Aug 25, 2020
When something is enduring and permanent, we can often take it for granted. This happens in long-term relationships, too, and when we take it for granted, we assume it will take care of itself. We go full-on autopilot in our relationship, abandoning all semblance of control, and think that by the end of it all, our partners will still be there. There are so many ways that we put our relationship on autopilot - some of them we’re not even aware of until it’s too late.
Today, I explore the different ways we go on autopilot in our lives, whether in our relationship with our partners or ourselves. I describe the relationship between mindfulness and going on autopilot, explain how we become unhappy when our mind wanders, and discuss how we can avoid it through introspection. I also highlight the importance of slowing down to directly experience our lives and share some questions you can ask yourself to help you disrupt your tendency to autopilot your life and relationships.
“The alternative to being on autopilot is being conscious. It’s about having a deep awareness of our relationships and our environment.” - Pripo Teplitsky
This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:
- Going on autopilot mode in our relationships and life
- How the wandering mind can bring unhappiness and how we go on autopilot in our relationship with ourselves
- Self-diagnosing our tendency to be on autopilot
- The dangers of creating meaning out of our experiences and assuming what our partners feel, think, or experience
- Consciousness as an antidote to autopiloting in relationships
- How conscious people know themselves more deeply
- How the power of introspection can help disrupt our unconscious daily routine
- Being closer to somebody else than our partners
- Why it takes effort and work to be intimate in the relationship
- The benefits of slowing down to directly experience what’s in front of you
- Bringing intent and curiosity into our lives to overcome autopiloting
- The difference between having a narrative and a direct experience
- How meditation can bring more conscious awareness and alleviate getting stuck on autopilot
Related Content:
Let’s Talk About It!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review.
If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode!
Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships.
And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!
Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk