Psychological inertia refers to inactivity or resistance to change despite the availability of motivators or reasons to act. It is not just a simple reluctance but a deep-rooted tendency to maintain current conditions or remain in a current state. This concept has roots in physics, where it describes the resistance of any physical object to any change in its velocity, including a change in direction.
The reasons behind psychological inertia are multifaceted. Some causes include being overly comfortable with current routines, fear of the unknown, lack of motivation, or the overwhelming nature of making significant changes. Another reason is the tendency to be comfortable with predictable patterns and routines, which leads to resistance to change, even if the change is positive. Individuals with psychological inertia often need to work on adopting healthier habits (for example, exercise) despite being aware of the benefits.
Overcoming psychological inertia is crucial for growth and development. It requires deliberate effort and strategies involving self-initiated changes and external support. Individuals with inertia may also benefit from professional support. Counselling and psychotherapy offer a safe space to provide psychological insight into the deep-rooted issue causing psychological inertia. Interventions include helping individuals with inertia identify when they are slipping into inertia and developing skills to overcome it, identifying and breaking down larger goals into manageable steps, setting incremental goals, creating new routines, or using mindful techniques to stay present, reducing the sense of overwhelm.
Restoring Peace is a private mental health centre that provides counselling and psychotherapy services for individuals and couples with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and various mental health challenges. For more information, please visit www.restoringpeace.com.sg or WhatsApp at +65 8889 1848. For periodic updates, we invite you to join our Telegram group, https://t.me/restoringpeace.
Keywords: inertia, overcoming, therapy, resistance, change, motivation, psychology, behaviour
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