A somatic practice you can use is something we call “walk in/walk out.”

When we react from over- or under-accountability, we are in a pressured or stressed state. We are often in our conditioned tendencies or even safety shaping. We want to get to know how we do that, and how that shapes us.

This does not mean we should self-sacrifice (over-accountability), but it also does not mean individualism and only taking care of “our side of the street” are the solution (under-accountability).

Under-accountability is avoidance of, dodging, deflecting, and/or denying of accountability.

Over-accountability as a reaction can also show up as a generalized shame for positions of systemic privilege. This shame does not mobilize connection and action; rather it moves toward polarization, proving, blaming, defending, or an immobilizing guilt.

Other examples of over-accountability are internalizing the narratives of oppression and blame perpetuated by power-over conditions.

Over-accountability is taking on blame, responsibility, and fault automatically.

In this phase of the healing shame process, we want to explore, through conversation and practice, under-, over-, and centered accountability.

Both over- and under-accountability tend to happen quickly and automatically, just like a conditioned tendency or safety shaping.