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What is Anchoring in NLP?

There are a number of different anchoring techniques in the NLP tool box. Anchoring is all about connecting a specific stimulus to a specific and repeatable response. It means that the stimulus and response are neurologically linked. An anchor can be a piece of music, something we see, touch, hear or feel. For example the sound of seagulls brings back memories of summer holidays at the beach, seeing a film on TV brings back the memory of the person you went to the cinema with when the film first came out, the smell of bacon cooking reminds you of lazy Sunday mornings.

Reasons for Anchoring

We can set anchors to help memory, start an action and to control of a particular state or feeling, for example for bringing on a calm, confident state before getting up to make a presentation.

The Process of Anchoring

There are 4 key steps to setting up or installing an anchor:

1. Recall a past, vivid experience

2. Anchor a specific stimulus as the peak of the intensity of the memory (this can be clenching a fist, pressing 2 fingers together ...)

3. Change the person's state (get them to think about something else)

4. Test the anchor by setting it off

The Keys to Making Anchoring Work

1. Anchor the state at the highest intensity

2. Get the timing right

3. Make sure the anchor is unique (so it can easily be set off when needed)

4. Make sure the anchor is replicable

5. Make sure you can anchor a number of times

Different Types of Anchor in NLP

Kinaesthetic Anchor: Physical anchors, e.g. finger applied to a knuckle

Visual Anchor: Visual stimulus, e.g. a picture, a person, an object

Spatial Anchor: Often based on distance, e.g. "personal space"

Auditory Anchor: Sound based, e.g. voice tonality, music

Olfactory Anchor: Smell based, e.g. food, perfume

Gustatory Anchor: Taste based, e.g. food, drink, school dinners!

NLP Resource Anchors

A resource anchor allows you to easily access a state when dealing with a particular situation.

NLP Stacking Anchors

Stacking anchors is when we put one resource anchor on top of another to build up the power of the resourceful state. The anchors are placed in the same place and in the same way so they are all fired off at the same time when triggered.

NLP Collapse Anchors

This is a simple NLP process to remove an unresourceful or negative anchor.

NLP Chaining Anchors

Chaining anchors is another NLP technique that is used when the desired state is significantly different from the present state, e.g. a move from procrastination to motivation. A number of intermediate states are anchored that can then be fired off in sequence to get from the unwanted present state to the desired state.

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