Oftentimes, people may feel as if they don’t have control over their emotions or their actions. It may seem like they have become out of touch with themselves. Emotions come in different intensities. Sometimes, they are low, medium, or high. Identifying when this occurs is key, but sometimes it is difficult for people to be aware this is occurring. Learning to identify that something is an issue is the first step for change. If a person truly wants to change, he or she will take the necessary steps to do so.
With that said, changing one’s behaviors is uncomfortable and oftentimes difficult for some because it doesn’t come naturally. Change is about being able to admit one have made mistakes and want do modify our behaviors to live a less stressful life. Once one can acknowledge that he or she want to change, the process of behavior modification can begin.
One becomes accustomed to a routine because it’s something he or she do on a daily basis. Thus, one can see it is can be difficult to change one’s routine, or behaviors, even when one intends on doing so. One must recognize this and understand that change does not happen overnight. It takes time to adjust to engaging in different behaviors, which can consist of being less aggressive, being less anxious, or engage in self-harming behaviors.
Once one identified what he or she wants to change, then the implementation of the new plan can take place. Whether is choosing to engage in more self-care activities, withdrawing from arguments, or reducing self-harm behaviors, one will begin to practice these activities. Once it takes place, reevaluating how these new changes affect our mood is important as well. For example, one may experience new feelings and new changes. Is one feeling happy now that he or she is engaging in healthier conversations with people? Is he or she under less stress with these changes?
One should really take the time to ask these questions. After all, making these changes is important and will motivate one to continue engaging in the new behaviors. Having support from others is also important so that one is encourged to continue making necessary changes.
