How to use Collapsing Anchors to Change a Bad Habit

One way to change a negative emotion is to use a technique from Neuro Linguistic Programming and Hypnosis called Collapsing Anchors. In this post, I show you exactly how you can do this yourself.

What are anchors?

Anchors are sensory triggers that become associated with certain states or responses. For instance, you see a red light at the traffic lights and you stop the car. It is automatic. Therefore an anchor is the process of when a stimulus causes a response.
Anchors are useful, nay essential because they help us build associations and habits. Anchors can be visual, like the traffic lights or they can be auditory (a siren) or kinaesthetic (a tap on the shoulder).

Why is collapsing anchors useful?

Anchors are not permanent although it might seem like they are. There is a process in therapy called collapsing anchors, where you can break the association and even cause new resourceful anchors.

How are anchors caused?

Anchors can be caused in many ways, such as building up a habit. So again think of the traffic lights, the very first time you drove a car, you would have to think – red light – stop. Now as a seasoned driver this is automatic.
Anchors can also be caused when an event or stimulus is linked to a strong emotion. For instance a certain song can evoke a pleasant memory such as your wedding day. If the emotion is strong enough the anchor can be very powerful. An example could be a child who is hugged when they fell over and banged their head. They might unconsciously associate being hugged with physical pain and mental upset.

The Process of Collapsing Anchors

Someone might have an unresourceful anchor, whereby they comfort eat, when they watch TV. You could remove this anchor, so that they no longer feel the need to eat and watch TV. This could help them to lose weight.
With performance-fear like public speaking you could even use collapsing anchors, here’s how:-

How to use collapsing anchors to cure the fear of public speaking

Do you have a fear of public speaking, but have to give presentations for your career. Don’t worry you are not the only one, apparently this is one of the biggest fears of adults. People who can hold an audience’s attention and deliver a credible presentation, tend to do well in business. So, how would you feel if we could cure your stage freight quickly and permanently? Well here is how you can do it. Read this through a few times, so you get an idea of how to do it.

Preparation

1. Think of a time when you felt confident and proud. One example could be when you received a professional qualification. Write it down so you can remember. This is resourceful anchor number one.
2. Think of a time when you felt relaxed. It could be when you were on holiday. Write it down so you can remember. This is positive anchor number two.
3. Think of a time when you felt really in control. Perhaps after a break up with a partner, you were finally independent. Write it down so you can remember. This is anchor number three.
4. The negative anchor in this case is making the presentation or delivering the speech. This is anchor number four.
Anchor number four must have less emotion attached to it than all the other three put together. This means that all the positive emotions from 1,2 and 3 must be greater than the negative emotion of number 4. If you feel that the negative emotion attached to the fear of making the speech is more than the other three put together, then go ahead and write down some other positive memories.

Anchor each emotion

5. Now you will go through each emotion, one by one to anchor it. So first get relaxed and make sure you won’t be disturbed. You will need to be sat down in an upright position.
6. Think of the time you when really felt confident and proud, but this time close your eyes and imagine that you are actually there. Make all the sights, sounds and feelings come flooding back. As you are at the peak of the emotion press on your left thigh above the knee. Now break your state by opening your eyes and moving about.
7. Next, get into your relaxed position again. Think of the time you when really relaxed, but this time close your eyes and imagine you are actually there. Make all the sights, sounds and feelings come flooding back. As you are at the peak of the emotion press on your left thigh above the knee in the same spot as before. Then break your state by opening your eyes and moving about.
8. Then get into your relaxed position again and think of the time you were really in control. Again, close your eyes and imagine you are actually there. Make all the sights, sounds and feelings come flooding back. As you are at the peak of the emotion press on your left thigh above the knee, again in the same spot as before. Then break your state by opening your eyes and moving about. If you need more than three positive anchors, then repeat the process for each of your positive memories. Otherwise move on to step 9.

Collapsing the Negative Emotion

9. Now, think of the negative thoughts e.g. making a presentation. Get negative. Think about everything that could possibly go wrong and how embarrassed you might be. Once these negative feelings are at their height, anchor the feeling by touching your right thigh above the knee. Then break your state by opening your eyes and moving about.
10. The next step is important. Get in your relaxed trance state and this time just fire off both anchors by touching both spots on the right and left thigh at exactly the same time.
For a second or so you will feel weird, as your neurological system tries to make sense of having two opposing feelings going on at the same time. It is impossible for you to have a positive and negative emotions at the exact same time. Your nervous system will therefore choose the most powerful emotion to feel.
If you have done parts six to eight properly, your dominant feeling will be positive and therefore this will prevail. Not only will you have destroyed the negative feelings associated with making a presentation, but also you will have a new positive emotion attached to public speaking.

Future resource

11. One final stage is to keep this positive anchor as a future resource.
Get into a trance state one last time and fire off your positive anchor on your left thigh. Then mentally notice that the feeling is concentrated in this one spot. Now mentally move the feeling up your leg and torso and down your left arm, whilst keeping the positive feelings. Move the feeling down into your fingers and pinch your thumb and forefinger together.
Now whenever you need this positive emotion you can access it at any time by pinching your thumb and forefinger together. Also, whenever you experience intense positive feelings, you can reinforce and strengthen your positive anchor by pinching your thumb and forefinger together.

You can read more about resourceful anchors in the book The NLP Workbook.

Until next time…