We all experience inner conflict at some point in life. If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I struggle with my weight, an addiction, saving money, parenting, expressing my thoughts, or just having fun,” you know what an inner conflict is.
Inner conflicts are analogous to a tug-of-war between your mind, body, and spirit. It’s almost as though your mind wants to keep old scripts and habits running while your spirit wants to develop new ones.
Without awareness, your body is liable to become entangled in this difficult exchange.
What is Internal Conflict?
The experience of having contradictory psychological beliefs, wants, urges, or sensations is known as internal conflict. Internal conflict is sometimes referred to in the field of psychology as “cognitive dissonance,” which refers to having contradictory and inconsistent ideas, beliefs, and attitudes. This mental struggle can occur at any time in one’s life and can be about anything, including relationships, professional obligations, religious convictions, moral stances, and social ideals.
A person who believes in women’s rights but opposes abortion is an example of internal conflict. Internal conflict is common in partnerships where one spouse loves their partner but does not feel emotionally available. Internal conflict is common in the religious world when one has confronted with a belief or teaching that one feels uncomfortable spreading.
The idea is to unite your mind, body, and spirit. This alignment permits your spirit to fully enter your body, which has an impact on how you see and respond to your surroundings.
Here are some ideas and tips to assist you in breaking free from the separation cycle and working towards resolving your internal conflict.
1. Identify It
It’s difficult to handle an inner issue when you’re not fully aware of it. Identifying and being aware of inner conflict, on the other hand, can be difficult. If it were simple, you would have found and dealt with it by now. It’s often easier to remain oblivious because there’s no need for confrontation, let alone making an uncomfortable decision.
The trouble is that ignoring your inner problems causes them to grow and worsen over time. Write down what you desire and what is holding you back to begin uncovering your inner conflicts. Then, dive a little deeper to try to figure out where it came from. What exactly is the internal conflict? Is it coming from a place of fear or comfort, for example? We frequently fall into ruts or habits as a way of protecting ourselves.
2. Talk About It
When we have any form of internal conflict, what is truly going on is a disagreement between our hearts and head.
According to research undertaken by organizations such as the HeartMath Institute, our hearts have their own unique type of intuitive intelligence.
When you’re going through an emotional period, make sure you don’t make any quick decisions and that you can talk to someone you trust. You could wish to engage the help of someone who knows you well or a professional to provide a sense check or a procedure so that you properly analyze the matter. Before making a decision, evaluate what is best for you while also considering the impact your decision will have on others.
For example, those struggling with addiction can find support from drug treatment and rehab in West Palm Beach Florida. This can help resolve inner conflict while also bringing peace to others in your life.
When you’re struggling with inner conflict, it’s easy to make reckless judgments. Talking helps to dispel uncomfortable or highly charged feelings. However, remaining calm and systematically thinking things through will result in a better decision.
3. Be Rational
To deal with inner conflict, you must be able to analyze and keep your rational thoughts and emotions side by side so that both can inform your decision. If you are more concerned with your emotional wants and desires, your decisions will be influenced by how you feel and your desire to feel better. Similarly, if you focus on your rational thinking, with benefits and cons, you’re more likely to make a conclusion that you don’t agree with.
In these cases, it is important to return to your core principles and beliefs. When the next step is cloudy and loaded with dread, knowing your personal beliefs provides a solid foundation for decision-making. Learn how to blend reason and emotions with your unique ideals to make the best decision for yourself.
4. Know What You Want
What do you truly desire? Often, our inner turmoil stems from not expressing our needs and desires, which forces us into circumstances we’d prefer to avoid. If you strive to please everyone else, you will only wind up feeling unhappy and short-changed. Take a step back if you feel you aren’t being genuine to yourself. Consider what you actually desire, how you want to feel, and be experienced. Then inform others. When you have clarity, you may direct your energies toward it.
Find Inner Peace
We usually have a vague sense that something is wrong, as well as feelings of discomfort, worry, or anxiety. This sensation is frequently felt throughout your body—in your chest or stomach. The issue is that we often do not pay attention to our discomfort, and in certain situations, we actively repress it.
We all know that ignoring, avoiding, repressing, or rejecting inner conflict when it arises does not make it go away. In fact, we use a lot of energy suppressing it—not dealing with it—energy that cannot be used constructively. Not only that, but failing to confront and resolve conflict when it comes means we remain caught and crippled in the situation, with no improvement, expansion, meaningful relief, or resolution.
And, all too frequently, we resolve the inner conflict by deciding to do what we “ought” to do rather than what we genuinely want to do. We become increasingly estranged from our actual selves when we continually ignore or conceal our true values or desires in favor of making a “safe” or “politically right” option. As a result, determining our true wants becomes increasingly challenging.
Take note of any hazy emotions of discomfort or agitation you experience today and actively track them to their source if you do nothing else after reading this. Don’t dismiss them, no matter how little they appear. Keep a close eye on them. Try to pinpoint what is making you uncomfortable.
The cause could be a decision you’ve been putting off, a risk you’re trying to talk yourself out of taking or continuing to accept a situation that no longer works for you. Recognize the existence of these inner conflicts, regardless of their content. It is in these moments, which frequently come, that you can reconnect with your underlying principles and needs.
