Building Curiosity
Building curiosity is a key therapeutic goal when you work with me. Specifically, curiosity as interest leading to inquiry.
Curiosity
noun
cu·ri·os·i·ty ˌkyu̇r-ē-ˈä-s(ə-)tē ˌkyər- plural curiosities
1 desire to know:
A inquisitive interest in others' concerns : nosiness - The construction inside their house aroused the curiosity of their neighbors.
B interest leading to inquiry, intellectual curiosity - Her natural curiosity led her to ask more questions.
2 archaic : undue nicety or fastidiousness
3 A one that arouses interest especially for uncommon or exotic characteristics - Tobacco was once regarded as a curiosity in Europe.
B an unusual knickknack : curio - The antique shop was full of curiosities.
C a curious trait or aspect
Why Curiosity
We are always making predictions about what will happen next, such as “the cup will be this heavy, and I will need this much force to lift it” or “my boss will be angry, I need to communicate my ideas carefully and activate my sympathetic nervous system”. Sometimes these predictions are correct and helpful, and sometimes they are incorrect or not helpful. Practicing curiosity is a way to change how you show up in the world by rewiring your automatic predictions.
How to Build Curiosity
Let's talk through the generic example of “I am anxious”. First thing is to mindfully* notice how you currently are, “I'm really anxious”. Next, asking questions like “How do I know I’m anxious right now? What are the sensations (internal information) or thoughts that tell me I'm anxious”. Additionally, you may want to ask yourself “What is happening external to me or what external information am I picking up right now that has shifted my internal environment?” To follow the line of questioning, notice “What are the things that I am predicting based on the external and internal information that I am gathering and is that true or how do I know that to be true?”.
*Mindfulness or noticing without judgment or elaboration, this foundational skill is important to have or be learning concurrently as you build curiosity. If you are not asking questions without judgment or elaboration, you are likely just going to continue to ramp up your sympathetic nervous system activation and not be practicing anything different.
What might it look like to build curiosity about your experience mindfully? Can you notice without judgment or elaboration the sensations, thoughts, and external noticings?
What’s Next?
The practice of mindfulness and building curiosity are the practices that over time will start to shift the way that you show up in the world. I love to support people through this process. It can be really helpful to get an outside perspective sometimes, we are not meant to do this work alone.
You can schedule your free exploration call here!