If you are impulsive, you can run into a number of problems. For example, at the supermarket you risk spending too much money or buying junk food and sweets when you intend to follow a healthy diet; you could spend the day shopping instead of studying, or playing video games when you want to hit the gym. It is possible to counteract this attitude by learning to use effective methods of organization. Focus your attention by taking specific action and develop certain daily habits to improve it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Get organized
Step 1. Write down your goals
To be less impulsive, the first step is to determine how you intend to prioritize your time. Then, before acting impulsively, check by making sure your actions reflect the goals you have noted.
- You could list your most important activities, perhaps developing a business plan that contains the main steps of a business project, or a study plan if you are a student. The important thing is to record your current goals so that they counteract your impulsiveness.
- You could consider this scheme as a kind of container in which to put your values, your intentions, your commitments, your best methods and everything you can do to carry out your goals.
- You can use a notepad, spreadsheet, or any other writing medium you prefer. The important thing is that it is practical and functional.
Step 2. Take the time to review and plan your goals
To make the most of your organizational system, you need to make a commitment to control how effective it is in your life, but also plan for any changes if needed.
- You may need to sit at your desk once a week to evaluate what you did the previous week. Did you respect the priorities you listed? Notice what went right, what was hardest for you, and what you could improve on.
- You will likely find that you need to perform this review more often until you find a system that fits your needs. It is advisable to carry out a brief daily review and a slightly more detailed monthly review.
Step 3. Follow a daily schedule
If much of your daily time is not well structured, you are more inclined to fill it with impulsive gestures. Try writing a daily schedule, breaking it down into 30-minute blocks. It's okay if you spend more than half an hour on a task, but make sure your time blocks don't stay empty and disorganized.
- If you don't know how to plan some activities, write down a number of options. For example, if you are unsure whether a friend will come to see you, write: "Friend or _".
- Your daily schedule should include time devoted to social life and free time. If it does not include these items, it is doomed to fail.
Step 4. Write checklists
If you have a tendency to impulsively change direction while you are busy with some business, using checklists can help you stay focused. It is a system that allows you to minimize the risk of acting impulsively and ensures that you do not miss anything, without adding any unnecessary steps.
- It has been shown that, using a checklist, it is possible to increase attention on a certain task. For example, to stay focused on their work, many surgeons are required to follow the steps on a checklist when operating.
- The checklist is useful in various situations. When preparing a trip, it allows you to organize your luggage more efficiently; when you go shopping, it is used to buy only the necessary products; in the study, it helps to complete all the steps of an assigned task.
- By crossing out the items on the list, you will be able to find the motivation you need to complete a task.
Step 5. Use a color code to mark your deadlines on the calendar
If you're having a hard time keeping your impulsiveness at bay, you need a calendar. To keep your concentration high, you will need to have a daily, weekly and monthly calendar. By using different colors for each category of activity you will be able to use this tool more effectively.
- For example, a student might use red to mark upcoming exams, blue for long-term projects, black for daily schoolwork, and green for fun or social activities.
- A portable calendar, like a smartphone application, will allow you to consult at any time the activities and deadlines you have established.
Part 2 of 3: Taking Steps to Prevent Impulsive Gestures
Step 1. Look at some pictures of nature
According to some research, people who look at photos of natural landscapes are less likely to make impulsive decisions. You could observe images of mountains, forests, beaches etc.
- If you want to be less impulsive, put a postcard or photograph of your favorite natural landscape on your desk or next to your notebook.
- Before making a decision, pause and reflect by looking at the image of a natural landscape. This way, you will reduce the risk of making a hasty decision.
Step 2. Take a nap
According to research carried out at the University of Michigan, napping allows adults to reduce impulsivity. The amount of time evaluated in this study was 60 minutes, but you don't have to sleep a full hour to get benefit from this approach.
- It also seems that this habit helps people stay calmer and not get discouraged when they have to finish a task. People who take a nap are more likely to stay focused on what they are doing until they finish it.
- Napping isn't just useful for people who don't sleep 7-9 hours a night. It appears that everyone involved in the aforementioned study reaped benefits after taking a nap.
Step 3. Prevent yourself from acting hastily
By setting yourself limits, you won't have to deal with the consequences of impulsive choices and actions. For example, if you find it hard not to express everything you think, try to write down the considerations and questions that may touch your mind before opening your mouth. By taking the time to process these thoughts in writing, you will avoid making impulsive and inappropriate remarks.
- If you spend too much, leave your credit card at home when you go shopping and pay in cash.
- Before buying anything on the Internet, leave the products in the cart for 24 hours to avoid impulse purchases. This way you can decide if you really need the items you have chosen.
Step 4. Try some breathing exercises
According to a study carried out at the University of California, the breathing technique based on the practice of yoga, called Sudarshan Kriya, has made it possible to significantly reduce impulsive behaviors among adolescents. There are four main breathing exercises:
- Ujjayi or "victorious breath": it is a slow and conscious breathing technique centered on the friction of the air on the walls of the larynx.
- Bhastrika or "bellows breath": the air is forcefully expelled through the nostrils and introduced immediately afterwards at the rate of 30 breaths per minute.
- Chanting "om" 3 times in a row: involves the release of air in a prolonged and controlled manner.
- Breathe rhythmically, be it slow, fast or normal.
Part 3 of 3: Developing Healthy Daily Habits
Step 1. Start practicing yoga
It has been shown that, by practicing yoga techniques regularly, it is possible to improve attention and decrease impulsivity. School-age children who have been taught to do daily sun salutation and controlled breathing exercises demonstrate increased attention span.
The benefits increase when practicing yoga in different situations. For example, if you are shopping, take a few minutes to yogic breathing before entering the store. At home, do the sun salutation before indulging in junk foods between meals
Step 2. Train regularly
Physical activity, especially aerobic, helps you to be less impulsive in a number of ways. It lifts the mood and decreases the feeling of anxiety and stress.
- Plus, it allows you to keep your attention high. If you tend to act impulsively out of boredom or frustration, try to make better use of your energy through exercise.
- Research suggests that 40 minutes a day of aerobic activity improves the overall activity of overweight children.
- People of all ages can benefit from stepping up their physical activity.
Step 3. Learn about meditation and full consciousness practices
By becoming aware of what you are feeling emotionally and learning to relate your impulsiveness to your thoughts, emotions and needs, you will come to better control your behaviors. Full consciousness allows you to distance yourself from your impulses and offers you the possibility to choose whether to act impulsively or not.
- When you feel an overwhelming desire, express it in mind before you act. For example: "My girlfriend's words made me nervous. I want to criticize her." To this thought add a more constructive reaction, such as: "I can try to calm down."
- The practice of full consciousness helps you to focus on what is happening inside your soul and to take time so that you can identify how you are reacting on a physical level before acting hastily.
Step 4. Talk to people you trust
If your impulsiveness is due to anxiety, you can find some relief by spending some time with people you trust. By surrounding yourself with people you can share your concerns with, you will be able to relieve anxiety and decrease your impulsiveness.
- You might consider talking about your impulsivity problems with a professional, such as a psychologist, a life teacher or a professional organizer (a professional figure who helps organize spaces and household chores with method and rigor).
- By talking to close friends, you can manage anxiety even with a simple chat.
Step 5. Ask a friend to help you live up to your goals
A friend can help you meet your goals. Find one you can rely on and don't judge yourself, and tell him everything you set out to achieve. Also choose how you would like it to help you pursue your goals.
- For example, do you want me to call you to check on your progress or do you prefer to have regular meetings where I can check your commitment?
- You will also need a plan to organize how to help you if you lose sight of your goal and go back to acting impulsively.
- In turn, you may be able to offer your help to engage in something he is struggling with. In this way, you will be useful to each other.
Step 6. Try to understand how impulsivity is acting in your life
Impulsivity has both positive and negative effects. For example, if you have difficulty making decisions, you may find yourself making your choices at the last minute to avoid the anxiety that comes with the reflection process that precedes each decision.
- If you see that you are benefiting by acting impulsively, find a more effective way to achieve the same result.
- Remember that keeping impulsivity in check does not mean giving up being spontaneous, nor does it mean leading a boring and stereotyped life. It just means you have more control over how you choose to spend your money, spend your time, and focus your attention.
Step 7. Do something relaxing
The choice in this case is very subjective, but you could listen to guided meditations, some new-age music or do deep breathing exercises. If you are more relaxed, you will avoid acting impulsively.
- Do a mental scan of your body to identify areas where tension builds up, then focus on relaxing.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes and try to focus on your breathing during this time. A short break will allow you to relax and avoid any instinctive reactions.
Step 8. Consider Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps the patient to recognize the links that exist between a behavior and certain thoughts and feelings. It is a technique commonly used to combat anxiety and impulse control disorders, among other things. Its goal is to identify the most frequent thoughts that give rise to impulsive actions.
- Often impulsive behavior depends on mental automatisms, that is, on schemes that the mind puts into action as an immediate reaction to certain situations. They can be negative and lead to bad decisions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps identify these mental patterns and restructure them in other directions.
- A psychotherapist or behavioral disorder specialist will help you understand how cognitive-behavioral therapy might work for you.
