Awareness creates a point of intervention between a trigger and an automatic response.
By David A. Wright, MM, MBA, MHSA | Atlanta Holistic Mental Health & Wellness
Stress is information
Stress is part of life. The useful question is not whether stress exists, but what happens next. Some stress is temporary and manageable; other stress becomes persistent enough to interfere with daily life, relationships, sleep, concentration, or ordinary activities.
Recognize the sequence
Many difficult patterns have a sequence: trigger, interpretation, emotion, behavior, short-term consequence, and longer-term consequence. Slowing that sequence down enough to name each step creates an opportunity to change what happens next.
Interrupt instead of merely enduring
Endurance can be valuable, but resilience also involves flexibility. An interruption might be a brief walk, paced breathing, a change of environment, a conversation, a written reframe, or a deliberate decision to postpone a nonessential demand.
Build the replacement pattern
Stopping an unwanted pattern is only half of the work. The next question is what will replace it. A sustainable replacement should be specific enough to practice repeatedly.
Getting unstuck is a process
Change is rarely perfectly linear. A lapse can become data about what happened and what part of the new pattern needs reinforcement.
Continue the Conversation
Explore Fresh Start with Dr. David, the podcast episode directory, and AHMHW.
0 Comments