Finding Your 30-Second Anchoring Technique

This is a post by Achim Nowak, the author of The Moment: A Practical Guide to Creating a Mindful Life in a Distracted World

We live in a hugely distracted world. Rush from one meeting to the next, have too many emails to answer on any given day. There are moments when it seems all we do is fly by the seat of our pants. Yes, every aspect of our work rhythms conspires to throw us off-center! Staying grounded feels like the impossible dream.

I used to train actors. Have you ever wondered how an actor manages to be in the right frame of mind when the camera says “action?” How she accomplishes this amidst the relentless hustle and bustle of a movie set? Actors study the art of being in the optimal state of mind. Well, you are the actor in your own life, and your life will unfold with more grace the moment you master some of the same skills. We tend to call them anchoring techniques.

Here are a few of my favorites. Beware – what works well for one person will not work as well for another. Part of your homework is to experiment and discover the technique that “does it” for you!

• Self-Talk:
  
  Affirmations have become the stuff of satire. I just watched an episode of the TV show “Two Broke Girls” in which the heroines hurl affirmations at each other with a sarcastic sense of glee. Too bad. To the cynic, an affirmation may seem too good to be true. Truth is, when you find an affirmation that works for you, the result DOES feel too good to be true!
  
  Here’s a phrase I use when I’m about to enter a meeting and feel anxious (and being anxious is not helpful). When I feel tired (and showing up tired is not an option): I am a vibrant vehicle of light and love.
  
  The three key words – vibrant, light, love – are high energy words for me. They resonate deeply. If you haven’t worked with self-talk before, this is what I want you to get:
  
  This little phrase works for me, every time. It shifts my energy, every time. I repeat it to myself, quietly, for about 30 seconds. Combined with a few deep breaths, it activates the cellular energy within me and around me that I am seeking to access.
  
  Do not use MY affirmation. Find the words that affirm YOUR highest good within you. Repeat them quietly. Instantly anchored!
  
  
• Sensory Reprogramming:
  
  Mental worry tends to get us unhinged, and classic anchoring techniques shift us away from the mind, back into our optimal states of being.
  
  If you’re a highly visual person, see yourself in a physical place where you feel serene. Visualize the sensory details of this place. Calm will return quickly. If you’re a highly auditory person, listen to a piece of music that soothes you or fires you up.
  
  If you’re a highly kinesthetic person, take a few conscious breaths and adjust your posture. If you’re a spiritual person, saying a prayer or repeating a mantra will quickly reconnect you with your energy source.
  
  

This is common-sense stuff, but here’s the conundrum. An anchoring technique, applied with quiet commitment, invokes a powerful inner shift within 30 seconds. When we’re under pressure, the last thing we tend to think about is our anchoring technique. I urge you to discover the one or two techniques that “do it” for you, every time. Make them a daily habit.

And reap your anchoring rewards.

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Achim Nowak is the author of The Moment: A Practical Guide to Creating a Mindful Life in a Distracted World. He is the president of Influens and an international authority on presence and interpersonal connection. Achim's work integrates a wealth of experience in the personal transformation field, actor training, conflict resolution, and spiritual practice. He has been featured on 60 Minutes, NPR, Fox News, and in the Miami Herald. His weekly Energy Boost message offers practical tools for creating an energized life and has a devoted following across the globe.