“It is not that some people have willpower and some don’t. It is that some people are ready to change and others are not.” James Gordon, MD
What makes it difficult to change? It is not uncommon for a Coach to hear a client say that they have “tried everything” to change certain patterns such as weight-gain, insomnia, smoking, or stress – and yet the attempts for making change in their behavior just won’t sustain itself. What science is revealing is that the brain creates neural pathways for each experience, thought, and action we have. The more repetition leads to more pathways and a stronger subconscious force. Resulting in an inevitable return of the unwanted pattern of behavior(s).
Change is inevitable within the external world we live, and when this pendulum of change swings your way you want to be able to adapt accordingly. How can we adapt successfully when our brain is wired for a direct response? What does it take to change the unwanted patterns of thinking, choices, and behaviors? Two approaches that have been shown to work well at creating sustainable change are Integrative Health Coaching.
Integrative Health Coaching is a nine-stage process based on evidence-based research rooted in the discovery of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to create new neural pathways based on a repetitive thoughts, behaviors, and actions. For achieving sustainable change an Integrative Health Coach premises effective brain training on five primary thoughts:
1) Every brain is different – the brain is shaped by our experiences, thoughts, behaviors, and choices. This makes it very clear that why telling the client the solution to their problem or health concern is often not effective.
2) Stickiness – the number of neural pathways in different areas of the brain that support automatic behavioral response. The coach understands the importance for creating new neural pathways in as many areas of the brain as possible (i.e., visual, physical, auditory, smell, etc.).
3) Celebrate the Solution – the amygdala is the area of the brain that governs emotions and interacts with regions of the brain that govern cognition and awareness. The Amygdala prioritizes memories with strong emotion. Think about how powerful negative emotions are and how they lead to reactive decisions and behaviors. Replacing these powerful neural pathways begins by building positive emotions by exploring personal strengths and past successes.
4) Small Steps to Success – any change can be a challenge and the process for making change is more than just defining a destination. Mapping out how to get there and what the mileposts will be along the way is required.
5) Repetition – Change takes time to achieve. Clients must repeat new experiences in order to build and strengthen new neural pathways so that the new behavior can become automatic.
Research estimates that it takes 10,000 repetitions to master a skill. Coaching can encourage the repetition needed for each goal to become a natural part of life.
If you or someone you know is struggling with some area of their wellbeing, contact Stone Integrative Health for a free consultation to discover whether Health Coaching can help! www.stoneintegrativehealth.com or StoneInHealth@gmail.com
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