A state is our current emotional identity.

A meta state is a state about our states. Meta states have several characteristics:

• They are reflexive. In other words, you respond to your own reality, your own state, not something in the outside world. In that sense meta states are one step removed from primary sense experience.
• They are ususally less intense than the primary state that evoked them. The original state of happiness or anger, for example, will engage more physiology than any thoughts about that state.
• They can be endlessly recursive. It is possible (at least in theory) to have states about states about states.
• They are usually more cerebral than the initial state; they involve more thinking than feeling.

Meta states may:

• be used as a break state; a state dissociated from the primary state.
• modify the original state
• become intense enough to replace the original state
• provide a mental diversion for a little while but not affect the original state to any extent

Changing states

• Be aware of your state.
  Observe it dispassionately. Be interested in it. What's it like? Your detached observation will itself start to change your state. This "witness" position is one of the most powerful resources you have for emotional freedom. When you have it, anchor it so that it becomes easier the next time.
• Change your thinking.
  How do you want to feel? Think of a time when you felt that way. Be associated, be there again, seeing out of your own eyes. Feel the positive feelings.
  Make the good memory even more intense by changing its qualities. For example, make your mental pictures bigger and brighter. Make any sounds louder or softer. Notice the effect these changes have on your feelings.
• Change your physiology.
  Pretend you feel more positive. Smile, change your posture. When you change your physiology, you will change your thinking. At first it will feel incongruent, then, if you really want to change your state, your thinking will start to follow your physiological change.
• Move.
  Vigorous movement will change your state. Exercise will release beta-endorphins. These natural chemicals are powerful mood enhancers.
• Change your breathing.
  Breathing more deeply and taking twice as long to exhale as to inhale has a calming effect because it alters the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood. Laughter is a wonderful way to change your breathing and will always change your state.
• Relax your muscles.
  Pay particular attention to those around your jaw, neck and face. Every emotion has a characteristic muscle tension and breathing pattern. It is hard to feel unresourceful when you relax your face and neck.
• Change your vision.
  Most unresourceful states narrow your vision into one area, usually downwards to the floor. To counter this, look up and let your vision expand. Become aware of your peripheral vision.
• Pay attention to someone else.
  Involve yourself with their concerns. Aim to help them or do something positive for them.
• Use your resource anchors.
  Set up some resource anchors - associations you have made to pleasant experiences - and use them.
• Eat.
  Food is psychoactive, so eating will change your state. Be careful though, this is not a long-term answer to change consistent bad states. Eating has real effects on your metabolism and waistline and you risk turning a bad state into extra weight - and then you may feel worse.