Action versus Reaction
Our bodies are naturally made for both action and reaction. But what is the difference, and why do we need both? Why might we want to be mindful of how we use both?
Reaction
When we see a ball come flying toward our faces, we naturally react to move so we don’t get hit. Makes sense! Our bodies naturally react without us having to consciously process what is happening so that we move quickly. If we had to stop and consciously process what was happening, it would be too late, and the ball would make contact with our faces. Chances are, we can all think of a bunch of examples.
Action
Action has a lot of connotations. In the case of this post, we are looking at action as making a conscious choice about our actions and not falling into reaction. Now in the case of the ball, this system would not be helpful. So let’s take a look at a different scenario. When we are at work, school, or home and we have an activity we need to do, we may plan that process out. We think about the process or the steps needed to take that action. That could be cooking dinner, fixing a broken appliance, cleaning the house, etc. Albeit, some of this may happen on autopilot, depending on the person. But the point is that we choose to take action. Again, we have a system that makes sense and serves a purpose.
Now that we have our definitions to ground the rest of the post, let’s look at a different scenario.
Imagine you are conversing with a friend, colleague, family member, or another person in your life. Next, imagine that something the person says triggers you, and you become upset/angry/sad. In that state, you fly off the handle and maybe say something that you didn’t mean or react with a behavior that you didn’t intend. It just happens. You reacted in the moment instead of consciously acting in the situation. Chances are the situation doesn’t get better when you react instead of act.
There are many reasons why we react in situations where it may not best serve us. It could be from intense emotion or trauma, as a couple of examples. In the case of emotion or trauma, chances are we are not engaged in the thinking part of our brain and are instead engaging our lower brain structures. Both the thinking part of our brain and the lower structures of the brain are made for survival and have a purpose, and we need to honor those purposes. Once we have done that, we can look at how we can better use reaction and action in the appropriate situations.
The best place to begin is to start to notice our patterns of behavior and thoughts. Easier said than done some days. Though, as we begin to engage in this process, we can help cultivate our inner witness instead of our self-critic. This also relates to holding this process with self-compassion and curiosity about why rather than judgment. Once you have begun to notice patterns, you can begin to make some choices about how you may want to begin working on engaging in action instead of reaction. It may mean seeking out professional support, working on it with a friend or partner, or even doing some internal exploration to begin to slow down to change patterns. As everyone could guess, there is more to it than the above. This post is meant to help us all begin to think and decide for ourselves how to proceed rather than being told the best way is this way. Everyone has different patterns and experiences that are individual to them, which makes each journey unique.
Balls on a string that knock together.
take action today moment:
Many actions were shared above in the post; however, there is one other piece that we could consider here. The most enormous ask is choosing to notice our patterns. That is a commitment that takes time and energy. We must step in willingly, knowing that the process will not always be easy.