How behavior analysis can help with stuck patterns … and release us faster
Many of our coaching clients are attracted to ACT because of its focus on values and connection to what matters. However, some are surprised to hear about it Roots in Behavior Analysis. It’s not something related to it Puppies are barking? Yes, and This is a simple way to understand human behavior, especially the roots of ‘stuck’ behavior patterns.
Here is the 5 minute guide …
The key insight from behavior analysis:
If an event (Antecedent) leads to a behavior whose immediate consequences are less negative than alternatives, the chain is strengthened.
It is useful for:
People are stuck, walking around in circles or deep in career paralysis.
A short example completely Not related to me
Let’s imagine that Someone specific Always feels anxious before going to a social event like a party. It Someone specific Fears that will be judged and found missing by those around them.
Let’s be called ‘asked to go to a party’ the pre…
now, It Someone specific Does not want to be judged and found missing at the party, so instead decides to watch The cable On a box. It behavior. The behavior sometimes also includes ice cream, a different behavior.
This then leads to outcome.
In this case the result is relief – no more anxiety about being found missing – and excitement at watching The cable, The largest box of all time. And there is ice cream.
So that’s it grip The behavior of the Someone, And the chain gets stronger.
How does behavioral analysis apply to career paralysis?
Duncan has been experiencing career paralysis for several years. His work in finance brought sharp feelings of meaninglessness. At the weekend he comforted himself with a lot of drunkenness. It was reinforcing that 1) he had a lot of fun with his friends and 2) he forgot everything about his job. So the chain got stronger.
The problem was that Duncan did not solve the problem, but only put himself to sleep. As the chain continued to strengthen, he also started drinking during the week, especially if he had a bad day.
In the short run it meant he would get stronger in his meaningless work while ‘living for the weekend’. In the long run this pattern strengthened his blasting, eroded his spirit and made him ill.
Why do we avoid problems that we really need to fix?
By observing stuck patterns through a lens of behavior analysis, people can begin to see how avoidance behaviors provide instant reinforcement that strengthens the chain.
Our client Mia has felt stuck in her lawyers career for over 5 years. She saw many coaches in her time, but always with the same pattern: hope and initial excitement, followed by a lot of research and analysis, but then slowly receding. This she attributes to being ‘lazy’ (!)
How does it work in behavior analysis?
foreground
Mia feels like a ‘machine cog’ at work. Her feelings are most acute when she reads articles about people who work for themselves, and when she talks to her friend Katherine who has a lot of autonomy as a freelance graphic designer.
behavior
Of Mia Behavioral The pattern then is to explore alternative careers – from a yoga teacher to a charity worker and an in-house lawyer. This stage feels rich in possibilities – very empowering.
However, when she goes into surgery mode, she starts to find problems in every option … a yoga teacher? There is no pension. The charity sector? Poor pay and poor management. An in-house lawyer? The same lack of autonomy.
Every option is analyzed and rejected …
outcome
God outcome Is that she is beginning to experience acute disappointment and loss of hope. So these feelings act as others pre, Whereby she dives herself back into her work, trying to forget how miserable she feels.
If you feel stuck, give it a try:
If all of this resonates and you find yourself stuck in strange behavioral loops that do not serve you, try to tease the precedent from the behavior and then explore the consequences of that behavior (both short-term and long-term).
Does understanding the pattern in behavioral terms help you understand seemingly ingrained behavior patterns that keep you stuck?
What changes can you make in behavior to break this pattern?
