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2d (edited) • Intellectual/Personal Growth💡
Your Higher Self Has a Better Seat-Go Sit There (The Balcony View)
The Balcony View-Gaining Perspective Without Disconnecting
The "balcony view" is a psychological skill that often gets overlooked and is underutilized IMHO, yet it can change the entire tone of how we respond to stress and heightened emotion situations. Instead of getting swept up in the heat of the moment, this is an opportunity to mentally step up to a higher perspective and look at the situation like you are watching it unfold from above. This creates just enough distance to think more clearly.
Nerd Alert (some science behind it):
The balcony view works because it activates metacognition (awareness of our own thoughts/thinking) and recruits areas of the prefrontal cortex that support reflection, emotional regulation, and decision making.
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex calms the fear (fight/flight/freeze/fawn ) response.
The anterior cingulate cortex helps shift attention so you can see the bigger picture instead of fixating on the trigger.
This is very different from dissociation. Dissociation pulls you into fog and detachment. The balcony view pulls you into clarity and a level of control/intentionality. It's a strategic shift so that emotions are there to inform but not to be in the driver's seat. It's a way to increase emotional intelligence and when engaged it has the potential to diffuse heightened situations.
How to do it:
To practice it, take a deep breath and pause before reacting
Imagine yourself taking a few mental steps upward (as if climbing to get the balcony view of a play) and then watch the scene as if it were happening on a stage.
Notice the facts, the emotions, and the choices available.
No judgment--if there are judgments, notice them as such. The point of this is to just observe the situation and gather information. The more you use it, the easier it becomes to respond with clarity instead of impulse.
(and a resource on processing emotions :) ).
What are your strategies for making space for and honoring your emotions but not letting them rule in a conflict?
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Your Higher Self Has a Better Seat-Go Sit There (The Balcony View)
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