The line of life, a technique to know yourself better

In psychology, a great diversity of techniques and tools are used during the therapeutic process, one of the techniques used to gain self-knowledge and understanding of oneself It is the life line technique. Although it is a technique with a humanistic and systemic perspective, psychologists from different currents also use it because it gives us a lot of information about the patient/consultant.

People are a history, a present and a future, and everything comes together in our individuality. Also We are a story of everything that has happened to us in our life history, and knowing how to organize it and give meaning to our history is essential to grow as people., have confidence in ourselves and accept ourselves without complexes. For all these reasons, the objective of this post is for you to understand how the life line technique works and when it is good to use it.

How does the life line technique work?

The basic functioning of this technique is analysis and reflection, that is, it is not a technique that simply by “doing it” produces a result but, for it to have an effect, an analytical and reflective effort is necessary. Thus, first of all, the fact of analyzing all or part of our life history (life line) allows us to channel and manage the different associated emotions: the same ones that we often live with, but also those that we have not consciously managed.

Once the line has been drawn, we must delve into the meaning of each element that we have drawn in it. The life line technique requires a reflective analysis that is usually guided by questions such as: what has changed in me as a result of this experience?What did I lose and what did I gain at that moment? Is this experience over?, among others. With all this, we manage to develop experiences in a healthy and adaptive way, and in this way know and understand ourselves better, because we are able to unite our past with our present in a constructive way.

The best times to use this technique

The life line can be used at (almost) any time; However, it is better to use it: at the beginning of a therapeutic process or to close a stage of confusion. Also, The life line is a very useful technique whenever you want to know yourself better, because by understanding everything you have experienced you understand why you act the way you act and feel the way you feel.

On the other hand, It would not be indicated to perform the life line technique as soon as painful and traumatic experiences have been experienced.. This is because, according to a study carried out by the University of Arizona, within a period of grief (or reaction to a loss) we can observe phases of depression. That is, while you are experiencing a phase of loss or trauma, this technique is not indicated because it is likely that your mood will introduce a negative bias into the analysis.

How this technique is carried out: steps to perform it

To carry out this technique, as we have mentioned, you have to consider two work phases: the development of the life line and the critical-reflective analysis phase. So, first of all you basically only need paper and pencil, draw a straight line and begin to indicate the following points on it in chronological order:

1. Mark the point that identifies the present moment. To begin, it is important to graphically locate the current moment and the circumstances that make you interested in building your life line as a therapeutic exercise.

2. Define and point out your life events such as: your birth, the birth of siblings, cousins ​​or children, the death of loved ones, the beginning of life as a couple or marriage, etc. For this part you can use the color blue.

3. Also point out significant events or very important moments in your life, which represent a change. For example: a change of residence, the beginning or end of studies, a highly desired or significant trip, among others. You will be the person who identifies what is important. For these events in the line you can use the color green.

4. At this point you need to mark your inflection moments on the line. We understand that these function as keys to opening phases or crisis situations that are assumed and adequately prepared. Thus, you can use the color red for these turning moments, and you should especially mark those in which you feel that they have made you stronger.

5. Finally, you have to point out situations or moments of “break”. We are referring to situations that marked a before and after in your life, you perceive them as moments of rupture of what your life and your routine were and they are also difficult to elaborate or are traumatic. For these events you can use black or some dark color that contrasts with the rest of the brands.

6. Try to make a future projection. From the points that you have been placing on your life line, try to project what your life will be like in the future and how you think your current conflicts will be resolved based on all your previous experience.

Once you have drawn up your life line, you will need to spend some time analyzing the impact that each and every event you have marked has on your life. It is important that you go beyond what you see drawn on the line and delve into its consequences. Remember: knowing yourself is the necessary step for development and overcoming personal limits.

When the exercise is guided by a psychotherapist, each phase of the process is accompanied by questions about the way you remember your feelings at that time or about how you perceive your past self today. These questions can guide you in the construction of your life line, but you must be attentive and attentive in case you may require professional psychological support.

Lifeline Goals

Among the lifeline objectives are the ordering of events in our history to preserve them alive, as well as get a resource to easily find them if we need them.

Thus, based on this information, the therapist explores how the person felt in each of these stages, how they feel currently, and what projection they make for the future.

For its part, carrying out this technique can help us understand:

What vision do we have of life? What are our priorities? What memories do we keep from childhood and how have they influenced the present? How many changes have we made over time and what have been their characteristics? How do we live today and how We consider the future.

Having said that, It is pertinent to keep in mind that this is not an easy task.l. This requires a lot of reflection, concentration and the ability to synthesize.

In this case, Remembering events is necessary to learn from history and understand what happened at a given time. Likewise, it is important to understand what happened in order to build a future.

The life line It will make it easier for us to know how we got to the present point.and will reveal what decisions were made at each moment and how they evolved, creating new situations and experiences.

It should be noted that The life line does not work to judge or regret our decisions. Instead, it helps us understand why we took a particular path at a given time and what direction we want to follow from now on.

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