I recently moved, which got me thinking about stuckness versus stability. In ACT, we talk and think a lot about willingness. Willingness doesn’t come naturally to us humans. Avoidance, the opposite of willingness, is a much more conditioned response in our nervous system. Willingness is a skill we can use when we feel stuck to help us get moving again.
I know, I know...just a few weeks ago I was bemoaning the difficulties of turbulent spring weather and its accompanying anxiety. Spring anxiety is still real...and this week we're turning towards the qualities of spring that make it The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. In the spring, we have the opportunity to look at the unnecessary internal and external gunk we've accumulated over the winter. Spring also offers us a chance to shift our internal detritus so we can make room for blooming and growing during the warmer months.
I know you’ve been holding your breath in anticipation and here it is…the third and final part of your Quarterlife Crisis Survival Guide. Today we’re moving on to the advanced skills of surviving and thriving in quarterlife: building your ability to zoom out and take perspective, understanding your attachment and nervous systems, strengthening your self-compassion muscle, and finally, putting it all into practice with committed action steps.
It's time for part two of your Quarterlife Crisis Survival Guide! What if instead of being based on arbitrary and often unrelatable life events, your early adulthood checklist is focused on laying the foundation for your mental and emotional wellbeing? Let's redefine your quarterlife landmarks and acknowledge the importance of learning to feel your feelings, separating emotion from behavior, building present-moment awareness skills, and understanding your busy human mind.