Why do so many athletes use visualization techniques? Why are affirmations and mantras so popular in the health and wellness movement? Why do the most successful entrepreneurs always seem to know something that others don’t?
It’s not just their confidence. The answer could be something you may not have heard of: neuro-linguistic programming techniques, or NLP.
The difference between the successful and the unsuccessful is that successful people are willing to do things that unsuccessful people overlook. NLP techniques are one of these things. They are a powerful way to change your mindset and your life, and you can start using them today.
What is NeuroLinguistic Programming?
Neuro-linguistic programming studies how our thoughts affect our behavior. It examines how our brain interprets the signals it receives and how these interpretations affect what we do. It does this through language, the linguistic part of neuro-linguistic programming techniques.
By examining the way our brain processes information, NLP techniques help us view our thoughts, feelings and emotions as things we can control, rather than things that passively happen to us.
NLP encapsulates at its core one of Tony’s most powerful beliefs: We can change the way we think, feel and behave by changing our focus, because where focus goes, energy flows
Although NLP was created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s, it has been expanded upon by numerous researchers, authors and Tony himself. Tony has adapted many NLP training techniques to his system, neuro-associative conditioning.
What is Neurolinguistic Programming used for?
Because NLP techniques focus on making behavioral changes, they can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Mental health professionals use NLP on its own or with other types of therapy, such as talk therapy or psychoanalysis, to help treat depression and anxiety.
It can be used to treat phobias in particular, as well as other expressions of anxiety such as panic attacks. The therapist will work to reveal the person’s “map,” the unproductive patterns that make us feel stuck, and then write a new map that replaces them with empowering habits and effective strategies.
Neuro-linguistic programming can also benefit those who do not have a serious mental health problem, but are interested in personal growth, a powerful human need that can bring fulfillment to our lives. NLP techniques are especially useful for developing skills such as public speaking, sales and negotiation, team building and leadership.
Its action-oriented nature and focus on growth make NLP and coaching go hand in hand. Many coaches use NLP techniques to help their clients reprogram their brains and achieve their goals.
Top 5 NLP techniques
NLP techniques are action-oriented. Instead of focusing on why, as is done in therapy, NLP focuses on how. How can you react differently to your thoughts and emotions? How can you adapt your communication style to the situation? How can you change your mindset to make life happen for you, not to you?
Imagery training
Imagery training, sometimes called mental rehearsal, is one of the classic visualization-based neuro-linguistic programming techniques. It is an excellent exercise for beginners because it is simple and linear. The key is to create a very detailed scene of yourself performing a successful action, whether it’s a presentation or a perfect golf shot
Imagine your body language: confident, decisive, comfortable. Feel the confidence you exude and the energy that surrounds you. Be as detailed as possible. These types of NLP techniques are essential to create absolute confidence in yourself and your abilities.
Swish Pattern
When you are ready for more advanced NLP techniques, use the NLP swish. First, create a vivid image in your mind of something you don’t want. Make it big and bright. Then create a vivid image of what you want to replace it with, making it small and dull
Now reverse them: Bring the image of what you want to the foreground, making it brighter and brighter. Add triumphant music and movement. Throw the image you don’t want into the background, making it gray and colorless. Repeat this reversal three to five times. You will train your brain to amplify the positive and weaken the negative.
Modeling
Modeling is one of the NLP training techniques that has gained the most attention from successful entrepreneurs, athletes and more. It’s based on the law of attraction – the idea that, as Tony says, “Whatever you think about and focus on consistently, you move toward.”
To elevate your life, you need to surround yourself with people who have achieved the success you desire and focus on modeling their behaviors. You can find a mentor, join a mastermind group or model your boss or an executive you admire. The more models you have, the more you can take advantage of this NLP technique.
Mirroring
According to the 7-38-55 rule, only 7% of your message is communicated through words. Your tone of voice contributes 38%, but your body language communicates 55% of your message. Mirroring is an NLP technique that leverages body language to establish instant connections and build rapport with anyone
When you talk to someone, mirror your body language to theirs. If they have a lot of energy, match that energy level. If their body language is relaxed, reflect it. You can even change the words you use to match their vocabulary. The other person will automatically consider you more trustworthy, because you are just like them.
Incantations
Incantations are a more powerful version of affirmations, which are one of the most widespread neuro-linguistic programming techniques. An affirmation is a phrase you repeat to yourself about your beliefs and goals. Seizures go one step further, changing your physiology and your words to create a state of total confidence. Put yourself in a peak state by embodying what you say as intensely as you can
NLP techniques, such as incantations, are an effective way to reprogram your mind and create empowering beliefs.
These are just some of the techniques that can be used in a neuro-linguistic programming and coaching session. Neuro-linguistic programming is also based on a number of assumptions that complement results coaching, especially the belief that the meaning we assign to our experiences is everything
It takes the approach that “failure is feedback” and if we find the lesson and pick ourselves up, the failure is worth it. Above all, neuro-linguistic programming believes in a growth mindset: as Tony says, “We can change our lives. We can do, have and be exactly what we want.”
So what is neuro-linguistic programming? It’s a behavioral method that uses the power of reframing to help people overcome their limiting beliefs. A results coach can help you get started with these techniques and create a breakthrough in your own life.
