Keep The Brake Pedal Handy
The sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act is the definition of an impulse. The key word is unreflective. Impulses can protect us, improve our situations and relationships or can shatter us! An impulse usually has a negative connotation; we usually think of bad things happening but that is not always true. An impulse can help you get that next date, give you strength to hit the gym or study for countless hours to get that A on your upcoming exam.
But there is something strange about impulses; they often bring confusion and may even make you self-conscious. Most of the time, we do not like urges or sudden strong feelings; they make us feel insecure and unsure of the situation we are in or getting ourselves in. Impulses can sometimes get us into fights, promote an addiction or even get us into trouble with the law.
My recommendation is that people always take 10-20 seconds to think an impulse through, before acting on it. It is not hard to spot an upcoming impulse; usually you have premeditated on the future action before it happens. When you feel an impulse coming, for instance, pouring yourself an alcoholic drink when you are struggling with alcoholism, take 10-20 seconds to press the pause button and remind yourself “I have a problem with alcohol and I do not need this drink”, rather than jumping straight to the bottle.
Those 10-20 seconds may prevent you from pouring another drink, resulting in improved confidence and willpower to abstain from alcohol! What is your opinion on impulses? Share your comments below.
Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)
DSM (Defeating Stigma Mindfully) 