One of the most important aspects of psychologists’ work is to be able to find generalities in the problems of the people we serve.

That is to say, a good part of our work is oriented to attend to those experiences of their day-to-day life that generate discomfort, and to identify patterns of behavior that explain several of them at the same time; the psychological predisposition that gives rise to the person stumbling over the same stone again and again.

For example, through decades of research we know that many of the problems experienced by those who come to psychotherapy have at their origin poor impulse control, a behavioral pattern that can give rise to various forms of discomfort: addictions, a tendency to bite their nails, poor anger management, etc. Therefore, in this article we will see tips on how to boost your impulse control through simple habits to apply on a daily basis.

Tips to enhance impulsivity control through habits

Apply these habits to your daily life to reinforce your self-control and keep impulsivity at bay.

1. Keep your own record of automatic behaviour

First, you need to become aware of the problem you want to solve by introducing new habits into your life. To do this, you should get into the habit of analyzing your own behavior in search of problematic behaviors related to poor impulse control; when you notice something like this happening to you, write down in a notebook that you always have on hand everything related to what you have felt, thought and done just before and after you performed the problematic behavior.

The goal of this habit is to start recognizing common aspects in all the occasions when the impulse “takes control” of your behavior, something that will help you to stop it in the future.

2. Adopt habits that lower your anxiety levels

Often, self-control problems are fueled by heightened anxiety, the feeling of being overwhelmed by the challenges around us. Therefore, as a preventive measure, it is important that you introduce habits into your daily life that have to do with avoiding exposure to accumulated anxiety.

To start with, make sure you’re sleeping well , as something as simple as not getting enough sleep will make you very weak mentally and predisposed to letting go of your old habits, which include falling back again and again into your usual mistakes.

Also, avoid drinking coffee beyond the first hour after waking up, and do moderate aerobic sport to keep the stress of your responsibilities, worries, etc. at bay.

3. Set yourself specific objectives

Gradually, set yourself very specific, short-term goals (within days or a week or two) that have to do with making progress in the direction you want to change your behavior. In this way you will be increasing your ability to control your impulses and at the same time having a clear vision of your achievements , since you will not have defined your goals in an ambiguous way that is easy to interpret in too complacent ways.

On those occasions when you fail, adopt a constructive mindset, take note of your mistakes and try again the challenge you have not yet been able to overcome.

4. Detects anticipatory feelings

Now that you have experience in detecting the psychological states that precede the expression of those impulses that you must control, you have an easier time putting a stop to them before it is too late. When you notice that these thoughts, emotions or mental images arise in your consciousness, focus on performing a task that is incompatible with the behavior you want to avoid .

5. Put on incentives

Reward yourself for the progress you make, if possible without always relying on material prizes. For example, when you achieve a week’s worth of goals, you can go to a restaurant you like, and at other times you can give yourself a more symbolic or contextual incentive, such as hanging something on your bedroom wall that represents your progress.

Are you looking for professional help?

In some cases it is not enough to try to change habits by oneself and it becomes necessary to have the help of a professional psychologist .

In situations like this, psychological intervention consists of going through a “training” program in which we psychologists give the theoretical and practical keys to progress and make the improvements remain over time in a consistent manner.

In a short period of time it is possible to obtain surprising results, and the benefits of these advances are very noticeable in different aspects of life.

Bibliographic references:

  • Carr, J. E. and Chong, I. M. (2005). Habit reversal treatment of tic disorders: a methodological critique of the literature. Behavior Modification, 29(6), pp. 858-875.
  • Christenson, G.A., Crow, S.J. (1996). The characterization and treatment of trichotillomania. The Journal of clinical psychiatry. 57(8): pp. 42 – 47
  • Rhéaume, J.; Freeston, M.H.; Dugas, M.J.; Letarte, H.; Ladouceur, R. (1995). Perfectionism, responsibility and Obsessive-Compulsive symptoms. Behaviour Research and Therapy 33(7): pp. 785 – 794.