What Conscious Discipline Is All About And How You Can Use It To Your Advantage

Conscious discipline can be defined as an approach to address behavior that is multidisciplinary. It is different from behavioral approaches that target specific behaviors and presents a neurodevelopmental model of the brain which is an adaptation from the works of various people including Bruce Perry, Allan Schore, Daniel Siegel, Joseph LeDoux, Alexander Luria, Louis Cozolino and Paul MacLean.

A disciplined brain state model shows us and enables us to understand better the state of the internal brain-body that most often lead to some specific behaviors both in children and ourselves. We use this awareness to consciously direct our own thoughts as well as emotions. Once we are able to do that, we are then able to teach our children to manage their own thoughts.

Experience and research have shown that our internal emotional states usually dictate behavior. For instance, if we are particularly happy about something, we tend to show generosity and thoughtfulness towards others. If we are hungry, we tend to over shop by buying things on impulse. When our children displease us, we react more or less like our parents did when they were displeased with us. By studying the Conscious Discipline Brain State Model, we are able to see this process and we get to know how to change it.

Our internal emotional state makes us to react by drawing upon some inbuilt skills. For instance, when we encounter an experience that is a threat to our survival, we react by using the skills of flight, fight or surrender. This skill is used in many other instances that may not really threaten our existence, but experiences where we are face provocation of any kind. The survival state can only be soothed through safety.

In the same way, when things do not go our way, an emotional state is triggered whereby we may have a limited perspective of another person’s point of view. We find our reaction matching that of the key authority figures that we experienced in our childhood including the kind of way that we were disciplined, regardless of the fact that it may have been hurtful or ineffective. The emotional state can only be soothed by the creation of connection.

On the other hand, we can learn to control and integrate our own internal state to make it one of relaxed alertness. This way, we can assess our own brilliance as well as transform and make wise decisions. We can also be free from past conditioning and connect to other people’s feelings and experiences. We are also able to be focused sufficiently to set and reach our goals and also consciously respond to life events rather than to react automatically. Problem-solving and learning soothes the executive state.

It is therefore important to learn what conscious discipline is all about and how you can use it to your advantage. It is possible to manage one’s thoughts, actions and feelings using these practical skills and teach our children as well. Conscious discipline can especially help our children use these skills and be face life’s situations in a composed and rational manner.