Most people try to “think positive” without knowing where they’re starting from. It’s like setting a GPS to “somewhere better” with no idea where you are on the map. You can waste a lot of time spinning your wheels.
That’s why Abraham–Hicks created the Emotional Guidance Scale. It’s a simple list of emotional states, ranked from the heaviest and most draining to the lightest and most empowering. At the bottom, you’ll find emotions like fear, grief, despair, and powerlessness. At the top, you’ll see joy, love, appreciation, and freedom. Between those two ends lies the whole emotional landscape—anger, blame, worry, boredom, hope, optimism, belief, enthusiasm.
The main idea is not to leap from misery to bliss in one heroic bound. That’s unrealistic. Instead, you climb the ladder one rung at a time. Move from fear to anger. From anger to frustration. From frustration to hopefulness. Each step feels believable, so your mind and body don’t reject it. Over time, this steady climb raises your emotional “set point.”
Why not just meditate or journal?
You can, and those can help—but they don’t always tell you where you are right now. The Emotional Guidance Scale works like an emotional compass. But unless you’ve memorized it and can place yourself instantly, you might still guess wrong.
That’s where the State Shifter Quick Check comes in. It’s a short series of multiple-choice questions designed to locate you on the scale without you having to think too hard about it. The tool does the scoring for you, then gives you your “current rung” and suggests the next step up.
What the test actually does
Each question has two or more answer choices, each tied to a certain emotional range on the scale. When you pick an answer, the tool assigns a score to that range. By the end, the range with the highest total is your current spot.
Your result includes:
- Your exact rung on the scale.
- One small step upward from there.
- A quick micro-practice you can do in about a minute to make that step real.
Why just one step up?
Because the nervous system believes small, plausible upgrades. If you’re in “Worry,” you can’t realistically jump to “Eager Expectation” in one go. But you might genuinely shift to “Hopefulness.” That’s enough to change your behavior, and your new actions start a positive feedback loop.
The micro-practices
Each rung on the scale has a short, specific action designed to help you shift up by one. Examples:
- Fear / Powerlessness (22): three deep breaths and one sentence like, “Today, one tiny thing can improve.”
- Discouragement (16): write one possible next step that doesn’t feel overwhelming.
- Frustration (10): change your environment for five minutes—move rooms, change the music, step outside.
- Hopefulness (6): send a friendly message to someone, just to connect.
- Optimism (5): speak a belief you want to reinforce out loud.
These aren’t affirmations you repeat for hours—they’re quick nudges that loosen your current state just enough to get moving.
How to use the Quick Check
- Open the test whenever you feel stuck, down, or scattered.
- Answer the questions without overthinking—your first instinct is usually right.
- Look at your result and the suggested “next rung.”
- Do the micro-practice immediately.
- If you like, check again later in the day to see how you’ve shifted.
What your result means (and doesn’t)
It means you have a working label for your current state and a clear, doable action to improve it.
It doesn’t mean you’re locked in there. You’re not “a frustrated person”—you’re simply in frustration at the moment. The label is a handle, not a life sentence.
Common questions
“Can I skip more than one rung?”
Yes, if it feels natural—but don’t force it. Small believable shifts are more reliable.
“What if I disagree with the result?”
Try the suggested step anyway. If it works, great. If not, move one rung in either direction and try again.
“How often should I use this?”
Once a day is enough for many people, but you can use it whenever you need a reset.
Why it works
By naming your current state and identifying the next realistic state, you train both awareness and flexibility. Over time, this builds emotional agility—your ability to shift quickly without getting stuck. That agility pays off in clearer thinking, better communication, and faster recovery from setbacks.
Pairing it with other practices
- SATS (State Akin to Sleep): Once you know your next rung, visualize yourself already there in vivid, relaxed detail.
- Breathing: Combine the micro-step with a slow 4-in / 6-out breath cycle for one minute.
A quick example
Say you’re waiting on news and feel tense. You run the Quick Check and land on 9 · Pessimism. Your next rung is 8 · Boredom. The micro-step says, “Do a simple, novel activity for 60 seconds.” You change your music, tidy your desk, and suddenly the tension eases. You’re more open to possibility, and you can act from a calmer place.
What to do next
If you want to get your current reading and a one-step-up plan, try the State Shifter Quick Check now—it takes less than two minutes. If you want more theory and examples, bookmark this page and come back after your first run.