Anchoring in a Positive Experience
- Identify a positive time, memory, experience: a highlight of your life, one of your favorite experiences, a success or victory, an experience or memory that elicits only positive feelings and sensations. Picture it in detail, all 5 senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch; your age/when it occurred; what was taking place; notice and feel positive feelings, especially sensations and emotions.
- Notice/feel any/all positive emotions & sensations in your body associated with this positive memory/experience while butterfly-tapping at whatever pace you prefer, fast or slow, with hands crossed over chest or simply tapping on legs for 15ish seconds.
- Pause. Breathe. Check in with yourself; notice any shift/what comes up.
- Repeat steps 2 & 3, enhancing any positive emotions, sensations, memories of this experience; strengthen image with all 5 senses, time of day, season; notice/feel what you notice/feel.
- Do a total of 3 sets, repeating steps 2 & 3 above.
- Then, find an anchoring word or phrase that when you think of it/say it aloud, it reminds you of your positive experience and the emotions and sensations elicited when you think of it. Begin tapping again as you think of the positive memory/experience, saying your anchoring word aloud (or to yourself if others are around). Tap and say your anchoring word 3 times.
- Pause. Breathe. Check in with yourself; notice any shift/what comes up.
- Now, think of a recent annoying/semi-distressing memory/incident (4-5/10 on the overwhelm scale; see suggested practice below). Once you have it in mind, start tapping again; at 15 seconds, say your anchor word out loud (or to yourself) again.
- Notice any shift or change re: the annoying/semi-distressing memory/incident.
- Practice your anchoring word or phrase in times of distress throughout the week. Notice any shift/change in the distress after you do so each time.
Suggested: 1-minute "little and often" practice
- Set an alarm to go off once a day to remind you to practice resource.
- When your alarm goes off to remind you to practice, set a timer for 1 minute to practice.
- Think of something 4/10 on the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scale, something annoying or slightly triggering from recent memory but not overwhelming. Get the SUD # from 0-10. Practice resource. Then notice any shift in how you feel after practicing the resource.
- Apply as helpful in more activating/triggering situations and notice the shift after applying. What you practice is what you have.