A Coaching Power Tool By Marta Camacho Tejero, Expats Coach, NETHERLANDS
Automatism vs. Awareness Definition
What Does Automatism Mean?
Automatism, in the context of psychology and neurology, refers to a state of behavior in which an individual performs actions in a seemingly involuntary and unconscious manner, without conscious control or awareness. In this state, the person appears to act robotically, as if on “autopilot,” and may have little or no memory of the actions performed during the automatism episode.
Automatisms can be observed in different contexts and have various underlying causes, such as sleep-related automatisms, for example, sleepwalking, epileptic automatisms, dissociative states, or altered states of consciousness induced by drugs, hypnosis, or extreme stress that also they can lead to automatic behaviors. Yet, not all forms of automatism are related to disorders or altered states. People can engage in automatic behaviors during familiar and routine activities. For example, driving a familiar route and arriving at the destination without recalling every detail of the journey is an example of automatic behavior.
It’s important to note that while automatism may appear as though the individual is acting involuntarily, the underlying neurological or psychological processes are complex and not entirely understood.
What Does Awareness Mean?
Awareness is the state of being conscious of or having knowledge about something. It is the ability to perceive, comprehend, and understand the world around us and our internal thoughts, emotions, and sensations. Awareness is a fundamental aspect of human cognition and plays a crucial role in our everyday experiences and interactions.
There are different levels and types of awareness. For example, self-awareness, social awareness, emotional awareness, or mindfulness among others.
Awareness is closely related to our ability to learn, adapt, and make decisions. It allows us to process information, learn from our experiences, and form a coherent understanding of the world and ourselves.
In certain spiritual and philosophical contexts, awareness can also refer to a deeper sense of consciousness or transcendent understanding that goes beyond ordinary awareness. Practices like meditation and contemplation are often used to cultivate higher levels of awareness and expanded consciousness.
Have You Ever Faced Automatisms? Here Are Some of Their Characteristics:
- We are not aware of them.
- They do not require cognitive effort.
- By generating that behavior or thought repeatedly, we come to normalize it.
- We repeatedly fall into this pattern of functioning, so it is not questioned.
- They are learned, specific, and repetitive.
- We can’t control them if we don’t identify them first.
They usually cause us emotional discomfort, so they are not fully functional. In addition to certain patterns of automatic behavior (such as reacting in the same way to an argument, or inhibiting or avoiding a conflict), it is important to know that we also have negative and limiting automatic thoughts. (“I’m not good enough for this job”, “nothing works out for me”, “they won’t accept me”).
Once acquired, they are difficult to modify, but not impossible. They can be considered “our blind spots”. For this reason, it is important that we learn to identify them, learn to control them, and change them for more adaptive ones, since, otherwise, we will continue to learn them, we will believe them, and we will act accordingly, generating discomfort or negative symptoms.
These thoughts are intrusive and involuntary messages, which appear repeatedly and are linked to negative moods. It is a speech with a subjective tendency, that we generate and believe in ourselves. It is our own internal dialogue, and if we do not know how to identify it or make it conscious, we can generate discomfort on a recurring basis.
This maladaptive internal dialogue is a “trap we set” since it affects how we feel and how we act, it does not conform to reality and causes intense unpleasant emotions, irrational beliefs, or cognitive distortions (“I always do everything wrong”, “I should do better”, “I won’t know how to socialize”). With them, we generate unnecessary emotional discomfort, so it is important that we learn to make them aware in order to learn to demystify that irrational belief.
How Can We Move From Automatism to Consciousness?
- One of the most important keys is to unlearn in order to relearn.
- Listening to automatic thoughts is the first step to controlling those unpleasant emotions that trigger some symptoms.
- We will be able to record negative or limiting thoughts, thus improving awareness of these and we will not get to feed them back.
- Confront ourselves, not believing the recurring cognitive distortions we have, sending us a more positive and realistic message.
- Identify and talk about the emotions caused by those thoughts, in order to reflect on them.
- Generate a new way of thinking and perceiving the world around us.
Lastly, we must not forget that all this is long-term learning, in which practice will gradually generate resources and coping skills, learning to manage thought and minimize its negative impact on our mental system, for what, if we fail or fall into automatism again, we can only use it for later learning, through trial-error, so as not to fall back into it in the future.
Why Is Awareness Crucial for a Coach?
Being conscious, or having awareness, is highly beneficial for several reasons. Here are some of the key reasons why being conscious is considered good:
Decision Making:
- Consciousness allows the coach to perceive and understand the current situation that has been brought up, as well as their internal thoughts and emotions. This understanding is crucial for making informed decisions and choices in our daily lives and sessions. Consciousness enables us to weigh the consequences of our actions, consider different options, and make choices that align with our values and goals.
- Awareness will help us to observe the session from the outside, and make conscious decisions regarding questions, observations, or other actions that benefit the client.
Learning and Growth:
- Awareness is essential for learning and personal growth. By being conscious of our experiences and the lessons they offer, we can adapt and develop new skills, knowledge, and perspectives. Self-awareness, in particular, helps us recognize our strengths and weaknesses, enabling us to work on self-improvement effectively. As coaches, we are responsible for creating awareness during our coaching sessions and highlighting our client’s growth.
Emotional Regulation:
- Consciousness of our emotions allows the coach to recognize and manage them in healthy ways. By acknowledging and understanding our feelings, we can manage with grace our coaching sessions.
- Clients may react impulsively rather than respond to their emotions constructively. This behavior is information for the coach to understand what is behind and find ways to move forward.
Empathy and Social Relationships:
- Being conscious of our own emotions and thoughts enhances our capacity for empathy with our clients. This awareness enables us to better understand the feelings and perspectives of others, fostering deeper and more meaningful social connections.
Mindfulness and Well-Being:
- Mindfulness, a state of non-judgmental awareness, has been linked to improved well-being and reduced stress.
- By being conscious of the present moment, we can cultivate a sense of gratitude, reduce anxiety about the past or future, and find contentment in the here and now. Without being mindful, we won’t be able to coach.
Personal Accountability:
- Consciousness plays a vital role in personal responsibility and accountability. When we are aware of our actions and their impact, we are more likely to take responsibility for our behavior and its consequences.
Adaptation and Survival:
- Awareness of our environment is crucial for our coaching sessions. It helps us recognize the emotions and behaviors of our clients and respond accordingly.
Creativity and Problem-Solving:
- Consciousness allows us to engage in creative thinking and problem-solving. By being aware of different perspectives and possibilities, we can support our clients in finding innovative solutions to challenges.
Fulfillment and Purpose:
- Self-awareness and consciousness can lead to a deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose in life. Understanding our values and passions can guide us toward meaningful goals and a sense of fulfillment in achieving them, as well as support our clients to achieve theirs.
Being conscious will make us more human and better coaches. It empowers us to navigate life more effectively, develop meaningful connections with others, and lead a more fulfilling and purposeful existence. Embracing consciousness and self-awareness will lead to personal growth and contribute to a more compassionate coaching session.