NLP Technique: Loop Break

Loop Break is an experimental NLP technique that allows you to consciously change or stop an unconscious process. It works by breaking a looping process that your body uses naturally to enter various higher alpha brain states such as anxiety, fear, anger, rage and stress.

Why would I use NLP Loop Break?

You would use NLP loop break to better control your own behaviour, and with practise you can induce a loop break in someone else to help them control their own behaviour. It is a very simple NLP technique but simplicity is often best.

When someone is about to experience anger, they usually need a trigger. Put yourself in this scenario. Imagine you are driving in a car to work or an important meeting. You are already late, and the journey is long. You're already feeling quite stressed. Then, at the traffic lights, someone rear-ends your car. Even the Dali Llama would become angry at this point.

It might feel good to get out and yell at the guy who crashed into you. But it may escalate things, and it certainly isn't productive. The most efficient action is to quickly get his licence plate and insurance details, then be on your way. However, due to all the anger that is boiling in our brains, we may not think of that straight away. The anger and stress ruins our cognitive ability, and we can end up in a pointless argument or even in a fight.

What is happening in our brains during highly emotional states like this?

The reason we get quickly get more and more emotion is there is a loop occurring between our amygdala (region of the brain responsible for emotion), our memory and our body, which is bypassing our frontal lobes which is the region of the brain responsible for moderating our behaviour.

	BODY Heart rate raised. Muscles Tensed. What is the correct response now?
HYPOTHALAMUS Body, please get ready for stress by increasing heart rate and tensing muscles.			MEMORY This feeling matches up with "stress". Here I will show you some other memories that also include this feeling of stress.
	AMYGDALA (EMOTIONS) Look at these stressful memories. THIS was the feeling associated with those memories.

How do I use NLP Loop Break?

Have you ever heard anyone say "count to ten before you reply in anger"? This is a form of NLP Loop Break at work. Simply put, you need to start up your frontal cortex to moderate your behaviour. This can be done by consciously force-starting a different emotion or bodily response. In a situation of stress, this can be done by counting to ten, or even better, having a pre-prepared "comfort thought" to remind yourself it's not really a big deal. For example, you might have a good weekend coming up, or you might have a nice wife or pet dog or anything that is a comfort. Once you have your comfort thought, a further good response is to be able to start laughing "at the situation" even jeering it for not being able to spoil your life. This makes you more powerful than the stressful situation.

An example of Loop Break to break a stressful situation

BODY Heart rate raised. Muscles Tensed. What is the correct response now?
	MEMORY This feeling matches up with "stress". Here I will show you some other memories that also include this feeling of stress. I also remember that I don't like stress.
CONSCIOUS MIND I don't want to be stressed. I am going to LOOP BREAK this sucker.
	YOUR VOICE BOX "One. Two. Three. I am comforted by the thought that this situation, no matter how unpleasant, does not have the power to take away the awesome holiday to Brazil I'm going to have next month!"
AMYGDALA (EMOTIONS) That holiday will be a lot of fun. I feel welcome anticipation and excitement. THIS is an example of excitement.
	CONSCIOUS MIND Woo hoo. Stress averted. I laugh at this situation and it's pathetic inability to make me angry or stressed! Haha!

Next NLP Technique: Framing

Further Reading: Regions of the Brain