We all know what it’s like to get caught up in a storm of thoughts and feelings. Maybe it’s stress before a big meeting, anxiety on the train ride to work, or a familiar voice in your head telling you “You’re not good enough for this.”
When that wave hits, most of us do one of two things: we either try to fight it (overthinking, analysing, trying to “get rid” of it) or we get swept away by it. Neither tends to help for long.
That’s where a practice called Dropping Anchor comes in. It’s simple, quick, and can be used anywhere. Think of it as hitting the pause button, where we're not trying to make your feelings disappear, but to stop them from running the show.
What Is Dropping Anchor?
The metaphor is pretty spot-on. A ship in the middle of a storm can’t control the wind or waves, but if it drops anchor, it steadies itself. The storm still rages, but the ship isn’t drifting helplessly.
Dropping Anchor works the same way for the mind. It’s a grounding technique from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), developed by Dr Russ Harris. The goal isn’t to eliminate difficult thoughts or emotions, but to give you a way of holding steady when they show up, so you can choose how to respond, rather than being dragged around by them.
The Three Steps of Dropping Anchor
There are lots of variations of this practice, but the version I often teach has three straightforward steps:
1. Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings
Notice whatever’s showing up inside you and name it:
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“Here’s anxiety.”
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“Here’s my mind telling me I’m not good enough.”
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“Here’s the familiar self-criticism again.”
The key is to acknowledge what’s there without trying to push it away.
2. Get into your body
Reconnect physically with the present moment.
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Push your feet firmly into the ground.
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Sit up tall or stretch your arms.
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Notice the weight of your body in the chair.
This helps bring your attention out of your head and back into the here and now.
3. Refocus your attention
Look around. Notice the room you’re in, the people near you, the task in front of you, then, gently bring your attention back to whatever matters most right now, whether that’s listening in a meeting, writing an email, or simply being present with your kids at the dinner table.
Common Pitfalls
A couple of things people sometimes get wrong:
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Using it as distraction → If you ignore or push away the uncomfortable feeling, it stops being mindfulness and becomes another avoidance strategy. The point is to acknowledge the feeling while also anchoring in the moment.
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Expecting it to “fix” emotions → Dropping Anchor won’t erase anxiety or self-doubt. What it gives you is a bit more space, stability, and choice in how to respond.
Why It Works
There’s good science behind this. Dropping Anchor helps you:
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Interrupt spirals of anxious thinking by redirecting attention.
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Engage the body (feet, posture, breath), which calms the nervous system.
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Build neuroplasticity - each time you practise, you strengthen the brain’s ability to shift focus and relate differently to thoughts and feelings.
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Increase psychological flexibility - the skill of noticing, making space, and choosing actions that line up with your values, even in the presence of discomfort.
Applying It to Imposter Syndrome
So how does this actually help if you’re dealing with imposter syndrome?
Imagine you’ve got a presentation coming up. As you open your laptop to rehearse, your mind kicks in:
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“You’re going to mess this up.”
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“Everyone else knows more than you.”
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“They’ll finally see you don’t belong here.”
Your chest tightens, your stomach flips. Maybe you feel like backing out, or you start over-preparing to the point of exhaustion.
This is exactly the moment to Drop Anchor.
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Step 1: Acknowledge → “Here’s my mind telling me I’m a fraud. Here’s the anxiety showing up in my chest.”
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Step 2: Get into your body → Plant your feet on the floor, straighten your back, feel the contact with the chair.
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Step 3: Refocus → Bring your attention to the slides in front of you, or the reason this presentation matters (sharing your work, contributing to the team).
The doubts may still be there, but now you’re not at their mercy. You’re grounded, you’re able to choose whether to keep rehearsing, whether to pause for a breath, or whether to take a short break and return later.
Over time, practising this whenever self-doubt spikes helps reduce the power of imposter thoughts. You learn to see them as just thoughts, not instructions you have to obey.
Everyday Moments to Practise
Dropping Anchor doesn’t need to be saved for high-pressure situations. You can use it anytime you notice yourself getting hooked:
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When emails pile up and you feel overwhelmed.
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In a meeting when your mind drifts to self-criticism.
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Before a tough conversation.
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At home when you’re caught in overthinking.
The more you practise in small moments, the easier it becomes to use when the pressure’s on.
Final Thoughts
Dropping Anchor won’t stop self-doubt, anxiety, or uncomfortable feelings from showing up, but it can stop you from being swept away by them.
Like any skill, it takes practice. With time, you’ll find it gives you a steadier footing when imposter syndrome tries to knock you off balance.
If you’d like to explore practices like this, and learn how to break free from cycles of overthinking, self-criticism, and imposter feelings, then therapy can help.