They say that human beings get used to living, however extreme it may be, in any type of environment. If we review the history of humanity, this is how we verify it. Human beings have traveled and populated the planet, coming to settle in climate zones as hostile as scorching deserts or icy plains.
The survival instinct of people, For the most part, it is very powerful. we adapt, we endure and survive under any circumstance, even when it is neither propitious nor pleasant.
Why do we get used to living suffering
Many of the people who come to my office do so after enduring, for long years, an immense burden of suffering and discomfort. For almost all their lives, they have been permanently living in an environment of suffering and pain.
They were used to it. They felt it as normal in their lives and, although it made them suffer enormously, the thought of a possible change, either was not a variable that they considered, or it generated even more fear.
These people were in what I call the malaise loop.
They felt pain, they suffered, but their survival instinct had pushed them to get used to and adapt to this discomfort.
They were not happy nor did they live well, they just survived. The pain, eternal and persistent, always accompanied them.
Tips to get out of the pain loop
Breaking the inertia of habit is very difficult. However, it is possible. People who come to therapy make it. When they took the first step to ask for help, their change began.
Breaking the loop of discomfort is complicated, but not impossible. These people I’m telling you about reached a point in their lives where their pain was more unbearable than force of habit. At that moment, they decided that the change was necessary to survive or, even better, to start living for real.
These people sought help and I gave them the tools they needed to be free of their pain. In their therapy they discovered that for years they had been trapped in a loop of pain and suffering.
If you too are stuck in a loop of pain, I assure you that you can get out of it. To start taking the first steps of your change, I leave you these tips.
Discomfort or pain, both physical and emotional, is a warning from your mind/body to change. If something hurts you, it’s not good for you. and you have to find a way to get away from what affects you.
- Decide to stop this inertia
If nothing is done to change, the discomfort will continue to increase and limit you, more and more, in your life. Do you feel discomfort? So you need to make changes in your life. The sooner you get going, the sooner you’ll be out of the loop.
- Detect the triggers of negativity
If you observe yourself, surely you can detect which are the situations or thoughts that trigger negativity and they keep you stuck in the loop. The better you can identify them, the easier it will be to fight them to change them.
- Think about the origin of the loop
In general, these loops had some kind of benefit in their origin, long ago. They may have kept you from being punished or scolded, helped you escape conflict, or provided you with the care or attention you needed.
The difference with the present is that limiting side effects are much more powerful than the possible benefits. Ask yourself if this loop has any benefits at present or if it only keeps you locked in discomfort.
- Visualize the benefits of a change
Think about How would you like to feel if you broke free from your pain loop? Imagine everything you could do or how you would like to react to those specific situations. Obviously, it takes a lot of work to be able to change, but starting to think about it is a way to break the negative cycle and project the desired changes.
- Trust that you can always change
Although it may seem that the loop is eternal and that there is no way out, the reality is that You can always find ways to break negative routines. If you feel that you are not capable alone, seek professional advice, a person specially prepared to help you get out of the loop.