Hi Students:
Change can occur within a split second when the will to change is combined with self awareness and the dedication to try & try again! Forming a better way of “being in the world” increases as your thoughts, emotions, movements & behaviors come more into consciousness. Following is an exploration that can help you in your endeavors to change compulsive habits especially when you apply what you learn.
Habits are called habits because you do not have to think when you are doing
them. It is hardest to be aware when engaged in mindless behavior. Altering uncontrollable habits can happen faster by becoming aware of more than one of it’s components. For example, knowing the emotion that obsessive house cleaning brings up, can later become a “warning signal” that helps you see how you are behaving.
By observing yourself from a different view point it becomes possible to halt a compulsion if you choose. If you succeed in recognizing your “resentment of having to clean” you can pause before engaging in endless chores. Allowing yourself to be still for one second can be the beginning of self-change. If you do this often enough you may discover what truly drives you to engage in the over indulgent act. The result may be scrubbing the bath tub with less intensity which can weaken the impulse to over clean.
In the case of compulsive exercising, recognizing the words of the inner drill sergeant that forces you to exercise can be the moment that you become aware. Being fully present in the uncomfortable moments that lead up to the addictive behavior, can help you discover some counterintuitive beliefs behind it. A moment of truth could initiate you to become kinder to yourself.
If it is easier to become aware of your movements, then this is the avenue to take to change a compulsion. You can bring about a moment of pause by sensing how your fingers move across a cell phone. This can help you feel when excessive
phone surfing leads to hand pain. By repeating this process you may prevent repetitive injuries from developing and increase your attention span at the same time.
Sitting quietly for a second at a time can be the beginning of establishing an enriching relationship with yourself & others. An accumulation of intermittent one second breaks throughout your days can result in becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. Remember that bad habits are not who you are and when you face them they too shall pass.
~Donna
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