Okay, so today I decided to dive into this whole “integrity psychological counseling” thing. Honestly, I’d been hearing a lot about it and was pretty curious. So, I started by just poking around online, you know, trying to get a feel for what it even is.
It seemed like a lot of different approaches fell under this umbrella, but the core idea was about helping people align their actions with their values. Sounded good in theory, right?
My Little Experiment
I figured the best way to understand it was to try something myself. No, I didn’t go full-on therapist mode on anyone. Instead, I picked one area of my life where I felt a little… misaligned. For me, it was my health. I say I value being healthy, but my late-night snacking habits tell a different story.
So, here’s what I did:
- First, I wrote down my “values” around health. Stuff like “feeling energized,” “being able to keep up with my kids,” and “living a long, active life.” Getting it down on paper made it feel more real.
- Then, I tracked my actual behavior for a few days. No judgment, just observation. I used a simple notebook and jotted down what I ate and when, plus any exercise I did (or didn’t do).
- Next came the “confrontation” part. Not in a harsh way, but I looked at my values list and my behavior log side-by-side. Ouch. Let’s just say there were some discrepancies. Seeing it laid out like that was surprisingly impactful.
- Finally, I brainstormed some small, concrete steps. Not a total life overhaul, but things like “swap one sugary snack for fruit” or “walk for 15 minutes during my lunch break.” Baby steps, you know?
It’s been a week now, and I’m not going to lie, it’s not perfect. I still had a late-night cookie binge on Tuesday. But I’m more aware of my choices now. And that awareness, that little nudge of “Hey, is this really what you want?” is starting to make a difference.
I’m still figuring this whole integrity thing out, but this little experiment was definitely eye-opening. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being more mindful and trying to bridge that gap between what we say we want and what we actually do. I will do it again next week, it works for me!
