Hi Folks,
I just created a Present.me video. It's the Matrix applied to smoking. Could be used in a smoking cessation class, for your self, with a friend who's thinking of cutting down or quitting smoking, etc.
However, I just remembered I forgot to include part of the routine, so I will post a new and improved version soon.
http://present.me/view/15422-act-the-matrix-smoking
Be Well,
Kevin
www.drkevinpolk.com
a couple of ebooks are available for purchase here...
Showing posts with label matrix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label matrix. Show all posts
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Lean Management and ACT - the Matrix
Background: I started off to be an Industrial Organizational Psychologist and ended up a Clinical Psychologist who thinks a lot about how mental health delivery services are organized. In recent years I've learned a lot about Lean Management that's based on the Toyota model. It turns out that ACT and Lean are similar.
The Diagram: Recall that ACT emphasizes getting out of your head and into your life. Lean talks about this in terms of getting out of the world of Imaginary problems and solutions and into the world of direct observations and solutions.
We've all done this in meetings...We sit around and someone says, "But what if this happens?" Then we all talk for an hour about how to fix that imaginary problem. Once that's done, then someone says, "But what if this happens?" Then we talk for an hour about how to fix that imaginary problem. Once that's done, then...
Fixing imaginary problems is a horrible management trap and Lean emphasizes getting out of that trap and into direct observation. In a factory that means getting down on the shop floor and watching. In a hospital that means watching a patient, a health care worker, or both. Direct Observation rules.
In the world of Direct Observations you 'see' two types of behaviors:
- Value Added
- Waste
Of course there is a place for Imagination, and that comes in terms of Vision and dreaming up ways to move toward that Vision called Target Conditions. However, too much talk becomes and Obstacle. You see those at the bottom of the diagram in the "mental experiencing" section of the Matrix.
After a bit of talking about Vision and the Target Condition, the Obstacle of talking too much arrives and it's time for Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles. Notice that the Target Condition is to the right of PDSAs. The PDSAs are designed to move toward the Target Condition. This is the world of direct observation. The Plan is concrete behaviors. People Do the concrete behaviors. Direct Observation of the results of the behaviors are Studied in terms of waste and value added. Then people take new Action based on the results. Multiple PDSAs are done until the Target Condition is reached.
Once the Target Condition is reached, then it's time to line things up with the Vision again.
I think of this as organized evolutionary process.
The Lean way is lots of fun once you get it implemented.
Reference: Toyota Kata by Mike Rother
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Name Change
I changed the name to The Psychological Flexibility Group blog.
It's what the Matrix is all about anyway :-)
It's what the Matrix is all about anyway :-)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Matrix: Psychological Flexibility Values Video
Hello Folks,
I posted a brief valued routine on YouTube. You can use the viewer below, or go directly to the YouTube site at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=incBy1VQWcA
Take Care,
Kevin
I posted a brief valued routine on YouTube. You can use the viewer below, or go directly to the YouTube site at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=incBy1VQWcA
Take Care,
Kevin
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Matrix: The Struggle with Unwanted Mental Experiencing
Hi Folks,
Just in case you missed the Psychological Flexibility Warm Up... Take up and object and experience it through your five senses. Then put the object down and experiencing the same object in your mind. Then ask, is there a difference between my 5 senses experiencing of the object and my mental experiencing of the object? Then, who is noticing that difference? ("me")
Then recall what it feels like to move toward something important to you. Then what it feels like to move away from an unwanted mental experience like fear or sadness.
Again, who is noticing the difference between moving toward and moving away? ("me")
Now we will take a closer look at moving Away...
Look at the lower left quadrant in the diagram above; it's Mental Experiencing, Away.
That is, you are going to take a look at unwanted mental experiencing that you often move away from.
[Note: Moving away from mental experiencing is not a good or a bad thing. It's just something you do. Same with moving Toward values is something you do. We all do Toward moves and Away moves every day.]
You start by listing some of the mental experiencing that you move away from. Fear, anger and sadness are three popular ones, but there are many others. Just take a few minutes and list as many as you can come up with. Don't worry, if you forget some, you can always add more later.
The list you are creating is often called a "Suffering List." It's the unwanted mental experiencing that you can end up suffering with.
Now that you have created a Suffering List, its time to list the things in the upper left quadrant (Away Behaviors), that you do to move away from your unwanted mental experiencing. You might avoid going some place to get rid of fear. You might sleep to get rid of sadness. You might meditate to get rid of anxiety. Just list anything you do to move away from, get rid of, or reduce unwanted mental experiencing.
The list you are creating is often called a "Solutions List." It's the things you do to try and "Solve" unwanted mental experiencing.
Look over the Solutions List and determine which behaviors work to get rid of or reduce the unwanted mental experiencing for a little while. In other words ask the question, “Is this an effective “Short-Term” solution?“
Now look over the Solutions List and determine which of the behaviors work to permanently get rid of the unwanted mental experiencing. If you are like most people, you will find that the solutions never work for the Long-Term. That’s because mental experiencing always comes back.
The point of this exercise is simple: You are not going to get rid of unwanted mental experiencing. You might do stuff to ignore it or reduce it in the short-term, but the unwanted mental experiencing always comes back. We all do some of this short-term stuff to try and get rid of mental experiencing every day and that’s usually not a problem. It’s only when you start burning a lot of time doing it that it can become what is known as ”struggling with suffering.“
Note: This exercise is not about changing the amount of time you spend Moving Away. It’s simply and exercise to increase your awareness of moving away.
----------------------------------------
After doing the Values (Moving Toward) and Struggling with Suffering (Moving Away) exercises hopefully you are a little more able to notice the difference between moving toward and moving away. Being able to notice these things helps increase your psychological flexibility.
Homework: Notice when you are moving Away and when you are moving Toward. While noticing moving Toward and moving Away, also notice your 5-senses experiencing AND your Mental Experiencing while moving toward and moving away. In writing this sounds complicated, but in reality you can easily do it. It’s much the same as riding a bicycle.
Below is a video that pertains to this post:
Below is a video that pertains to this post:
Flexibly Yours,
Kevin
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Matrix: Moving Toward Values in the Matrix
Hi Folks,
Just in case you missed the Psychological Flexibility Warm Up... Take up and object and experience it through your five senses. Then put the object down and experiencing the same object in your mind. Then ask, is there a difference between my 5 senses experiencing of the object and my mental experiencing of the object? Then, who is noticing that difference? ("me")
Then recall what it feels like to move toward something important to you. Then what it feels like to move away from an unwanted mental experience like fear or sadness.
Again, who is noticing the difference between moving toward and moving away? ("me")
Next we will take a closer look at moving Toward.
Here are some common values:
Intimate Relations (marriage and such)
Parenting
Friends
Work
Education
Community
Spirituality
Health
There are more, but that's a good start.
1. Choose one of those values you could move toward over the next year.
2. Choose one of those values you could move toward over the next 6 months.
3. Choose one of those values you could move toward over the next month.
4. Choose one of those values you could move toward over the next week.
5. Choose one of those values you could move toward for the rest of today.
6. Choose one of those values you could move toward...now.
Did you notice your mind (mental experiencing) getting more and more involved as the time got shorter?
We talk of Values as Chosen Directions. Like east, you can move in a Valued Direction all of your life. Take, for example, Health: You can work out and eat right and get buff, but if you stop moving toward your health, it will deteriorate. Same with something like marriage. If you don't move toward your marriage each day, then the marriage will fall apart.
So a Value is a direction, not an ACTION. Actions are things you do to move you toward a value. Let's not make this complicated, actions are simply things like walking, talking, sitting, sleeping and eating. It's much easier to thing about,
Walking for my health,
Talking to my spouse,
Driving with my children.
So the next thing you do is take a look at the Value (or Values) you chose above and plan an action you could to do move you in that Valued direction. Remember, keep it simple. Make sure you or someone else could see you doing the action.
So your "homework" will be simple. You will either do or not do the planned valued action. Believe it or not, for these psychological flexibility exercises, it does not matter if you do or do not do the valued action. It is only necessary that you notice doing or not doing the valued action. Sometime later you will think about the valued action and notice if you did or did not do it. The moment you notice you will have done your psychological flexibility homework.
I will by posting a YouTube video of this Values Routine soon.
Take Care,
Kevin
P.S. Remember this stuff is not a replacement for professional help for serious problems. If you think you may need help, go in person to see a mental health professional.
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Matrix: The Psychological Flexibility Warm Up
Enhancing Psychological Flexibility: The Warm Up
First we will do a little stretch of the mind, nothing complicated, just a stretch. For this exercise I will use a writing pen, but if you don't have a pen handy, any little object will do.
The first thing to do is experience the pen through your five senses. So hold it in your hand and look at the pen. Really experience it through your sense of sight.
Next hear the pen. Click the pen or tap on it to make some noise. Really experience the pen through your sense of hearing.
Next feel the pen through your sense of touch. Run your finger over it and really get the feel of it.
Next smell the pen. Bring it up to your nose and give it a sniff.
Next, well, if you are intimate with your pen, then you can taste it. If not then smell it hard and sense the taste though your smell.
That is experiencing the pen through your five senses.
Now set the pen down. You will now experience the pen in your mind. So you "see" the pen in your mind. Then you "hear" the pen in your mind. Then you "touch" the pen in your mind. Then do the smell and tast in your mind. Finally, notice any other mental experiencing of the pen.
Question: Is there a difference between those two ways of experiencing (5 Senses and Mental)?
Who is noticing that difference? Or if you are noticing they are the same, then who is noticing the sameness?
You probably said "me," or "I" am noticing.
We will always use this basic stretch of noticing the difference between 5 senses experiencing of the world and mental experiencing of the world. Think about it: When you came out of the womb you started experiencing the world through your five senses. Then your mind went to work on learning about mental experiencing. That basic 5 senses experiencing to mental experiencing has been with you all along.
Next recall how it feels to move TOWARD something that is important to you. Maybe it was family, work, or school. Simply recall that feeling of moving toward something important to you.
Then recall how it feels to move AWAY from an unwanted mental experience like fear, sadness or anger. Simply recall that feeling that you get when you pull the covers over your head, or you did not go out, or maybe you did not pick up the phone in order to avoid having one of those mental experiences.
Again, who is noticing the difference between moving TOWARD and moving AWAY?
Yes, it's "me" or "I" doing the noticing.
The diagram below includes the me/I circle in the middle.
This is basic stretch. The fine print in the lower right says Kevin Polk, Ph.D., Jerold Hambright, Ph.D and Mark Webster. We came up with the Matrix for a presentation.
I will get to more about that presentation in later blogs, but the main thing to remember is that in the center of the Matrix is psychological flexibility. That is, if the ME or I in the middle has the choice to be noticing 5 senses experiencing, mental experiencing, choosing to move toward or away. As we go further and further into the blog, you may notice your psychological flexibility increasing.
Remember, start with five senses experiencing, then move to mental experiencing, then toward and away moves. That's the basic stretch.
Next we will continue the "stretching."
Flexibly Yours,
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
Psychological Flexibility Blog and Podcast
www.drkevinpolk.com
Note: I am a clinical psychologist, so I must say this stuff is in no way meant to replace treatment. If you think you might me having significant problems, please seek professional help.
The first thing to do is experience the pen through your five senses. So hold it in your hand and look at the pen. Really experience it through your sense of sight.
Next hear the pen. Click the pen or tap on it to make some noise. Really experience the pen through your sense of hearing.
Next feel the pen through your sense of touch. Run your finger over it and really get the feel of it.
Next smell the pen. Bring it up to your nose and give it a sniff.
Next, well, if you are intimate with your pen, then you can taste it. If not then smell it hard and sense the taste though your smell.
That is experiencing the pen through your five senses.
Now set the pen down. You will now experience the pen in your mind. So you "see" the pen in your mind. Then you "hear" the pen in your mind. Then you "touch" the pen in your mind. Then do the smell and tast in your mind. Finally, notice any other mental experiencing of the pen.
Question: Is there a difference between those two ways of experiencing (5 Senses and Mental)?
Who is noticing that difference? Or if you are noticing they are the same, then who is noticing the sameness?
You probably said "me," or "I" am noticing.
We will always use this basic stretch of noticing the difference between 5 senses experiencing of the world and mental experiencing of the world. Think about it: When you came out of the womb you started experiencing the world through your five senses. Then your mind went to work on learning about mental experiencing. That basic 5 senses experiencing to mental experiencing has been with you all along.
Next recall how it feels to move TOWARD something that is important to you. Maybe it was family, work, or school. Simply recall that feeling of moving toward something important to you.
Then recall how it feels to move AWAY from an unwanted mental experience like fear, sadness or anger. Simply recall that feeling that you get when you pull the covers over your head, or you did not go out, or maybe you did not pick up the phone in order to avoid having one of those mental experiences.
Again, who is noticing the difference between moving TOWARD and moving AWAY?
Yes, it's "me" or "I" doing the noticing.
The diagram below includes the me/I circle in the middle.
This is basic stretch. The fine print in the lower right says Kevin Polk, Ph.D., Jerold Hambright, Ph.D and Mark Webster. We came up with the Matrix for a presentation.
I will get to more about that presentation in later blogs, but the main thing to remember is that in the center of the Matrix is psychological flexibility. That is, if the ME or I in the middle has the choice to be noticing 5 senses experiencing, mental experiencing, choosing to move toward or away. As we go further and further into the blog, you may notice your psychological flexibility increasing.
Remember, start with five senses experiencing, then move to mental experiencing, then toward and away moves. That's the basic stretch.
Next we will continue the "stretching."
Flexibly Yours,
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
Psychological Flexibility Blog and Podcast
www.drkevinpolk.com
Note: I am a clinical psychologist, so I must say this stuff is in no way meant to replace treatment. If you think you might me having significant problems, please seek professional help.
Welcome to the Enhancing Psychological Flexibility with the Matrix Blog
Welcome to the Psychological Flexibility Blog
Psychological Flexibility, like physical flexibility, is important for all things mental. In short, the more psychological flexible you are, the more likely you are to figure out what works for moving you toward where you want to go in life.
There are no set rules to practicing psychological flexibility. If there were, then that would not be very flexible. The whole idea is to stay loose. However, this is staying loose with a mission; and the mission is your life. What you want it to stand for in the end when someone needs to write something about you for a eulogy or a tombstone.
However, if you get to thinking a lot about your eulogy or tombstone, that's a recipe for not being flexible. As I said, it's about staying psychologically loose, and there are no hard and fast rules to it, except one:
The Rule of the Mind: If you don't want to think about something, then you will think about that something. The more you try to not think about that something, the more stuck you will become in a cycle of trying not to think about the thing that you just thought about. So at times on this blog you will hear me refer to the Rule of The Mind and how it can get us stuck.
I truly have no idea where this blog will go. I am a clinical psychologist who practices mostly in the trauma field. That is, I help folks who have gotten stuck in thinking about trauma memories. It's from working in that field for over 20 years that I have gotten a bit of a feel for moving toward psychological flexibility. However, psychological flexibility, just like physical flexibility, is a fleeting thing. If you don't stretch often, you get stiff. As much as anything this blog is my own efforts to stay psychologically loose.
I welcome comments from anyone with an interest in this area. This blog is for everyone; all humans that might need a bit of loosening up at times.
The reason is simple: people who are psychologically flexible are more likely to be creative and discover what works to move them toward what they value. I have faith that if people move toward what they value, then that's a good thing for us all.
In my next post I will present to you the basic "psychological stretch" that I use when I make presentations to people. For now I plan to open every blog with that "stretch." However, in the spirit of staying loose, I will probably change that. We will see.
Next: The Stretch
Later
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
The Psychological Flexibility Blog and Podcast
www.drkevinpolk.com
Hello, I am Dr. Kevin Polk. While I am a clinical psychologist, this is not a "clinical" blog. Rather it's about training, psychological flexibility training. If you have stumbled upon this blog looking for professional advice, please make a personal contact with a professional.
Psychological Flexibility, like physical flexibility, is important for all things mental. In short, the more psychological flexible you are, the more likely you are to figure out what works for moving you toward where you want to go in life.
There are no set rules to practicing psychological flexibility. If there were, then that would not be very flexible. The whole idea is to stay loose. However, this is staying loose with a mission; and the mission is your life. What you want it to stand for in the end when someone needs to write something about you for a eulogy or a tombstone.
However, if you get to thinking a lot about your eulogy or tombstone, that's a recipe for not being flexible. As I said, it's about staying psychologically loose, and there are no hard and fast rules to it, except one:
The Rule of the Mind: If you don't want to think about something, then you will think about that something. The more you try to not think about that something, the more stuck you will become in a cycle of trying not to think about the thing that you just thought about. So at times on this blog you will hear me refer to the Rule of The Mind and how it can get us stuck.
I truly have no idea where this blog will go. I am a clinical psychologist who practices mostly in the trauma field. That is, I help folks who have gotten stuck in thinking about trauma memories. It's from working in that field for over 20 years that I have gotten a bit of a feel for moving toward psychological flexibility. However, psychological flexibility, just like physical flexibility, is a fleeting thing. If you don't stretch often, you get stiff. As much as anything this blog is my own efforts to stay psychologically loose.
I welcome comments from anyone with an interest in this area. This blog is for everyone; all humans that might need a bit of loosening up at times.
The reason is simple: people who are psychologically flexible are more likely to be creative and discover what works to move them toward what they value. I have faith that if people move toward what they value, then that's a good thing for us all.
In my next post I will present to you the basic "psychological stretch" that I use when I make presentations to people. For now I plan to open every blog with that "stretch." However, in the spirit of staying loose, I will probably change that. We will see.
Next: The Stretch
Later
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
The Psychological Flexibility Blog and Podcast
www.drkevinpolk.com
Hello, I am Dr. Kevin Polk. While I am a clinical psychologist, this is not a "clinical" blog. Rather it's about training, psychological flexibility training. If you have stumbled upon this blog looking for professional advice, please make a personal contact with a professional.
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