Ujjayi or “Victorious Breath”, which is a type of slow, intentional breathing where focus is on the breath touching the throat. Bhastrika or “Bellows Breath,” in which breath is exhaled forcefully through nostrils, followed by a rapid inhale, at the rate of 30 breaths per minute. Chanting “Om” 3 times in a row, which requires sustained, controlled expiration. Breathing in a rhythmic pattern, whether slow, medium or fast.
The benefits increase when yoga is done in different settings. For instance, if you’re getting ready to go shopping, take a few moments before entering the store to do yogic breathing. At home, do a sun salutation before grabbing junk food to snack on.
In addition, exercise keeps a person’s attention actively engaged. If you’re more likely to act impulsively out of boredom or frustration, you can put this energy to better use through exercise. Research suggests that 40 minutes per day of aerobic activity improved executive functioning in overweight kids. All ages will benefit from increased exercise.
When you notice an urge, articulate that urge mentally to yourself before acting on it. For example, “I am angry that my partner just said that, and I want to criticize her. ” Follow this with a more constructive response, such as, “I can try to calm down. ” Mindfulness means to focus on what’s going on inside yourself, and it may take time to notice what’s going on in your body before you act impulsively rather than afterwards.
If you’re trying to become less impulsive, post a postcard or a photograph of your favorite natural environment near your desk or on your notebook. Before making a decision, pause and reflect by looking at an image of the natural world. Your decision is then less likely to be impulsive.
Napping also appears to help people remain calmer and less frustrated as they work to complete a task. People who nap are more likely to remain focused on the activity until it’s finished. The benefits of napping are not limited to those people who don’t receive the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night. All research subjects appeared to benefit from napping.
You might consider talking with a professional, such as a counselor, life coach, or professional organizer, about your difficulties with impulsivity. Just spending time talking with trusted friends can help address your anxiety, even if you’re not having a serious conversation.
For example, do you want your friend to call you to check on your progress? Or do you want to schedule regular meetings so that she can check in on your commitment to your goal? You’ll also need to have a plan for what your friend might do to support you if you’re not staying focused on your goal, and acting impulsively instead. You might offer to help your friend stay accountable for something she’s struggling with. This way, you’ll be accountability partners.
Do a body scan to locate any areas of your body which are holding tension, then intentionally focus on relaxing these areas. Set a timer for 5 minutes, and allow yourself to focus on your breath for this limited period of time. This short break will help you relax, and prevent any hasty reactive actions.
This might mean writing a master task list. It might mean creating a business plan. If you’re a student, you might want to create a study plan. The important thing is to record your current goals in order to measure them against your impulses. You might think of this written record as a kind of container for your values, intentions, commitments, best practices for yourself, and tasks that support these goals. You can use a notebook, a spreadsheet, or another method that works for you. The main thing is that the framework is accessible and functional.
You might find you need to sit down once a week to consider your actions of the previous week. Did you follow your listed priorities? Note what went well, what you found challenging, and what you might do better. You might find that you need to do this review more often until you find a system that works for you. Doing a brief daily review is recommended; you might also do a more extensive monthly review.
If you don’t know how to plan ahead for certain activities, write in a series of choices for yourself. For instance, if you’re not sure yet whether a friend is coming over or not, write: “Friend or ______. ” Your daily schedule should include your social time and free time too. A schedule that doesn’t include any downtime will ultimately fail.
Checklists have been proven to increase attention to the task even for medical professionals. Many surgeons are required to follow checklists when they perform surgery to help them stay on task. Checklists can be used across multiple settings. Use a travel checklist to help you pack more efficiently; a shopping checklist to help you only purchase the intended items; a study checklist to make sure you attend to each part of the assignment. Crossing items off a checklist can provide motivation to complete a task.
For example, a student might use red ink for upcoming tests, blue ink for long-term projects, black ink for daily schoolwork and green for fun or social activities. A portable calendar, such as an app on your phone, will help you access your calendar across settings.
If you’re experiencing benefits from acting impulsively, try to find more effective ways of achieving this benefit. Remember that you can still be spontaneous even if you’re less impulsive. Being less impulsive doesn’t mean your life will be dull and conventional. It just means that you’ll be more in control of what you choose to spend your money, time, and attention on.
If you have difficulty overspending, leave your credit card at home when shopping, and pay with cash. Putting items on hold for 24 hours will help prevent impulsive purchases, and give you a chance to decide whether you really need to buy the items.
Impulsive behavior is often the result of automatic thoughts, which are the thoughts that your mind produces as an immediate reaction to certain situations. These thoughts can be negative and may lead you to make poor decisions. [18] X Research source CBT helps you to identify these automatic thought patterns and reframe them in new ways. A therapist or behavioral specialist can help you explore the ways that CBT might work in your life!
