Strategies in Neuro Linguistic Programming

Strategies in NLP means how do we make ourselves feel the way we do?

In NLP, we talk about our thoughts being "internal representations", the pictures, self-talk, sounds and feelings we make inside ourselves.

The sequences of representations we make is called a strategy

When we think, we make pictures, hear sounds, feel feelings, and have conversations, all inside our own heads. These thoughts we call internal representations.

If we make a picture, then say something to ourself, then feel bad, we have just run a strategy.

Discovering Strategies

How can we discover the strategies we are using? This is much easier if you work with a person who is knowledgeable about NLP:

• Think of a time you feel bad. Let's say you feel shy when approaching women.
• Where specifically are you? What are you seeing? What are you hearing? What are you feeling?
• Go further back in time in that memory to a moment before you feel shy. Maybe it is just before you see the girl.
• Now, move the memory forward in time. SLOWLY! Maybe you see the girl. What happens next?
• You may intially think that you see the girl and feel shy. But there are steps your mind is running, i.e. a strategy, that you have not yet noticed.
• So you see the girl. What happens next. Slow it down. Do you see a picture inside your head? What is the picture of? Where is it? What do you say to yourself? Where is the voice? What is the tone of the voice? What happens next? Then what happens? Take as much time as you need to tease apart your thoughts.
• When you think you have the strategy, then you can test to see if it works by imagining doing those steps and noticing the feeling at the end.

Changing Strategies with NLP

If we can make ourselves feel bad by running a series of thoughts i.e. a strategy, then how can we use this knowledge to feel good?

• Think about the strategy that you discovered above. Let's say you make a picture of the girl turning you down, you tell yourself she will reject you and it is better for you not to approach her, and then you feel that feeling of shyness.
• Pick a new strategy. Say you decide to say to yourself "she will be mine, oh yes", see yourself dancing with her, see her smiling face as she looks at you, and feel yourself pulled across the floor toward her...better strategy!
• Now, imagine yourself back at that time. You see the girl, now you consciously run the new strategy.
• You say to your self "she will be mine, oh yes". You imagine seeing yourself dancing with her, you imagine her smiling face. You feel yourself being pulled toward her.
• Now, what did you have for breakfast?
• Now try it again. Imagine seeing an attractive girl. You say to your self "she will be mine, oh yes". You imagine seeing yourself dancing with her, you imagine her smiling face. You feel yourself being pulled toward her.
• Now test it. Imagine seeing a pretty girl, how do you feel?