NLP - State Management

One of the greatest challenges we face is managing our own internal emotional state in difficult circumstances.  We can approach what may be challenging situations finding ourselves almost drawn into a negative and un-resourceful state.   We may begin to feel anxious, irritated, frustrated and so on, knowing instinctively that such emotions do nothing for our ability to manage a situation successfully, yet feeling that we have little or no control.  The results of this are often a growing sense of failure, with emotions escalating while the situation deteriorates along with our sense of being able to achieve the positive outcomes we want for ourselves and others.

Being able to manage your state in ways that enable you to remain resourceful in even the most challenging of situations is clearly something that is of value to you wherever you live and work and needless to say, it is essential if you are to be fully effective in working in such an emotionally charged organisations as a school.

So, how do we do it?

There are many ways people can develop the self awareness and skills that allows them to increasingly manage their state in ways that are positive for them and those around them.  Some of the ways we work with both staff and students are as follows:-

Peripheral Awareness

This is a process that is easy to learn and that essentially allows you to become more aware of what is going on outside and around you.  As you practice it you can find the internal dialogue which can often be very negative, going quieter and sometimes disappearing altogether.  When this happens, people report feeling calmer and more resourceful.

Breathing

Yes, I know, this is something you already do and if you are as old as me you will have had a lot of practice!  Nevertheless, it is not necessarily something some people do most effectively.  Simply by encouraging people to breath more deeply and more slowly when they sense they are in a challenging situation, you will help them to feel calmer, more in control and hence more flexible in dealing with the situation successfully.

Anchoring

I guess we all have experience of how a particular piece of music when we hear it immediately transports us to another time, to a memory capable of bringing out a powerful emotion in us.  Similarly, a particular look, smell or taste can do the same and it is this natural ability to link a strong emotion to a specific stimulus that we can use to help people become more resourceful in challenging situations.

By helping people access powerful states such as a sense of calmness or confidence, determination etc., we can allow them to create links to a stimulus such as a particular and specific part of their hand.  When they then “fire” that stimulus they re-access the positive state that they have “anchored” doing this whenever they need it.

What staff have to say: 

"I couldn't believe the effect this had!" - Lynda Jones, Self Science Teacher

"Everything is logical and calmer, so you think things through. I think it has made a difference, you don't allow yourself to be stressed" - Carolyn Wilson, Teaching Assistant

"The whole of the NLP experience has calmed me no end... the whole thing has made me that much calmer..." - Stacey Miles - Senior Teaching Assistant