The 5 Whys•Fight, flight, or freeze response Emotional Processing Perceived Threats: Creates fear and anxiety behaviors Plays a role in appetite (seeking food) Plays a role in addictive

The 5 Whys:Leveraging this Method for

Making Personal Change

Dr. Raquel Garzon, RDNRevitalize Project

COMMON

GOALS FOR

CHANGE

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2020 REVITALIZE PROJECT, INC.

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THE KNOWING-DOING GAP

THE WANTING-DOING GAP



MOST COMMON APPROACH TO CHANGE BEHAVIORS:

Fall into old habits


Inputs:9 Senses

Output: BehaviorsEmotional

Rational

Making any change in behaviors requires understanding how your brain processes inputs!


The mind is the root from which all things grow. If you can understand

the mind, everything else is included.- Bodhidharma

Amygdala

• Sensitive to ambiguity or uncertainty • Fight, flight, or freeze response

Emotional Processing

Perceived Threats: Creates fear and anxiety behaviors

Plays a role in appetite (seeking food)Plays a role in addictive behaviors

Reward seeking (Temporal discounting)Pain, discomfort avoidance

Survival emotions


Amygdala-driven undesirable behaviors are often associated

with shame, guilt, disappointment or regret later.

Emotions❑ Jealousy/envy❑ Worry❑ Feeling overwhelmed❑ Loneliness❑ Suspicious/mistrusting❑ Sadness/hopelessness❑ Anger/frustration❑ Afraid/fearful❑ Rejection/unworthy❑ Shame/embarrassment❑ Feeling threatened

Memories❑ Painful memories❑ Unresolved past issues❑ Regret/guilt❑ Reliving mistakes

Internal Signals❑ Lack of sleep/tired❑ Hunger/Appetite❑ Pain or discomfort❑ Excessively cold or hot❑ Other physical symptoms

External Signals/Inputs❑ Excessive change❑ Ambiguous/unclear situations❑ Unaccepted by others❑ Aggressive people at work❑ Aggressive people outside of work❑ Threatening facial expressions ❑ Sights, sounds like past trauma

Amygdala: Potential Triggers

Thoughts/Attitudes❑ Lacking time❑ Lacking money❑ Lacking resources❑ Too much to do❑ Poor self-esteem❑ Negative outlook/pessimistic❑ Lack/loss of control❑ Uncertainty❑ Lacking direction❑ Feeling victimized❑ Cynicism❑ Unmotivated❑ Lacking purpose❑ Need for vengeance

Any one of these has the potential to trigger survival mode and create resistance to change.


Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)Rational Processing

• Functional and dysfunctional aspects

• Inner voices/thoughts

• Mindset: Beliefs and attitudes

• Subject to cognitive dissonance/excusesFunctions:

InsightReasoning

Emotional RegulationResponse Choice

IntuitionWorking Memory

Self-ControlSelf-Regulation

WillpowerPlanning/Preparation


Cognitive Dissonance

Avoid responsibility

Deny or distort

Minimize

Choose information

Rationalize


PFC-driven undesirable behaviors are often

associated with feeling justified, optionless, and doing the best you can

under the circumstances.

Getting to the Root Cause“For every effect there is a root cause. Find and

address the root cause rather than try to fix the

effect, as there is no end to the latter.”

–Unknown


The 5 Whys


The 5 Whys: It’s never because of a lack of time and it’s not because you’re lazy!!

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You can ask Whyand you can also ask

Why Not?

5 is just a number: you could get to the root cause with less than 5 or it may

take more than 5.

“A man always has two reasons

for doing anything: a good

reason and the real reason.”– J. P. Morgan

As you look at a change that you are currently looking to

make in your life now, what is one reason that you have

for not already having made the change?

Now begin to ask yourself Why or Why Not for the reason

until you reach what you think is the root cause. Be

honest with yourself!

Practicing the 5 Whys will allow you to get better at

addressing what is really happening and make change

easier and more successful!

Your turn!


Website: www.revitalizeproject.com

LinkedIn: Dr. Raquel Garzon

Email: [email protected]

Thank you!!


Documents

The 5 Whys•Fight, flight, or freeze response Emotional Processing Perceived Threats: Creates fear and anxiety behaviors Plays a role in appetite (seeking food) Plays a role in addictive