Spot the function
Here’s a game we get to play when we notice a sticky habit or thought loop that keeps showing up for us. Spot the function.
Your brain, like all your other organs, is designed to keep you alive and passing on genes. To do this, your brain learns all the tricks it needs to keep you safe from harm, connected to family and friends, and well resourced with food, water and shelter.
Generally the things you find yourself doing or thinking time and again come from a pattern your brain has learnt with the intention of helping you by:
Protecting you - from (perceived) hurt, rejection, danger, failure
Achieving - social acceptance, love, money, security, food
Sending you a message - about your needs, potential threat, part of you that needs to be heard
... sometimes this doesn’t quite work. Sometimes our brain is working from previous stories or experiences about risk that no longer fit. Or sometimes, it protects you so much you accidentally move away from what matters to you.
Here’s an example:
You find yourself putting yourself down about whether you’re doing enough at work.... is this your mind trying to motivate you? Is it you trying to pre-empt your ‘failures’ so others don’t spot them? Is it because you need to make sure you stay financially secure at all costs? Is it trying to keep you safe by helping you be accepted in the group, so people like you? Or is it because productivity is really important to you?
Questions to try asking yourself:
When you notice one of these sticky habits, try asking:
What could my mind be trying to protect me from?
What is my brain trying to achieve?
What does my brain think is dangerous about this situation?
How will this move make me feel better (in the short-term!)?
What is my mind trying to tell me about what matters to me?
Knowing the function means you can figure out whether your brain is really helping you in that moment! It cuts through the overthinking. It also helps you appreciate what your brain is trying to do for you, it doesn’t mean to get stuck. So, you choose:
Is this sticky habit really helping me or is it getting in the way of what actually matters?
Or
Can I use this information to find out what I really value, and therefore what I really need?
This theory is taken from functional analysis, which we often use in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). If you want to find out more, check out actmindfully.com.au or look at my services page to find out more about the therapies I practice (including ACT).
Or, if you would like to explore this some more with me - you can contact me and consider booking a free, 15 minute consultation