How to stop being impulsive: effective techniques and strategies

There are different degrees of impulsivity. If you usually reflect on the consequences of those actions that have been marked by impulsiveness, and you regret having acted in this way when once the emotion has calmed down you consider other forms of action, remember that becoming aware of a certain limit is a good first step to being able to influence him in a significant way.

¿How to stop being impulsive? In Psychology-Online we give you ideas of effective techniques and strategies.

4 characteristics of impulsive people according to psychology

What are the common traits that can occur in an impulsive person? Below we offer you the meaning of impulsive according to psychology:

1. They feel the urgency of immediacy

It is true that the present is the real time in which a person finds himself, however, learning to wait is one of the necessary learnings on a human level. An impulsive person does not focus so much on reflecting on the importance of choosing an opportune moment for a specific purpose, they are determined by . The urgency of immediacy is the manifestation of the inner world reinforced by the current of impatience.

2. Mood swings

One of the consequences of impulsivity is that the person can suffer without the conversation partner having foreseen that twist of script in advance. This irascibility breaks out, apparently, in an unpredictable way. Episodes that may occur, for example, when Low tolerance to frustration after an event that breaks the expectations placed on a specific purpose.

3. Difficulties in complying with agenda management

An impulsive person is victim of his own impulses. Inflection points that can break the rhythm of the day in relation to the tasks planned for that moment, simply because time can not only be measured in terms of the clock, but also in emotional terms. An impulsive person feels that their internal rhythm is altered relatively frequently due to their own disorganization.

4. Not measuring the consequences of actions or words

The force of impulsiveness bursts into the spirit of the protagonist who acts in a certain way, without having stopped to think with the desired calm about that specific matter. Thus, he has not anticipated possible risks of that action. Impulsivity, furthermore, is manifested in the fact that the protagonist does not experience this episode on specific occasions but periodically.

Effective techniques and strategies to stop being so impulsive

What can you do, from now on, to prevent impulsivity? ¿How can you stop being so impulsive?? Take note of the following techniques:

1. Count to five

This idea begins to be effective when it is applied in practice, that is, when you really exercise it in experience. Try to give yourself a certain amount of time, even if it is brief, to break with that repeated sequence that impulsivity produces in your life, turning the situation around by remembering that you have the control. To increase your personal empowerment, identify a repeated situation in your life in which impulsivity is common. By contextualizing this information, you can begin to work on your own inner growth by focusing on a specific point.

2. Go for a walk

Perhaps not every time you experience a situation of this type you have the ideal weather conditions to go outside for a walk, however, it is likely that you can take a few minutes to change rooms, open the window and let new air in. . Sometimes changing places can help you positively influence emotion from which you part.

3. Create a mantra

Try to connect this mantra with the idea that actions have consequences for which you are responsible when you act in this way. Based on the effect of repeating a phrase that you can assimilate little by little, it is recommended that when the emotion of impulsivity leads you to the short term, you try take your look to the immediate future to realize that this way of acting is going to produce an effect that you may not want.

4. Look for long-term activities

For example, if you sign up for a quarterly course, assume the commitment to attend all classes and fulfills this purpose since in each act of self-improvement you are educating your own perseverance as therapy against impulsivity. Think of a reward you will give yourself when you have achieved this goal, but that reward only has value if you really wait until the right time. If you anticipate this emotional pleasure, then you are feeding your own impulsivity. To motivate yourself, start with simple challenges.

5. Psychological help

In some cases, it may be necessary to request the help of an expert since, in addition to impulsivity, it is also advisable to consider the particularities of each case.

Treatment for impulsive people

Becoming aware of a certain issue is the most significant step to be able to change it, therefore, if you want to know how to stop being so impulsivewe offer you these final thoughts:

  1. impulsivity affects your personal relationships because, sometimes, others do not understand your behavior in certain situations. And this confusion affects the quality of the link.
  2. Impulsiveness affects the relationship you have with yourself and produces tension that robs you of energy that you could allocate to a more constructive purpose in your life.
  3. When you justify your impulsivity, you do not assume responsibility for your own life. While you act in this way, the same pattern is repeated.
  4. exist alternative thoughts; you just have to look for them. Although when you live in a situation of impulsiveness, the linear interpretation of reality seems like the only possible discourse, in reality, there are alternatives. You just have to look for them and take them into account.
  5. The emotional management It is a possible learning that can give you tools to manage situations that now overwhelm you. Therefore, training is also a positive investment.

This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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