Sometimes one anchor will be enough to change our state, but most of the time anchors work in chains.

This is best done with another person.

Ask the person to tell you one of their most common resourceful states. Give the state a name (confusion, frustration, etc.)

Next, ask the person the to identify the resourceful state they want to finish in. Check that it is realistic and ecological (for example, "stuck" to "spiritual ecstasy" is unlikely to work well). Make the final state one that will be really useful in the context of the unresourceful state (for example, "confusion" to "clarity").

Design the pathway. What intermediate states does the person want to have on their path? Choose between one and three states. The greater the gap emotionally between the initial state and the desired state, the more intermediate states will be needed.

The first one will be one the person wants to escape. The second may also be mildly unpleasant. Any other intermediate ones should be positive and the last state should be very positive and useful in the context. Check with the client that this chain will be useful and worthwhile.

Ask the person to access the first state and anchor it kinesthetically on their hand or arm by a touch on a particular place. Calibrate the state and then break state. Test the anchor by touching the person in the same place and seeing whether they enter the same state.

Repeat the process for each state. Anchor each one kinesthetically in a different place on the same arm. Calibrate, break state and test each before proceeding to the next.

Fire the first anchor. When the person comes to the peak of this state (ask them to nod their head when this happens), fire the next anchor while continuing to hold the first. Hold both for a moment and then release the first while continuing to hold the second. Do not fire the next anchor until you see that the physiology of the second state is well established. Repeat the process for each anchor until you reach the final state. Take away the final anchor and check the client's physiology to see whether they are in the final resourceful state. Then break state.

Repeat the chain three times, getting a little faster each time. Break state between each complete chain.

Test, fire the first anchor for the unresourceful state and watch the client's physiology move to the resourceful state without further intervention.

Future pace. Ask the client to think of a time when they are likely to feel the initial negative emotion in the next few days. They will start to move towards the resource state automatically.