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It’s called cognitive dissonance. It’s that uncomfortable sensation when we feel out of sync or out of place. Our bodies strive for homeostasis (balance) in all the systems. This balance includes the alignment of thoughts, feelings, and actions.
We recently discussed skills to put these 3 concepts out of alignment intentionally. We learned opposite action, which says to change a behavior even if your urge is to do a different thing. Then we discussed positive self-talk and affirmations to change the thoughts, which may be in conflict with habitual patterns of behavior and beliefs.
Our bodies do not want to shift beliefs and habits very easily. They will find a way around conflicting information through the use of cognitive distortions, self-justifying, or the use of other ego defense mechanisms.
If we allow the cognitive dissonance to exist, we can influence the change of a core belief. We are intentionally exerting force on the system by changing a behavior or changing a thought without allowing our brains to “wiggle out” of the pressure. This is the path to changing those dysfunctional, deep-rooted beliefs such as, “I’m not good enough,” “No one will ever love me,” or “I’m never going to be successful.”