PROCEDURE FOR
ANCHORING A
RESOURCEFUL STATE
FOR YOURSELF
1 Choose a place that is free from distractions and make
yourself comfortable.
2 Decide on a state/a feeling that you have experienced in
your life that you would like to be able to access when you
choose.
3 Choose an anchor that you can use whenever you want to
access this feeling. It must be something precise and easy
to use. For example, you could use the little finger and
thumb together on your left hand.
4 Now recall the memory of a time when this feeling was at its
strongest for you. Check that you are associated into this
experience, that you are seeing it as if through your own
eyes and not as an observer watching yourself. If you can
see yourself in the picture as opposed to seeing it through
your own eyes, you are dissociated. It is only in the
associated state that you can really experience the feelings
and therefore anchor them. The concept of
association/dissociation is explained in Chapter 3.
When you are completely associated, pay attention to
what you see. What colors can you see? Are they bright or
pastel? Is it clear or hazy? Notice the quality of what you
see and any other distinctions. What do you hear? Is it loud
or quiet? What is the location of the sounds? Are there
voices, are you speaking to other people? Listen to those
sounds and anything else you hear. While you see this
scene, allow yourself to experience the feeling of being
there until that feeling is strong and enveloping for you. As
you do so, touch your little finger and thumb together for as
long and only as long as you feel these sensations
intensely. When you have experienced the feeling and the
touch of your finger to thumb, release that touch. Shake
yourself or move in some way so that you bring yourself
back to the present, which is called breaking state.
5 This touch has become the anchor for the feelings. Repeat
the process several times until you know there is a strong
connection between the touch and the feelings.
6Test the anchor. Think of something else and as you do so
touch your little finger and thumb together in precisely the
way you did when you were setting up the anchor. This is
called firing the anchor.194 NLP AT WORK