Impulsivity can become a significant problem, both in relating to others and in managing our emotions and behaviors. That’s why some people consider themselves to be too impulsive, and look for ways to put a limit on this tendency to get carried away.

In this article we’ll look at some tips on how to stop being impulsive (bearing in mind that impulsivity is a matter of degree).

Tips to Stop Being Impulsive

Any psychological change requires at least two things: time and effort . This is because behaviours are not like solely biological processes, some of which can be modified in a matter of minutes by introducing a substance into the body; psychology is fundamentally about modifying habits and routines, and that requires ongoing practice.

Therefore, knowing how to stop being impulsive implies being aware that this change is not going to happen overnight and requires commitment and effort, which always causes a minimum amount of discomfort when leaving the comfort zone .

Having said that, let us look at the advice, bearing in mind that it must be adapted to the specific conditions in which each person lives, since each person is a world.

1. Change your environment to change you

Something that many people do not understand is that individual psychological changes do not occur in isolation from the environment, but maintain a two-way relationship with it. That is why the most lasting and significant changes come at least through the change of the environments in which we move and usually expose ourselves to so that their characteristics shape how we are.

Thus, in order to stop being impulsive, a person must try to avoid exposing himself to contexts in which impulsivity is a frequent reaction to what is happening . For example, places with violence or physical dangers in which a quick response is required to practically any stimulus, or places full of elements that invite us to enter the vicious circle of obsessions or addictive behaviours.

2. Focus on your actions

The main theoretical model used to explain how self-control works in humans points out that control of actions is related to the regulation of emotions and thoughts .

Therefore, one factor that can help stop being overly impulsive is to focus on not giving in to physical outbursts. Be clear about this objective at times when the temptation to take harmful action arises.

3. Lead a healthy life

A good part of impulsivity can be due to stress.

The fact of being in a state of alert produced by mental exhaustion, the sensation of having many fronts to attend to and tasks to finish, or the feeling that one is in a hostile place, can make the minimum reason for getting frustrated fall into impulsivity, either by facing a problem aggressively, or by evading responsibilities through sensations that distract us (food binges, impulse to buy, etc.).

Thus, the most common solutions to reduce stress and anxiety are often reflected in a reduction of impulsivity, and among these, the maintenance of a balanced diet and adequate sleep schedules should be highlighted.

4. Keep addictions away

Addictions are a constant source of frustration , and that leads us to be impulsive. For example, if you feel an extreme need to go out and smoke, it is much more likely that you will respond in an aggressive manner to someone who proposes something that would delay that date with the cigarette.

5. Question your beliefs

There are beliefs that predispose us to be impulsive in some contexts. Ideas that dehumanize certain people, for example, invite us to treat them as objects, that is, to disregard their feelings, so that the filters of socially acceptable behavior do not apply here.

Changing these beliefs is fundamental, and this is something that can be done, for example, through cognitive restructuring in psychotherapy.

6. Surround yourself with non-impulsive people

Finally, this element is also very relevant: keeping in a context where impulsivity is not a constant all over the world .

We are in part what we see on a daily basis, so constantly interacting with impulsive people will make us tend to be more so. In this way, changing social circles will greatly help us to leave impulsivity behind.

Bibliographic references:

  • Berkman, E. T.; Graham, A. M.; Fisher, P. A. (2012). “Training Self-Control: A Domain-General Translational Neuroscience Approach.” Child Development Perspectives: n/a
  • Heatherton, T. F.; Baumeister, R. F. (1991). “Binge eating as escape from self-awareness. Psychological Bulletin. 110 (1): 86–108.
  • Nigg, J. T. (2000). “On inhibition/disinhibition in developmental psychopathology: Views from cognitive and personality psychology and a working inhibition taxonomy”. Psychological Bulletin. 126 (2): 220–46.
  • Hofmann, W.; Schmeichel, B. J.; Baddeley, A. D. (2012). “Executive functions and self-regulation”. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 16 (3): 174–80.