How to Change Habits

Since my last blog I have been in Tasmania.  I was holding a workshop in Launceston, however my husband and I managed to have a few days to explore the beautiful state.  One thing I noticed (as my Somatics mindset is always active) is people’s habits.  From the airport to the cafes and museums, people were exhibiting commonly seen habits.  In today’s blog we will consider habits and how developing a somatic mindset can help improve how we operate on a daily basis.

Habits

If you are a regular reader of my blogs you will know that I often use the expression “we are all creatures of habit.”  However what is a habit?  Let us consider it a little further.

A habit is a function of our subconscious mind.  From an early age we may learn to ride a bike, swim, ice skate, dance and drive a car.  However over time the synpases or neural connections within our brain become so well defined, creating a dominant pattern that what was once a conscious action, has become subconscious, meaning no actual focus or thought is required.  That is why people may comment that they arrive at their work car park and wonder how they got there!  At times they have been in ‘another world’ whilst their subconscious mind got them to their destination.  It is not a great comment to hear, yet there are many that experience this and I am sure there are many police officers that can testify that lack of focus has contributed towards road traffic accidents.

Consider too your daily habits.  You wake up, get out of bed the same way, off the same side, brush your teeth the same way, shower the same way, dress and make your breakfast the same way.  You many travel to work the same way, perform the same actions or postures during your day, only to travel home the same way and create the same repetitive actions to help you wind down, such as relaxing on your favourite part of the sofa reading or watching TV.  Your daily actions have been so repetitive over time that they become automatic, causing your subconscious mind to take over.  It becomes second nature and you no longer have to think about it or be fully conscious.

Modern day habits

Within my workshop in Tasmania we discussed habits and how they can be positive or negative.  The discussion turned towards the commonly seen habit I had recently been watching on my travels to Tasmania, that being the slumped posture seen from the habitual use of digital devices.  Thomas Hanna, the father of Somatics, often referred to this slumped posture and said that the rounded shoulder appearance and link with old age was a myth.  He referred to it as “The myth of ageing.”  If he was alive today he would certainly see that this was the case.  The slumped, stooped posture we seen in society today has been developed from HABITUATION.  If a person’s actions are repetitive, the sensors within their muscles will start to adapt their readings.  In the case of a slumped posture, the sensors within the abdominal and chest muscles (just to name a few muscles) adapt.  If a person is constantly holding their head forward, this is automatically tightening muscles through their front.  If, for instance the muscles contract by 30% regularly, the sensors within your muscles will think this is the ‘new normal,’ starting 0% at the 30% contracted mark.  Why?  Because this repetitive action has become an automatic or subconscious action, the person is no longer fully aware of their muscle movements, posture and daily actions.  As a result of this, muscles will then only have 70% use, leading to muscle fatigue, poor posture, pain and limited mobility.

Breaking the habit

Habits can be changed and thanks to neuroscience research we now know that we are not ‘hard wired.’  Due to the process of neuroplasticity, we know the brain is malleable and will continue to adapt and change with whatever we expose it to, either positive or negative.

That is why The Total Somatics Approach to Health & Wellness Online Program has been such a powerful tool for people over the last few years.  With the educational videos, tutorials and audios provided, it has allowed people from around the world to truly understand how their amazing mind and body works.  However within the Online Program, the discussion of habits, our mindset and behaviour all make a huge difference to becoming educated and empowered within the area of one’s own health and wellbeing.  When a person has knowledge and skills, they are able to take back control of their own health and wellbeing.

The online program will look at how your posture is heavily influenced by your subconscious mind.  You will learn how to take back control of these subconscious actions and live more mindfully and conscious. Developing this focus will create an “ah ha” moment.  You will start to see why recurring issues have caused chronic pain, limited mobility , poor posture and feeling overwhelmed -  that you are living in a hamster’s wheel.  I will teach you how to take back control of your health and wellbeing, rather than letting detrimental subconscious actions take control of you.

Allow me to teach you how to improve your posture, improve your mobility, reduce your pain and develop mindfulness.  When you shift your focus and look at taking back conscious control of your daily activities, huge shifts can be seen.  For instance when I worked with this male client below, within 6 weeks he had made huge shifts in his daily activities, habits and mindset.  When he became conscious of his actions, with a daily Mindful Total Somatics Movement practise, his brain started to absorb and adapt these changes, creating a healthier environment from the inside out.

Would you like to break poor habits and replace them with healthy habits?  Would you like to discover why you have recurring injuries and issues?  Allow me to teach you these amazing skills with The Total Somatics Approach to Health & Wellness Online Program at www.TotalSomatics.com.

Would you like to learn more?  Check out my FREE eBook by clicking HERE.

I look forward to teaching you how to take back control of your health, reduce pain, improve posture, increase mobility and develop mindfulness.

Take care,
Heidi Hadley xx
www.TotalSomatics.com

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