I encountered the snip technique about 25 years ago. Use it to disentangle yourself from a complicated emotional relationship. It works both ways: to free you from someone who is too attached to you, or free yourself from someone you are to trying to leave behind. Some people can see an emotional energy cord running between you and the other person, often near the solar plexus. Use your fingers as a pair of imaginary scissors and snip that cord. That’s it. Just a little snip.

Some may want the drama of severing the cord with a flaming sword, but you have to take care you are not using the drama to maintain drama. The whole idea is to let it go.

It can take a while if the connection you want to snip runs deep. But it works well. Each time you find yourself thinking of this person, snip, and then get on with something else. If you need to repeat it, then just snip again and get on with something else again. The first day you may snip 1000 times, but the next, it may only be 950. The repetition is useful. Each time you repeat, you don't just cut the link, you reaffirm your commitment to free yourself.

I was reminded of this technique recently when Mar Jean (my yoga teacher who is a lot smarter than I am) suggested we remove unwanted thoughts with 'scissors of light.' It's almost the same thing. So, when thoughts of that awful politician come up, I remind myself I don't want to think about him, then I snip, and then I turn my attention elsewhere.

I like the 'scissors of light' idea. It adds an element of kindness to the exercise.