WHAT TO DO WHEN INSIGHT DOESN’T LEAD TO CHANGE

Do you ever have to deal with troublesome behavior, that no matter how insightful you are about its origin, you continue to repeat it? This question is often asked, resulting in people viewing themselves as lacking willpower, motivation or being mentally flawed.
Studies done in neuroscience are disproving these old assumptions. Studies reveal that though insight is important, it is only a step moving you into the wider arena of positive behavioral change.
Insight brings you to understanding the origin of early childhood experiences that carry over into adulthood. However, insight only carries you so far. Understanding your past does not prevent you from experiencing emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and happiness that have their origins from your growing up years.

This does not mean that you are weak or odd or imperfect. It is merely your brain operating in a way that it thinks is protecting you from a perceived threat. Neuroscientists have discovered that this part of the brain is called the amygdala. The amygdala is wired to act whenever it perceives a threat to your usual way of relating to your world. Its purpose is to help you but at times its automatic response has the opposite effect. Hence your emotions can overrule the logic of your insight.

So how do you move from talking about it to following threw and doing something about it?
1. Be aware that insight, while opening the door to understanding, the brain struggles to maintain the status quo.
2. Remember that maladaptive behavior is a habit that no longer works in your best interest. To counteract these old, outdated habits, you will need to start with tiny changes. If small enough and done consistently, it will feel easier over time and form a new habit that works for you.

3.Focusing on repeatable small, doable changes will teach the brain different responses to what before were impulsive self-defeating reactions

4.Be open to experiencing an environment that is void of anything related to your fears. This will reduce access to self-defeating thoughts and behavior, thus increasing opportunities for the creation of new ones.

5.Journal regularly and log behaviors that show progress in focusing on behavior that you want and not on what you fear. This lesson reinforces new patterns of behavior.

6.Remember that insight and behavioral changes go hand in hand. However, a third important component is relationships. Attempting to develop new habits of behavior must be done within the nature of relations. Relationships can be an asset or detrimental in making the necessary changes. Striving to be more authentic can help you weather those storms.
Insight is progress, but sustainable change requires practice, presence, and repeated new experiences. Without integrating the new behavior into your daily life, the old patterns will keep running on autopilot www.amandajablon.com. Focus on doing the change as much as knowing it.