Initially, They are Disquieting
Unexpected changes can be very disequilibrating. They range from personal, intimate matters to global ones. You realize that someone you considered to be a friend reveals a major character flaw that you hadn’t seen before. At work, it dawns on you that you are being used, or underpaid in relation to your peers. Your favorite restaurant closes. A fire that was thought to be put out “overwintered” in the soil and flared up in the spring (a so-called zombie fire).
Sometimes an unexpected change can be positive. You may do much better on an exam than you anticipated. An acquaintance might express appreciation and gratitude for something you did. You may win the lottery (I know someone who did.).
But They Can Lead to Positive Changes
Either way, whether an unexpected change is negative or positive, the resulting disequilibration creates an opportunity for a positive change in our functioning. I am seeing numerous articles that describe how some of the changes people have made as a result of the pandemic, such as working from home, have led to new ways of thinking about how to do things going forward. But what is the mechanism by which this occurs?
The Underlying Mechanism
The mental apparatus deals with each stimulus by matching the best available response for it. When conditions are unchanging, a stimulus-response sequence, which occurs instantaneously, is a habit. When a change prevents a stimulus from immediately matching to its habitual response, a micro-pause occurs, which provides an opportunity for the mental apparatus to match a better response, if one exists.
An Example
Commuting to work is a habit. When a person is told to work from home, many stimulus-response sequences must be changed. Getting dressed for work? Pause. No, wearing sweats, or perhaps staying in pajamas. Going out to the garage? Pause. No, just downstairs to a study (or, for some, using the bathroom as a workspace). Sitting down at one’s desk? Pause. No, using the dining room table (or, for those in the bathroom, perhaps one’s lap).
While the immediate new responses are dictated by the new situation (work clothes – no – sweats), the pauses allow matching to other new responses that may be more significant, such as, perhaps, finding a better job. Because such responses represent even more of a change, they don’t initially enter awareness.
My Complimentary Tool Can Help
Using the Tool will provide periods of peacefulness and calm, but it will also expedite the emergence of new ideas, which will hasten the positive changes that can occur in one’s life.
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