Anchor Map NLP

Learning to anchor map NLP principles can focus your training...

Do you remember from Psych 101 the Russian psychologist Pavlov and his dogs? He would set a stimulus (food) which then caused a response (salivation). He would then ring a bell (known as ‘the conditioned stimulus’) and then place the food in the dog’s mouth and soon after, the dog would begin to salivate every time it heard the bell.

This work won him the Nobel Prize in Physiology. For better or worse, the human nervous system works in much the same way as a dog’s: When a stimulus (e.g. the American flag, picture of a friend or lover) is triggered it then causes a response (e.g., feelings of pride, love, warmth). This process happens over and over again throughout every day, with or without our conscious awareness.

In this article we're going to touch on how to anchor NLP and use NLP anchoring and anchor map NLP.

Here are a few keys you'll want to keep in mind when anchoring:

* You want the trigger, stimuli or anchor to be unique for you as well as distinctive from what you usually do (Example: Touch your thumb and index finger together in a unique way.)

* It needs to be triggered at, or right before, you reach the peak of the state you want to be able to re-create.

* It needs to be reinforced over and over again (like building muscle) or you'll lose it.

Here are some easy steps to NLP anchoring:

1. Get clear and specific about the state you would like to be in.
The state could be ‘confidence’, ‘creativity’, ‘energy’, ‘determination’, or any other positive state you would like to be able to create on demand for yourself.

2. Remember a specific time in the past when you were in that state.
If have trouble thinking of a specific time, just imagine what it would be like if you were already in that state (For example: How would you breathe? How would you stand? What would you say to yourself and how would your voice sound while saying it?)

3. Mentally and physically step into the experience as much as possible.
Put yourself in state! Immerse yourself mentally and emotionally in what you saw, heard, and felt. Replay your inner dialogue in a powerful voice. Re-create the experience inside as vividly as you can.

4. When the emotion is at its peak, fire off your unique anchor!
(e.g., touch your thumb and index finger together with distinct force, vividly picture a unique image or symbol, say something to yourself in a commanding voice in your mind).

5. Repeat the exercise several times to strengthen and reinforce the anchor you have created.
Anchoring is literally about rewiring your nervous system according to your own plan, and building an NLP anchor map is a lot like building a muscle – the more you build it, the stronger it becomes. Also, the more intense the emotion, the stronger it will become.

Throughout your day be aware of other things that may be creating an anchored response for you, whether that response is positive or negative. There are many more advanced techniques and ways of increasing positive anchors, creating anchor map NLP paradigms and removing negative anchors, which are typically taught in a live NLP training seminar.

In the meantime, just take note of the anchors that already exist in your life, note the positive or negative states they trigger, and then take control by creating your own anchors and a menu of states you would like to experience on demand!

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