How to navigate resistance during your healing journey
When we embark on a journey of healing and personal growth, it's common to encounter resistance along the way. This resistance often arises as we begin to challenge and shift the deeply ingrained patterns and beliefs that have been operating in our subconscious mind for many years.
Why we Resist Change
Our subconscious mind is a storehouse of beliefs, habits and patterns that have been formed over time, through our past experiences and conditioning. These unconscious patterns dictate much of our behaviour and decision-making without our conscious awareness.
As we engage in healing and self-development practices and consciously work to create new, healthier patterns, we are essentially challenging the status quo of our subconscious mind. This can create a sense of internal discord or resistance because the changes we're making may feel unfamiliar or contradictory to what we've always believed to be true about ourselves or the world. This may not make sense at a conscious, logical level, but unconsciously we do not feel safe as our internal world is being challenged in some way.
This internal conflict between our old patterns and the new behaviours or beliefs we're trying to adopt is often referred to as cognitive dissonance. It's the discomfort we experience when our thoughts, beliefs, or behaviours are inconsistent with one another. This discomfort can manifest as resistance which can show up in a number of different ways.
Resistance may also stem from a fear of the unknown. Stepping into unfamiliar territory, even if it's for the purpose of growth and healing, can be daunting. Our subconscious mind, which thrives on familiarity and predictability, may resist change to protect us from potential risks or perceived threats.
Our sense of identity and self-image are closely tied to our existing patterns and beliefs. When we begin to challenge these patterns, it can feel like we're challenging the very core of who we are. This can evoke strong resistance as we grapple with the fear of losing our sense of self. The truth is, we are becoming a version of ourselves we have never been before, which can bring up a lot of unconscious fear and discomfort.
Ways Resistance can show up
As you start the healing process, changing habits, releasing stress and trauma, and letting go of old beliefs, patterns and identities that no longer serve you, you may find resistance showing up in some of the following ways;
Avoidance and distraction
Intellectualising emotions
Defensiveness
Self-criticism
Procrastination
Self-sabotage
Ignoring your needs
Tension, pain and physical symptoms
How to navigate Resistance
It’s important to realise that resistance is a very normal part of the healing journey, or when we are making any type of change in our lives. So, first of all it’s vital to be gentle and kind to yourself if you notice resistance showing up.
Here are some ways that you can start to recognise and move through resistance:
Self-reflectioN:
Engage in free-flow journaling and self-reflection to gain deeper insights into the root causes of the resistance and how it’s showing up in your behaviours, thoughts and emotions. Write freely about your thoughts, feelings and fears surrounding the changes you're experiencing. Reflect on the underlying beliefs or patterns that may be contributing to resistance and explore alternative perspectives. Through open dialogue and self-awareness, you can navigate the resistance with greater clarity and empowerment.
Allow the Resistance:
Instead of battling against the resistance, practice welcoming its presence. Sit with the resistance, notice how and where you feel it in your body, and allow it to move through you. Notice any emotions, thoughts or beliefs that arise. By welcoming the resistance, giving it space to exist and acknowledging it you can initiate a sense of acceptance and trigger a relaxation response within the nervous system.
Engage in Dialogue with the Resistance:
Initiate a dialogue with the resistance to understand its underlying motivations and concerns. Express gratitude for its role in keeping you safe but communicate your readiness to confront the challenges it has shielded you from. Utilise techniques such as tapping during this dialogue to facilitate emotional release.
You can use the following call-outs during the tapping process to help you work through resistance and rewire your brain and nervous system for change -
It is safe for me to change and grow
I let go of control and I allow flexibility
I trust in the process of my growth and transformation
I have faith in my ability to adapt and thrive, even in the face of uncertainty
I release the fear / doubt / uncertainty
It is safe for me to move forward
Cultivate a Sense of Safety:
Recognise that resistance serves as a mechanism aimed at keeping you safe. Understand that it is merely a feedback signal indicating underlying fears associated with a particular issue. View resistance as an indicator rather than a directive to avoid the issue. By creating a feeling of safety within yourself, using self-care, mindfulness tapping and other mind-body tools, you can approach the resistance with a sense of safety and assurance.
Remember, resistance is a natural response to the internal shifts and changes that occur during the process of healing and personal growth. By understanding its origins and learning to navigate it with compassion and self-awareness, you can transcend its limitations and step into a more empowered and authentic way of being.
If you would like support working through resistance, or anything else that is keeping you stuck, please feel free to contact me or book a free, no obligation discovery call.