You’ve had a horrible, horrible shift. The resus went wrong, you couldn’t intubate, the ortho reg was a schmuck. You were glad to finish your shift. You head for the carpark and you can’t wait to get home…you’ve got to study for this exam.
You get to your car and you’ve got a flat. You fu%7*g piece of s!$t. You get everything out of the boot and start to change it……..and of course, it starts to rain.
You finally get home and throw your keys on the table, make a coffee and head for your desk. You’re angry, you just don’t want to be there!
Imagine if this happens on quite a few days. Soon every time you see your desk, you get angry and don’t want to be there. It affects your work. Even if you press through it, how effective do you think your study will be?
Anchoring can affect what you do and how you behave. Pay attention to your feelings. If this type of scenario happens, take time out and get rid of those feelings. Do something to change your physiology and your psychology will change. Go for a walk, do 50 air squats, take a nap. It’s important.
Anchoring is also important outside of your study. For a moment substitute, in the scenario above, your loved one, in place of the desk. Imagine coming home tired and angry every day and the first thing you see is the face of the one you love. Angry… see them, angry… see them, angry… see them. Soon, every time you see them you get angry.
Think about and get control of your anchors.