How Anchoring Can Help Boost Your Confidence
Boost your confidence through anchoring. Anchoring is associating an internal response to some environmental or mental stimulus. In this way, you can consciously or covertly re-access the response.
When a specific stimulus is applied when someone is experiencing a particularly intense state (emotionally). The two are linked neurologically – Experience (state) +Stimulus (anchor) = neurological link.
Anchoring is similar to the “conditioning” technique used by Ivan Pavlov. Conditioning was used to create a link between the ringing of a bell and the act of giving food to dogs.
Learned responses
Even when food was not present, the dogs began salivating at the sound of the bell as soon as it rang.
Pavlov noticed that salivation was an automatic process that occurred automatically in response to a specific stimulus and did not fall under conscious control.
He suggested that the salivation process was a learned response. The dogs responded to the sound of the bell, which they had come to associate with the food presentation.
Of course, anchors are not just created by hearing; they could be a particular smell, a vivid image, or something you feel can trigger a specific state.
The anchoring process’s repetition is necessary when the emotional state is not very strong or at its peak.
However, if the emotion is strong enough and the timing is right, an anchor for that experience can be set in a single instance. A repeatedly applied anchor will eventually become a habit triggered unconsciously when needed.
Anchors are being created in your life daily
You are creating anchors daily, although you are not aware of them. A specific tone of voice or look from a colleague could be viewed as rejection. Closing an important deal while enjoying the smell of freshly roasted coffee.
A pat on your back from your boss may be coupled with a feeling of confidence and victory. While speaking with a pretty girl, you may associate the smell of her perfume with acceptance and excitement.
A particular song on the radio may be linked with a passionate kiss you shared with your girlfriend/boyfriend. Hearing the song recreates the memories and emotions, allowing you to relive the excitement and passion again.
Access resourceful states of others
Anchoring can assist you in re-accessing resourceful states within yourself or others. Imagine the impact on your life, at work, home or play, if you could get into a resourceful state simply by flicking a switch?
Being resourceful in the moment of performance is crucial for politicians, athletes, actors, and business people. They are expected to deliver “in the moment” and not an hour before or after.
This is where anchoring can be essential in helping you get into those states when you need them most.
The question is, how can you use anchoring in your everyday life. Furthermore, how do you create them for feeling more confident, becoming more focused, or simply being more joyful at work?
Here’s how to install an Anchor
NB: You can do this exercise with your eyes open or closed. Closing your eyes helps you better visualise the experience and become more engaged with the state.
Below are the steps to install a resourceful state to boost your confidence. Anchors can be used to establish any resourceful state you wish.
- First, decide on the state you want to anchor. e.g. boost your confidence.
- Choose an anchor/s you will use to trigger the resourceful state. e.g., make the OK sign with your index finger and thumb or rub your index finger and thumb together.
- Recall a time when you were at the top of your game and felt strong and full of self-confidence. It may have been a time in High School, at work or while you were out with family or friends. (If you can’t recall a time, imagine a situation where you can experience that state).
- Now fully experience and immerse yourself into that state; what do you see? What are you hearing? How are you feeling? Engage as many emotions as possible.
- As your emotions rise and reach a peak, activate the anchor/s (as described in point two above).
- Release the anchor/s as the experience begins to fade, don’t keep the anchor applied during the fading process.
- Now, open your eyes if you had them closed, and do something different. You can count backwards from 10 or recall a telephone number to break the state.
- Repeat the steps several times, and increase the vividness of the memory or experience each time you do this. Think of other times that you were confident and then apply the anchor the same way you did the first time. Break the state after each anchor by doing something different, as in step 7. By doing this several times, you are strengthening the confidence anchor.
- Once completed, apply the anchor to check and see that the required state (confidence) occurs.
- Now think of a time in the future when you want to experience confidence. Activate the anchor to see that the resource state is created.
- The next day, activate the anchor to ensure the resource state is created.
- You can strengthen the anchor by repeating the above process over several days.
Remember, anchoring can be used for different states, not just confidence. So experiment with other resourceful states you would like to recreate.