When your circumstances change or life throws you a curve ball, you’re forced to deal with, and learn from, change that happens around you. But what about internal change? This particular type of change is one of the most effective yet difficult things to get comfortable with. Once you do manage to get comfortable with it, maintenance is required to keep your skills up to par, and unfortunately, whenever it comes to internal work, change, or awareness, bad habits are easy to fall into and difficult to break.
We covered a lot about external changes in this month’s first and second blog posts, but we only touched on internal changes. With what you’ve read so far, you should be able to begin training yourself to handle any change that comes your way in a constructive and positive way, but today I’d like to discuss how to make internal and personal changes to your life without needing to reinvent the wheel.
When I talk about internal change (sometimes also referred to as internal work), I’m referring to work that happens within your conscious and subconscious thoughts. You most likely already know that sometimes you have to convince or even trick yourself into doing something such as quitting smoking. That ‘convincing’ or ‘tricking’ yourself part is the internal change aspect of the process. As an example, let’s say that you’ve realized that your kneejerk reaction to stress is irritability, so you’ve decided to work on your patience and stress management skills. This requires almost 100% internal work to change your ‘automatic’ reaction to a more mindful one.
But how do you maintain this change once you’ve implemented it? Once you change it, does it stay changed even if you forget about the habit altogether?
It all begins with neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. The beauty of it? These connections can happen by accident or on purpose, which means you can take control of the things you want to change as they come along.
As an example, let’s take someone who is suffering from PTSD but is willing and determined to overcome his or her symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, jumpiness, flashbacks, and nightmares (among others). Depending on the specifics surrounding this person’s condition, he or she may be able to retrain their brain by working through one trauma at a time and finding ways to re-learn that it’s over and no longer a threat in their daily lives. Because our brains are constantly changing anyway, we can ‘add’ another change or two over time and heal or rewire our neural pathways.
However, bad habits can come back, and so can bad memories. It takes awareness and maintenance of positive habits to stay on your best path, so here are a few ways you can stay on the right track in your thoughts and emotions.
How to Maintain Change from the Inside
1. Stay focused. You have the ability to choose what you focus on, so if you feel your focus shifting to the negative aspects of your life or the change you’re making, choose to shift your focus and keep it toward the positive.
2. Inundate yourself with positive influences. There are a number of resources online that will help you to do this without going out of your way or spending a bunch of money. Read positive blogs, watch videos to inspire and help you, and listen to podcasts and other helpful audio.
3. Get active. Physical movement can help you to shift your energy if you need it, and it can also offer a healthy way to distract yourself from things like bad habits you’re changing. As an example, instead of stepping outside for a cigarette, step outside for some fresh air and do jumping jacks or squats for a few minutes. You may also find things like walking, yoga, or dancing, to be helpful. Playing loud music and cleaning can also be therapeutic.
4. Practice gratitude. No matter what is going on around you or in your life, you can always take a few minutes to reflect on what aspects of your life you’re grateful for. You may choose to reflect on the people in your life whom you appreciate, the fact that you have everything you need, or even simply that you have the ability to see, hear, feel, and breathe without pain or other limitations.
5. You are not alone. Whether you meditate, pray, or show your faith in another way, you have the ability to ask for guidance when you need it. God, your spirit guides, or even your subconscious mind can offer new insights and ideas. Talking with a friend or family member you’re close to may also help relieve tension and help you feel happier and more at peace.
No matter what changes you’re facing, whether they’re external or internal, you can hone your ability to take life in stride and maintain your inner peace. It is within your power to be your best self even while going through life’s crazy changes or initiating your own changes to become a happier, healthier person. As always, continue learning and leading mindfully!
