Five NLP techniques you can start using today

Today's blog is all about building your personal convincer that NLP works and will transform your performance. Here are five techniques that you can apply immediately. You don't need to attend an NLP course to make these work for you! However, you may well find they lead to you wanting to learn more so beware!

NLP techniques are action-oriented. Rather than focusing on the why, as you might do in therapy, NLP focuses on the how. How can you change your thoughts and emotions that are not working for you? How can you adapt your communication style to the person or situation? How can you change your mindset so that life is happening for you and not to you.

1. Imagery training

Visualisation, sometimes called mental rehearsal, is one of the classic neuro-linguistic programming techniques. It’s an excellent exercise for beginners because it’s straightforward and linear. The key is to create a highly detailed scene of yourself performing an action successfully – whether that action is delivering an amazing presentation or succeeding at that impending interview. Picture how you will look when you achieve your goal.  For example, this could be confident, determined, comfortable. Feel the confidence you exude and the energy that’s around you. Act as if you are going to smash this goal. Be as detailed as possible. NLP techniques like this are essential for creating absolute certainty in yourself and your abilities.

2. NLP swish

When you’re ready for more advanced NLP techniques, use the NLP swish. First, create a vivid picture in your mind of something you don’t want. Make it big and bright. Then create a vivid picture of what you want to replace it with, making it small and dull. Now reverse them: Bring the image of what you want into the foreground, making it brighter and brighter. Add triumphant music and motion. Throw the image you don’t want into the background, turning it gray and colourless. Repeat this reversal three to five times until the old picture evaporates away. You’ll train your brain to amplify positives and weaken negatives.

3. Modelling

Modelling is one of the NLP training techniques that has gained the most attention from successful entrepreneurs, athletes and more. It’s based on the law of attraction – the idea that, “Whatever you consistently think about and focus upon you move toward.” In order to elevate your life, you need to surround yourself with people who have achieved the success you want and focus on modelling their behaviors. For example, you can find a mentor, join a mastermind group or model your boss or anyone you admire. The more role models you have, the more you’ll be able to leverage this NLP technique.

4. Matching

Your body language communicates the majority of the impact of your message. Matching is an NLP technique that leverages body language to make instant connections and build rapport with anyone. When you’re talking to someone, match your body language to theirs. If they are high energy, match that energy level. If their body language is relaxed, reflect that. You can even change the words you choose to use to match their vocabulary. The other person will automatically find you more trustworthy – because you are just like them.

5. Incantations

Incantations are a more powerful version of affirmations, which are one of the more mainstream neuro-linguistic programming techniques. An affirmation is a phrase you repeat to yourself about your beliefs and goals. Incantations take it a step further, changing your physiology as well as your words to create a state of total confidence. Get yourself into peak state by embodying what you’re saying with all the intensity you can. NLP techniques like incantations are an effective way to reprogram your mind and create empowering beliefs.  I use them every day. 

I often describe NLP as the study of excellence or as an instruction manual or the brain. Experiment with these techniques and notice how your level of success increases.  Just imagine what you would learn on our NLP Practitioner course.  The next one begins on the 19th April 2026 and it's all online. As soon as you sign up you get access to our learning materials, and, payments plans are available.

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Have an inspired week.

Lindsey and the team at Team NLP. x