To control our impulses is to think before we act. Being strong in this skill at an early age helps us to better regulate our behaviours as adults. In contrast, when we come short of this skill, we tend to make impulse purchases for things we don’t necessarily need. Make regrettable statements. Choose fun activities over less fun obligations we are committed to. Following from, impulsivity invites in problems with family, social, and work relationships. For this, how to improve impulse control calls forth good attention from us.
Here Unfolds How To Improve Impulse Control
1. Modify The Physical Or Social Environment
We can do this by removing as many temptations as we can from our physical or social environment. Fleshing this out, to respond to a tendency to binge on junk food, stock your home with healthy foods. Also, you can consider cutting up credit cards to avoid debt accumulation if you are an impulse buyer. To avoid excessive drinking, keep off friends who lead you to drink too much. Alternatively, spend time with them in settings where drinking is not an option. Of remedying the tendency to frit away time on social media, take an advantage of an app that helps you limit the time spent surfing the net.
2. Aim At Modifying The Task
The inclination to create a cueing system to remind us to use self control shows as task modification. A good example is a reminder on the door of our refrigerator alerting us to watch our weight. As well, we can place a bright neon sticky note on all foods off-limits to us. Clearly, how to improve impulse control argues for this.
Another way, we can give ourselves a smaller reward for giving up a larger one. Illustrating with, we accomplish this by going for a two 20-calorie pieces of hard candy, instead of a high calorie dessert. Again, we can build in “wait time” before indulging. Wait at least half an hour after dinner before indulging in dessert difficult to skip. Avoid using timers since it will cue you to eat dessert.
3. One Shoe At A Time – Focus On The Smaller Steps Of An Overwhelming Task
Frequently, immediate gratification or poor impulse control lies in not doing something; avoiding the gym, homework or a difficult conversation. Our minds are often fixated on the sensual and pleasing aspects of avoidance. Conforming to, we ask ourselves, “wouldn’t it feel great to eat chocolates instead of going to the gym?” A way out, focus on the smaller steps involved, to keep from being overwhelmed at the thought of the whole task. Focusing on the smaller achievable tasks, not the big picture, helps us to complete our tasks, in spite of our mind’s best efforts to spare us the pain of it. So, put on your shoes first. Then, lace it. Next, walk to the car, drive to the gym, and so on.
4. Make A Public Commitment To Engage In A Certain Behaviour Or Meet A Certain Goal
To announce our goal to a friend, family or coworker, is to make a public commitment. A goal could show as controlling our alcohol intake. Further with, making a public commitment to have a go at a certain goal or behaviour, enhances the possibility of engagement. This upside comes from the fact that a public commitment triggers our innate human drive to appear consistent and trustworthy to ourselves and others. In plain, how to improve impulse control admits of this principle of consistency.
Along with, here is a note of caution. Avoid asking a drinking buddy to help you control alcohol intake, as he may have a vested interest in seeing you fail. Plus, you may find yourself resenting a teetotaler friend, for his superior tone in holding you to something you promised to work on.
5. Choose A Situation That Occurs Or Could Occur Daily, To Practice Impulse Control
This means identifying a task or specific activity reflecting your poor impulse control. As you choose a situation that occurs or could occur daily, to regularly practice impulse control, you gain skills faster. In line with, you can ask someone you trust, who knows you well, to help you with some ideas for when lack of impulse control gets you in trouble.
For the situation you selected, if your goal is to curb your use of profanity when irritated, this may mean replacing the swears with words that are more socially acceptable; “darn it.” Also, it may entail replacing the swears with nonsense words; “puff ball.”
On the same wise, if you have a desire to cut back on junk food, and you cannot bring yourself to eat an apple for a midday snack, you can replace a large bag of potato chips with a smaller one. Alternatively, you can take a few chips out of the large bag, and store away the rest, out of reach.
Fact to note with, our impulse control or willpower resources peaks in the morning. So, it is constructive to start with breakfast, for working at controlling an unhealthy diet.
6. Create A Script And Rehearse It
Putting more constructions on, make a specific plan. This plan may take the form of writing down the formula, “when… happens, I will…” Writing it down turns it into a kind of contract with yourself, and makes it more likely to follow through. For instance, you can plan beforehand what you will say, at home, amid your daughter and her friends, to keep off blurting an inappropriate expression. “Hello, do you girls have any plans for the afternoon. Excuse me. I have a project to work on.”
Again, stick to some part of your plan, even when you feel your willpower has been depleted. So, wait for a minute if you cannot wait for five minutes. In addition, it is motivating to select a reward, a preferred activity or some kind of treat, to give yourself for completing the practice.
In the same regard, write down two to three encouraging statements highlighting the tasks you are working on and the specific rewards for completing them. Use the statements. Then, picture yourself completing the task at the chosen location and time, in advance, before real time engagement.
7. Select A Precise Starting Point For Your Impulse Control Plan
Consulting with others to hold you to your commitment and give you feedback on your impulse control practice, helps you to concretize your plan. So is practicing beforehand. As you put your plan to a precise starting point, it becomes easier to follow through with it. For instance, you can decide to start on a Saturday afternoon with your daughter and her friends. Your daughter raising her eyebrows at you can be a cue, planned in advance, to remind you that your words are going off.
8. Assess Your Progress To Refine Your Understanding Of Your External Triggers
Further, as you practice on impulse control, assess your progress on a daily or weekly basis. As you identify instances where you exhibited good impulse control, and instances where you failed, you refine your understanding of the external triggers that cause you to loose control. With this knowledge, you can put systems in place to deal with them. Dealing with them may mean figuring out how you can remove the trigger or identify a replacement behaviour to do instead.
Conclusion
However our impulse control is, the discipline to make a public commitment, modify our environment and task, create and rehearse a script, makes it better. In plain, how to improve impulse control turns on these ideas.
