by Dominic T.