You Are Your Greatest Source of Healing: Using Self During COVID-19 [Practice 9]
Staying calm and collected during times like these can be difficult.
Even if we have the knowledge or skills to make positive choices, we sometimes still struggle to stay on the path.
If you have been keeping up with our Pandemic Resource Hub, you have had the opportunity to view, and hopefully practice, some of these skills provided by our amazing team of counselors at Kimberly Keiser & Associates.
However, if you are still struggling to put these into action, this practice might be for you.
What Is the IFS Concept of “Self,” and Why Is It Important?
If you have been following our blog posts or are a current client at Kimberly Keiser & Associates, you have most likely heard of IFS, or Internal Family Systems, created by Dick Schwartz.
If you have not heard of Internal Family Systems, make sure to check out our ”What Is IFS?” blog post or the IFS Institute website to get more acquainted with the language and flow of the process.
Today, we will be talking about one particular aspect of this model called the “Self.”
In IFS, the Self is a state of awareness in which we are grounded and connected with our mind and body and are unblended from our “parts.” Parts is an IFS term that labels various thoughts and behaviors that we all have to some degree.
It is common to get blended with these parts, especially in trying times like these. All you need to do is turn on the television or strike up a conversation, and you can see and hear people’s parts taking the lead.
Examples of this could be that friend who is suddenly focused on the feng shui of their living room or who has decided now is the time to really dive into that big project. There is a good chance that their “manager” parts are extra reactive right now and are working as hard as they can to keep that person’s eyes off the latest COVID-19 news or the state of their bank account.
Others might be drinking more than usual, seem more reactive and irritable, or are even pulling away and isolating from others. These “firefighter” parts are desperately trying to keep that person from the emotional pain connected to the fear and confusion that are so prevalent right now.
It is much easier to lean on these parts, but eventually they can’t take the pressure anymore, and they either double down or rely on yet another part to rescue them.
This is where the IFS process and the Self come in. According to the IFS model, the Self is capable of handling this emotional pain. It is in Self where we can do more substantial IFS work if we are experienced with the process or have a good therapist at our side.
So, let’s take a little break today and see if we can get into Self and just check in with our inner system.
What Are the “8 Cs” of the Self?
To help in understanding what Self feels like, I have included the “8 Cs,” which outline the attributes of Self:
Calmness
Clarity
Curiosity
Compassion
Confidence
Courage
Creativity
Connectedness
Now that we know a little more about the IFS process and the Self, let’s put this into practice!
Below is an IFS meditation led by Dick Schwartz himself. This meditation is designed to help you un-blend from parts and enjoy the positive aspects of Self energy for a few minutes.
Enjoy!
Keep Connecting with Your “Self”
I hope this was helpful for you and a welcomed break from your stressors today.
If you are curious to explore what you noticed or discovered, make sure to reach out to our skilled team of counselors in Sioux Falls here at Kimberly Keiser and Associates.