What is Anchoring?
with Jimmy Petruzzi
An anchor is a stimulus that creates a response in either you or in
another person. When an individual is at the peak of an experience
during an intense emotional state, an applied specific stimulus can
establish a neurological link between the emotional state and the
stimulus. Anchoring can occur naturally or be set up intentionally and
can assist in gaining access to past states and linking the past state to
the present and future. Anchors can be used by anyone to produce a
state of mind or mood needed for a given situation
Examples of how we develop an association to certain events
•
Flicking through an old family photo album stirs pleasant
memories and some of the feelings associated with them
•
•
An old song which can take you back to a specific event a
memory of a holiday
•
•
The smell of freshly baked apple pies brings back memories of a
happy care-free childhood
•
•
The smell of sun screen reminding you of a relaxing holiday
•
•
A conversation with a friend you haven’t seen for a while
reminiscing the past
•
•
Driving past your old school
•
•
A tap on your shoulder or pat on your back
How we Anchor and are anchored
When we are with another person who experiences some strong
emotion, whatever we are doing or saying becomes associated with
that emotion. Usually this process occurs at the unconscious level.
Subsequently, whenever we do or say the same thing in the same way
in his/her presence we will tend to re-stimulate for him/her some
portion of the previous feeling.
Being aware of this phenomenon through knowledge of
neurolinguistics programming enables us to be aware of the kinds of
responses we are anchoring in others, how we are doing it and
conversely. What kinds of responses are being anchored in ourselves
and how. This awareness enables us to anchor for mutually productive
outcomes.
Anchoring is used in Sport, business, personal development
•
Can be used to create a resourceful state of mind for a specific
situation to achieve a desired result
•
For example prior to a rugby player taking a kick for goal
•
A golf player teeing off
•
A cricket player getting ready to face the next ball
•
A football player taking a penalty
•
Delivering a presentation
•
Attending a meeting
•
Finding the motivation to exercise
•
The confidence to ask someone out on a date
•
The list is exhaustive
The anchor can be used to create different state of mind
•
Confidence
•
Motivation
•
Focus
•
Relaxation
Installing an Anchor Exercise
1: Decide on a specific event you wish to access a particular state of
mind (confidence, motivation) for, i.e. presentation, interview, and
meeting
2: Decide on the state you want to anchor – e.g. being calm and
relaxed, confident, motivated etc;
3: Choose an anchor (or anchors) that you wish to trigger that state –
e.g. press thumb and middle finger together; flick wrist band
4: Recall a memory or imagine a situation where you can experience
that state – e.g. recall a situation where you were totally calm,
relaxed, confident etc; and fully associate to that memory or feelings
Close your eyes and notice what you saw
Felt
heard
5: When the experience is vivid and you are in desired state the
desired through to the peak of its intensity, squeeze your thumb and
middle finger together; flick your wrist band
6: Release the anchors when the experience begins to fade;
7: Now do something else – open your eyes, count down from 10 to
break the state and distract yourself
Repeat the steps above several times, each time trying to make the
memory more vivid (not required when the anchor is established at
the high point of a real experience, but you can strengthen the anchor
by establishing it at the high point of several such experiences);
8: Apply the anchor and check that the required state occurs;
9; Future pace and imagine your forth coming event and using your
anchor
KEYS TO ANCHORING
INTENSITY of the experience.
An anchor should be applied when you are fully associated in
an intense state. The more intense the experience, the better
the anchor will connect
TIMING of the anchor.
When you reach the beginning of the state, apply the anchor.
When you reach its peak, let it go. This can vary typically
from five to fifteen seconds. for example if your anchoring
confidence as soon as your reliving a time you were confident
apply the anchor as soon as you first have the feelings and
release just as you reach peak
Stack the Anchor
The anchor has to be repeated and reinforced in the same
way from time to time
Every time you receive praise, recognition, stack your anchor
to re enforce the positive feelings
NUMBER of times.
Repetition of the stimulus, the number of times the stimulus is applied.
The more often, the more powerful will be the anchor. If you keep
adding, or stacking, anchors, it becomes even more powerful
You now have a powerful technique to help you get the best out of
your self in any situation