The force of habit
Habits are valuable! But sometimes they can also be stressful. Be it mental or physical habits or behaviour patterns that make our lives more difficult. We have tried to change them many times and then abandoned them in frustration. "That's just the way I am!" It seems easier to let it go than to keep at it with a lot of energy. This decision is very understandable, but not really satisfying.
So why not try another way?
The first step would be to accept that these habits may have been useful and helped you at some point in your life.
The second step could be that you use an indirect approach. That is, not to change something immediately, but to observe yourself first. What do I do and what is the consequence? Think about why you want to change something. How do you imagine the desired change? What would have to happen to make this change feasible? Are the circumstances right? Imagine the change as precisely as possible and remember it with a suitable sentence, word or picture. Get support and/or information: For example, about the anatomy of the body, etc.
The third and most important step is not to react immediately every time you notice the habit, but to give yourself some time to think about it. Make a game of deciding at every moment how you want to react to it. Give yourself the choice and surprise yourself:
a) React
as usual b) Think of your sentence, word or picture to achieve the change
c) Something completely different
Check your approach, your decision and your actions for their effect. Do you feel more stressed or is it just unfamiliar, but actually okay? If the change feels unfamiliar, you are on the right track. Don't be too hard on yourself, and consider how long you have been cultivating the habit you want to let go or change. Shouldn't the new habit have a real chance of establishing itself? On average, they say it takes 66 days for a habit to become automated. A habit depends a lot on the person and his inner attitude. How willing are you to let go of something you are used to and accept something new?
As so often, it is easier, faster and more fun to exchange information with each other. It also motivates you to stay tuned.
The Alexander Technique offers a way to approach this process, improve your self-perception and expand your competencies.
Ready for adventure?
Try it out and if it gets tiring or exhausting, come by, because it should get easier with every new experience.