Tools for Stress Resilience Series #4: Awareness and the Intention-Execution Loop

If you’re feeling a constant level of stress, join the “Tools for Stress Resilience” series. It is hosted by Interintellect host Mariya Hoffman, a somatic mindfulness instructor with a specialty in Focusing and Polyvagal Theory.

We all get knocked down by life at some point. A serious health issue might impact us or someone we love. Financial setbacks, work-related challenges, or difficulties in relationships can chip away at our sense of security. In those moments, we might yearn for certainty, some sign that things will eventually be okay. Perhaps it’s the ultimate example of the saying ‘life’s unfair’ to acknowledge that life is full of uncertainty, whether or not we feel equipped to deal with it.

In this salon series, we explore the VAST toolkit for stress resilience: Values, Awareness, Spotlight, and Taking the Long View. Rather than rigidly fighting for how things “should” be, these tools help us foster psychological flexibility. This allows us to flexibly navigate obstacles, cope with difficult circumstances, and make space for recovery.

This framework is a blend of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (a psychotherapy that teaches psychological flexibility by accepting inner experiences), Polyvagal Theory (which proposes, among other things, that the way we subconsciously perceive danger and safety influences our thoughts, emotions, and behavior), and parts psychology (the idea that our psyches are a complex system of parts that can either work together or get stuck in stressful interactions).

The topic for our fourth session is Awareness: The Intention-Execution Loop:

~ We often think we are aware of why we want to do something, but often have hidden motives. We might convince ourselves that we want a successful Wall Street career, but deep down hate dealing with finance. Why? Because at some point someone has convinced us that people who are worthwhile and acceptable have successful Wall Street careers. This salon explores how we can get at our real intentions so that we can hope of fulfilling a goal that we want and believe we can attain.

This is a bi-monthly series, occurring on the first and last Saturday of each month. You can join the entire series, or explore individual tools that resonate with you.

Recommended resources:

• Application of Polyvagal Theory for Sustainable High Performance

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