Anchoring – control your fears with a simple yet powerful technique

Take a moment to think about the things you wish you were less anxious about, are there certain situations or tasks that fill you full of dread; things that you avoid or actively shy away from?

In your working life maybe it’s a fear of public speaking (see previous blog) or that job interviews are a source of stress and worry, rather than an opportunity to shine and land a better job.

Whatever fears you encounter it is important to remember that these can be controlled and eradicated. These irrational fears are almost always a product of learned behaviour and toxic, counterproductive thought processes. Whilst your mind and thoughts belong to you, they do not always support you and your internal monologue and response to situations may not always work in your favour.

Thankfully there are ways to change this, and one technique is called “Anchoring.” By recalling positive memories which elicit beneficial emotional states and tying them to a part of your body you can then (through repetition of the anchoring process) feel this beneficial emotional state on tap!

I’ll illustrate this with an anchor I use to great success: For years I have avoided long distance driving or driving unfamiliar and busy routes. It has been a part of my life I’ve wanted to change for some time as it has historically impacted on what I choose to do and where I go in my free time. I never fully realised the root of this issue; I’m a good driver and have many decades of safe, accident free driving, none the less I would avoid driving often and my life was more restricted and experiences were less rich because of this.

I overcame this longstanding, restrictive and wholly irrational problem via anchoring. First, I would think of a time when I was at my most relaxed. For this I used a memory of sitting in a jacuzzi after exercising at my local gym. I imagined the warm water flowing over me and me stretching out, feeling utterly relaxed. Next, I “tied” this feeling to the knuckle of my left middle finger by pressing the knuckle gently when the mental image of relaxing in the jacuzzi was at its most intense. I repeated this process several times. Now when I gently press my middle finger knuckle, I can recall this tranquil feeling at will. I use it before a long drive and no longer feel trepidation or stress.

If this technique needs more validation in terms of its effectiveness, please be aware that I now live in Poland, drive daily on the right (wrong!) side of the road and navigate through towns and cities without fear, something that I never would have thought possible before I banished my fears on driving with this simple yet highly effective technique!

Remember that anchors do not necessarily need to be related to relaxation or tranquillity, any positive emotion will be effective if it suits its intended purpose. If you are fearful of job interviews or important meetings where you need to present, imagine a time or situation when you felt at your most confident, engaged and positive then anchor that feeling to an easily accessible body part. If you are about to sit a career related exam, spend a few days beforehand anchoring images and memories of calm / focused times and visualised situations where you were successful in recalling important facts.

I hope this technique brings you improvements in your work and personal lives and eradicates any of the irrational fears that may have been holding you back.