Raleigh North Carolina Based Rock Climbing Guiding, Climbing Trips, Climbing Classes and Instruction » Positive Psychology http://www.ascentadventure.com Website of North Carolina rock climbing guides and team building facilitators Ascent Adventure Consultants. We are the preferred guide service in the southeast United States, offering climbing trips (day and weekend trips) on the best routes and areas in NC, outdoor climbing instruction, and team building and leadership development programs. Make Ascent your guide service for 2009. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:17:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Tools for Dealing with Uncertainty Part 4: Methods of Change…the ABCDE Method http://www.ascentadventure.com/2009/08/tools-for-uncertainty-learned-helplessness-positiveexplanatory-style/ http://www.ascentadventure.com/2009/08/tools-for-uncertainty-learned-helplessness-positiveexplanatory-style/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:41:12 +0000 brandon http://www.ascentadventure.com/?p=1708 The method for change is on the principles of what Positive Psychology calls “ABCDE” for Adversity, Beliefs, Consequences, Disputation and Distraction, and Energization.  In the next entry we will explore these tools

A = An adverse event or situation occurs

B = Beliefs about that event are noted

C = Consequences of those beliefs are examined

D = Disputation and Distraction are used to move away from unrealistic negative thoughts.

E = Energization is the process of taking positive action.

Briefly, the trick is to learn to identify adverse situations or events that you routinely face.  Learn to hear (and record) the beliefs about those events that come to your mind (the “recordings” you play in your head).  Feel the consequences of those beliefs (and write them down), in terms of emotions, energy, will to act, etc. Once you have gotten familiar with these components, dispute those beliefs and distract yourself.  Disputation can involve challenging the usefulness of the belief, generating alternative specific, external, and temporary explanations, focusing on evidence that contradicts or undermines the negative belief and supports a more positive interpretation, and challenging negative implications on which harmful beliefs rely.  In additions to disputation, distraction can be employed to stop the “loop” of these tapes in your head.  One suggestion is to wear a rubber band and snap it on your wrist while saying “Stop” in a loud voice.  Then write the worrisome beliefs, fears, etc. down to think about at a set future time.  This leaves one free to act.  Finally, notice what happens to your energy and will to act when you dispute the negative beliefs.  Over time, the disputation becomes rapid and effective as the energization from it rewards you for the effort.  Eventually, the positive explanatory style becomes your “default” response.

View Tools for Dealing with Uncertainty Part 3: Being Optimistic, here.

]]> http://www.ascentadventure.com/2009/08/tools-for-uncertainty-learned-helplessness-positiveexplanatory-style/feed/ 0 Tools for Dealing with Uncertainty Part 3: Being Optimistic http://www.ascentadventure.com/2009/08/tools-for-dealing-with-uncertainty-part-3-being-optimistic/ http://www.ascentadventure.com/2009/08/tools-for-dealing-with-uncertainty-part-3-being-optimistic/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:12:00 +0000 brandon http://www.ascentadventure.com/?p=1676 A person can teach themselves to overcome learned helplessness and be more optimistic.  As with all forms of mental discipline, from sports psychology to the suggestions below, they seem simplistic and somewhat silly when written on paper.  However such disciplines, like exercise, healthy eating, systematic investing, and others, can have powerful effects when applied consistently and intelligently over time.  They are not magic.  But, they do work.
Is being optimistic an advantage?  People with high scores for the optimistic explanatory style has been shown to have to be the ones “immune” to learned helplessness.   Other significant benefits have been documented:
  • Optimism has been correlated with better immune systems in healthy people who have been subjected to stress.
  • Both lab research and survey research indicate that positive emotions help people who were previously under stress relax back to their physiological baseline.
  • Positive emotions that come from optimism broaden one’s awareness and encourage novel, varied, and exploratory thoughts and actions.   Over time, this broadened behavioral repertoire builds skills and resources

The method for change is on the principles of what Positive Psychology calls “ABCDE” for Adversity, Beliefs, Consequences, Disputation and Distraction, and Energization.  In the next entry we will explore these tools.

- Author: Danny McCracken (dmccracken@ascentadventure.com)

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