NLP Essentials State
Suggested list of essential states. Our state results in different chemicals being produced in our brain which give us access to different resources.
NLP State
Our state directly effects the people around us. Being able to lead our own and therefore others state is one of the most powerful aspects of NLP. What states might be useful to us in various contexts? Some starter ideas.
Also remember almost all states are useful in some contexts, albeit some for a very short period of time, before going somewhere else…
Our List of Useful States
Accepting
Action
Adding Value
Approachable
Angry (Care!)
Authentic
Aware*
Balanced
Bastard (Care!)
Building
Capable
Charismatic
Calm
Caring / Not Caring*
Chaos
Childlike*
Competent
Confused*
Challenging
Creative
Curious*
Dancing
Daring
Destructive
Determined*
Empowering
Encouraging
Engaged*
Engaging
Fearful (Care!)
Fierce*
Flow
Focused
Fun
Glistening
Glowing
High Energy
Human
Inspiring
Interested
Intuitive
Judgemental / Not Judgemental*
Kick Ass
Knowing / Not Knowing*
Level
Listening*
Mischievous*
Motivated
Optimistic*
Persuasive
“Panther” State
Playful*
Present
Professional
Power (Care!)
Seductive
Tender*
Utilise anything
Wrecking
* Our favourites
How change our state(s)
1. Memories and imagination (and anchors)
Remember a specific time you were in a good / great state. What did you see? What did you hear? How did you feel? What did you taste and smell?
Explore the details of what you saw: Was it in colour or black and white? Was what you saw near or far? What what you saw big or small? Clear or fuzzy?
Explore the detail of what you heard: Was it loud or soft? Was the sound coming from one direction, stereo or surround sound? Was the sound clear or fuzzy?
Explore the detail of how you felt: Where was it? In one place or all over? Was it light or intense? Was it still or moving? If was moving, trace the movement?
Describe any taste or smells.
What can you do with your sensory experience to amplify the feelings (s). Choose something to anchor the feeling, eg touch your thumb and first finger while intensifying the sensation.
2. Physiology and breathing (including voice tone, rhythm etc)
Decide on three states that will be useful to access during and upcoming meeting (For example interest, awareness and determination). As you’re walking to the meeting (assuming you’re not being watched), walk in each of those three states separately, changing your pace, breathing and posture to match the state. Anchor each state on the three fingers. Fire the anchors briefly before the meeting stats. You’ll then know you can access those states as required during the meeting.
3. Questions
Focus on solution questions. How are we going to solve this? What is the very best thing we can do next?
4. Beliefs
Focus on how the situation can benefit yourself and others, however unlikely this may at first appear.
5. Acceptance and meditation
Embrace whatever happens as part of the universes plan
Note state strategies: To get from depressed to excited we may need to go through a sequence such as depressed, annoyed, agree, determined, curious, playful, excited,
Related Links
NLP Training
NLP Techniques
NLP Techniques | Success Quiz
NLP Techniques | Certification Presentation
NLP Techniques | Daily Questions
NLP Techniques | Hypnosis
NLP Techniques | Modelling
NLP Techniques | NLP Presuppositions
NLP Techniques | State (This page)
NLP Techniques | Storytelling
NLP Techniques | NLP Coaching Model

NLP State