Play
Exaggerate Persona/Role
Personas are aspects of ourselves, masks we wear, that support us in receiving positive attention and avoiding troublesome attention such as judgment or shaming. Some common personas: nice guy/gal, perfectionist, do it right, critic, cheerleader, judge, and rebel. By exaggerating the postures, gestures and behavior of the persona, you can experience a direct connection to your personas, befriend them and give them better jobs.
How to do it
- Identify a recurring persona in your life, e.g., supercompetent
- Let yourself take on their posture and gestures (i.e., facial expression and hand gestures of persona while complaining in an exaggerated way.)
- Notice new awarenesses, especially about where you might have learned this persona
Benefits
- Brings unconscious behaviors into awareness
- Begins to loosen the grip of personas through play
- Reveals hidden gifts of personas
