As a hypnotist, high school teacher, cross country coach, and father to two active sons involved in sports like baseball, running, and martial arts, I’ve observed firsthand how powerful patterns—both planned and unplanned—are in shaping our behaviors, success, and setbacks.
People are often aware of patterns when directly asked about them, but they don’t always realize the deep influence these patterns have on their lives, especially those formed early in childhood. Even more interesting is how we continue performing behaviors or habits, sometimes without even recognizing them, long after the experience that originally formed them.
The Brain’s Natural Tendency...
Our brains are naturally designed to make life easier. Like a computer, the brain and body strive to conserve energy by creating automatic patterns—muscle memory and subconscious actions—that don’t require conscious thought. Once you’ve learned something—like driving, tying your shoes, or performing a task at work—your subconscious takes over and makes it automatic.
While this ability to automate tasks is incredibly useful, it does come with a potential downside. The brain doesn’t always distinguish between helpful and harmful patterns, especially when our situations change and the learned associations (good or bad) no longer apply. Once established, some of these automatic behaviors stick around, even when they no longer serve us. We can find ourselves stuck in old patterns of stress, avoidance, or frustration because the brain (and body) are simply trying to do what they always done or at least for a while.
When Disruption Occurs...
When something unexpected happens, it can easily trigger old automatic behaviors—those same old patterns that may no longer serve us. You’ve probably experienced this: a situation arises, and you find yourself responding in a way that’s unproductive or frustrating, even though you know better. This is your subconscious programming operating on autopilot.
I experienced this firsthand just the other day while running with a few of my cross country runners. I’ve run our home course countless times. I designed the course, and I should know it inside and out. But that day, we kept getting turned around, and I found myself wanting to take turns based on the old course. Initially, I thought it was just the wet ground making it harder to keep my footing and stay focused, but then I realized what had happened.
One of the runners, a few feet ahead of us, was telling a story. Because we were focused on him, we unconsciously followed his lead—without realizing he was taking us down the old route. My subconscious quickly picked up on this, activated the old program laying doormat and prompted me to follow the corresponding turns for the old course. Was it a big deal? Not at all. In fact, it turned into a moment of humor and learning. We all laughed about it, and it ended up being a great opportunity to reflect on how easily patterns can resurface. I even gave one of my runners a quick “run down” on how the subconscious mind works. The run wasn’t ruined by the disruption—instead, it became a chance to talk about how powerful patterns are and why we sometimes need to consciously “change things up.”
Planning for the Unplanned...
This is where anchoring becomes incredibly powerful. In my hypnosis practice, I use anchoring techniques to help clients establish triggers—whether physical, emotional, or mental—that bring them back to a desired state of mind or behavior. The concept of anchoring can be applied in everyday life as well, helping us manage disruptions and stay on track when things don't go as planned.
One of the most effective ways I ensure my runners stay on track during practice and meets is through a structured warm-up routine. This isn’t just about getting them physically prepared; it’s about setting their minds in “race mode.” This structured warm-up becomes an anchor that prepares them mentally to bring their best effort. It’s a ritual that cues them to focus, commit, and perform at their highest level. By following this plan consistently, the athletes create a pattern of behavior—like flipping a mental switch—that helps them transition into performance mode and stay that way until the race is over.
Similarly, in the classroom, I use appropriate cues and anchoring techniques to help students establish solid routines. Whether it’s setting the tone for a class with a simple signal or creating specific physical cues to trigger focus and attention, these tricks and anchors help students get into the right mindset. By building these routines from the start of the year, I can guide students toward consistent, productive behavior, making sure that they remain engaged and focused throughout the year. These small, intentional cues create automatic responses that reinforce the desired behavior, helping the entire class stay on track with minimal effort.
Compounding Anchors...
The beauty of anchoring is that multiple anchors can be compounded to work together. This means you don’t have to rely on just one trigger; a combination of sensory cues, emotions, and thoughts can be stacked to create a powerful, multi-layered effect that helps redirect your focus.
For instance, let’s say a runner or athlete feels nervous before a big race. That nervousness is a negative emotion, but it can be used as an anchor itself. Instead of letting the negative feeling take over and hinder performance, we can redirect that emotion by linking it to a positive cue. For example, when the runner feels that nervousness, they might trigger a mental image of their favorite successful race or recall a specific word or phrase that reminds them of past victories.
This process creates a kind of chain reaction: the negative emotion (nervousness) becomes a cue to think of something positive, which in turn triggers feelings of relaxation, confidence, and focus. By associating nervousness with calm and focus, the runner can harness that energy instead of allowing it to disrupt their performance. Obviously, this is something I regularly do with clients and this is where compounding anchors can really shine—by turning what could be a hindrance into a helpful tool for success in any setting.
In fact, multiple anchors—such as a specific breathing technique, a physical gesture (like tapping a finger), or even a word—can all be linked together. When these anchors are activated together, they help the athlete shift from a state of stress or anxiety to one of focus and readiness. The beauty is that these anchors don't have to be used in isolation; they work in unison to create the desired outcomes.
Using Sensory Anchors...
Our sensory experiences—sight, sound, touch, and even smell—can all be powerful tools for anchoring positive behaviors. For example, the feeling of the ground beneath your feet or the rhythm of your breath during a run can serve as a cue to stay grounded and focused. In high-pressure situations—like races, competitions, or even stressful meetings—being able to rely on sensory anchors, such as feeling the air on your skin or hearing a calming word, can help you redirect your focus away from negative emotions or distractions.
It’s simple: a deep breath, the sound of a coach’s voice, or a familiar gesture can serve as a cue that reorients your focus and helps you perform more effectively. Of course, these connections are more effective when rehearsed during a hypnosis session. Guided imagery of the scenes while future pacing the client is perfect for this.
Editing, Not Deleting...
When we encounter negative patterns or behaviors that are no longer useful, the goal isn’t to simply “delete” them from our minds. That’s much more difficult than simply pressing delete on a computer. The computer is a great analogy. However, replacing or reprogramming old patterns is far easier when it comes to the human brain computer. In my work as a hypnotist, I often tell clients, “It’s easier to edit a program than to delete it.” Sometimes it is easier and more effective to "copy/paste" desirable contents of a situation overtop the undesirable contents of a different situation. I have used such a script by the way.
When it comes to overcoming negative emotions or habits, rather than fighting against them with willpower, we can introduce new ways of responding to triggers, making the old patterns less automatic and less powerful over time. By establishing new thoughts, behaviors, or routines, we can gradually shift how our subconscious responds, which will ultimately shift how we consciously respond to things. With enough practice and transformative hypnosis work, new patterns become just as automatic as the old ones, only better because they serve us. They align with our current goals and situation rather than the circumstances from our past.
Mastering Our Patterns...
Our brains and bodies are wired to create patterns, and while this can be incredibly helpful, it can also mean that unproductive or outdated patterns linger in the background, influencing our decisions and actions. Recognizing outdated patterns, transforming them, and preventing disruptions is the key to taking control of our thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
By planning ahead and using anchoring techniques, we can help ensure we respond in ways that align more with our goals, even when we experience stress.
In my role as a coach, I’ve seen how a structured routine can set athletes up for success, creating a mental map that directly influences how they physically perform. Whether it’s warming up before a challenging workout or standing in the starting box before a big meet, having the right anchors intact helps keep us focused, so we can consistently compete in the same way we train. Similarly, by using cues and anchoring in the classroom, I help students establish positive routines that carry through the year.
It's like having a mental engine that shifts to desired gears automatically for everything that happens expectedly or unexpectedly. This applies to our relationships (even with ourselves), our work, and obviously our health. By consciously editing new patterns and subconsciously editing old patterns with hypnosis, we can combine multiple anchors to overcome challenges, maintain positive momentum, and create lasting change, even when life throws us a curveball.
