Counterproductive behaviors are those that take us away from our goals and can be self-sabotaging. They can be any behavior that results in something we don't want, even if the desired goal is achieved. Self-destructive behaviors (SDB) are part of the wiring of the brain-cognitive-behavioural-emotional-body system and can be difficult to break free from. Psychologists have identified several things that lead to counterproductive behaviors, but more can be learned about what these behaviors have in common and how to reduce their impact on our lives.
People who engage in counterproductive behavior often feel a threat to their ego or self-esteem, and there is usually some element of moodiness involved. It is possible to achieve our goals of eliminating counterproductive behaviors and promoting life-giving behaviors. Gregory and Lori Boothroyd state that counterproductive behaviors are any behavior or attitude that a person uses to such an extent that it diminishes the best possible life for that person. Social psychologists began to think of self-destructive behaviors as a class of behavior in the late 1980s.
Some common counterproductive behaviors represent a combination of counterproductive behavior and compensation. To break free from them, let's take a closer look at the three main traits that drain energy, kill ambition, and derail happiness that I've seen in my psychotherapy practice over the past 25 years: erroneous conclusions, self-limiting beliefs, fears, choices, techniques, prices, minimizers, and repudiation. Given the complexity of human beings, there are ways in which what seems counterproductive undoubtedly feels self-amplifying if we can enter into the subjective experience of that other person. The reader is referred to the broader topic of the self.
Difficult as it may seem, it is possible to achieve our goals of eliminating counterproductive behaviors and promoting life-giving behaviors.
