“I don’t wanna” energy creeps into our lives when we are trying to get something done. We may reason with ourselves to say that our feelings are valid and that there are really good reasons we don’t want to do the thing. In reality, it is reminiscent of the power plays we made as children because the only autonomy we really had was to say “No! I don’t want to!” I can see my toddlers stomping to the corner of the room, arms crossed, lips pouted.
We bring this energy into our adulthood and it pops up as an attempt to reign control over a situation that may feel overwhelming, unaligned, illogical or just plain wrong.
The good news is that as an adult, we have options beyond “I don’t wanna.” We can communicate exactly why so that we can find alternative solutions. We can seek and find other approaches. We can ask for help.
When you get to that “I don’t wanna” place, take a deep breath. Look to understand the underlying reason you don’t want to and remind yourself that you have a voice, choices and autonomy as an adult. You can shift that “I don’t wanna” energy into something that helps you towards your goals.