Motivation to ChangeHave you ever noticed that sometimes it's really difficult to make a change? Despite tremendous effort and a strong motivation to change, the change just won't stick. Why? You see the benefits of changing, but you don't value those benefits. So. even though you know intellectually that the change will be good, that's not enough of an incentive to permanently modify your behavior. Perpetual dieters are a classic example. They know that losing weight will improve your health, but the weight never melts off (or, perhaps it creeps on!). Therefore, while being more fit or sexier or whatever is important to the constant dieter, it is not something that they truly "get." They get the idea that being thinner may be better, but it's not an idea that has been fully integrated into their value system. The same is true with anxious thoughts, anger, or any number of negative emotions. People "get" that if they didn't get caught up in anxious thoughts that they would be happier and so they write in journals, go to therapy, or whatever to deal with the negativity. Practice, practice, practice! This can go on for years, and for me, it certainly did. Probably, it was similar to what the perpetual dieter probably goes through: each day, I woke up and vowed to do my best at thinking positive, just like a dieter wakes up each morning and vows to "stick to" the diet for the entire day. Conversely, there are other times when you need very little motivation to change. It can be instantaneous and effortless when you truly "get" why you must change. This tends to happen when you think holistically. For example, when the dieter "gets" that being being overweight increases the risk for numerous medical complications, daily medications, and the potential for a shortened life, then the weight starts to come off. It's a lot easier to make healthier decisions when you see the full picture and don't want to jepordize your health. Likewise, it's a lot easier to stop negative thinking when you see that when you get caught up in negative thinking that you are choosing to get caught up in that trap. Instead of trying to stop the thoughts, you simply choose not to get caught up in them. Focusing on the thoughts is causing you pain and when you "get" that, then you will put your focus elsewhere. The negative thoughts may still pop up, but they fade into the background. If there was a bare light bulb in a dark room and you stared directly at the bulb, it would hurt your eyes. So, you put your focus on another spot in the room. The room is lit and you know that the bare bulb is in the back corner, but just like negativity, you don't focus on it anymore. Instead, you focus on the glow and warmth in the room.
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Exhausted? Stressed-out? Overwhelmed?
Hi,Courtney here, author of this site. When I developed anxiety and depression, I went to a psychologist, a psychiatrist and a physician, and to be truthful, in my experience, these people couldn't really help.Therapy sessions, yoga and getting more exercise lessened my anxiety symptoms, but did not stop them for good.
In fact, I later learned that because I was living in a constant state of low-level stress and anxiety, the chemicals in my brain had changed, making me more anxious and depressed. Clearly, merely managing my symptoms was not enough - in fact, following "the doctor's orders" made things worse....
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