Have you felt like you’ve been struggling with negative impulses as of late? Often, those who have impulse control issues will deal with negative thoughts that will cause them to make poor decisions. For instance, you might have a spending problem, and this could lead you to spend more money than you reasonably should. What are you supposed to do when negative impulses cause you to do things that could harm your life?
Certain important tips will make a difference. You can learn to control negative impulses better over time if you’re willing to try. Below, you’re going to learn about the best tips that have helped people to control themselves. You’ll likely still deal with issues like this, but you’ll just get better at keeping yourself in check.
Stop and Ask Yourself Important Questions Before Doing Something
For some people, these negative impulses will cause them to make rash decisions. You might see something expensive at a store and decide that you absolutely must buy it. Even if you can’t afford it right now, your impulses might cause you to get your wallet out and purchase the item anyway. This is bad, but there are ways to try to control this when you’re someone who struggles with self-control.
One of the best methods is to stop and ask yourself important questions before doing something. If your impulse issues have to do with spending problems, then you should ask yourself questions such as “why do I need this item?” If you take a step back to think, then you might be able to talk yourself out of spending money unnecessarily. It’s also true that poor decisions happen as a result of emotional responses.
It’d be appropriate to ask yourself about your state of mind. Are you feeling angry or lonely at the moment? Sometimes feelings will cause you to make decisions that you will regret later. If you can recognize that your perspective is skewed by your emotional state, then you can try to calm yourself down so that you can make decisions with a clear head.
You can apply this advice to any situation that you’re dealing with. If your impulse control issues are related to sex, then you can try to stop before making hasty decisions to give yourself a moment to think. It might not always be easy to hold back in the heat of the moment, but learning to do so can help you to get your impulses under control.
Talk to Someone About Your Situation
Talking to someone about your situation can also be very helpful. When you bottle up your emotions, it’s going to make it more likely that you’ll give in to your negative impulses. You need to find ways to deal with what you’re going through. If you can talk to a trusted friend or family member about what you’re experiencing, then that might help you to put things into perspective.
Find someone that is a good listener and tell them about what you’ve been thinking. Let them know about your impulses and you might be able to be talked down a bit. Sometimes just having someone to listen to your problems will make you feel a lot better. This works well for people who have negative impulses when it comes to drugs, alcohol, and food.
If you feel like slipping into bad habits, then you’ll be able to contact someone that you love. They will be there to talk to you and you might be able to avoid making bad decisions that could harm your life. Having a support system like this should make you feel a lot safer. You won’t be trying to deal with issues like this alone any longer.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal is another option to consider when you’re trying to gather your thoughts. Many people have impulse control issues, but not everyone understands why they deal with these situations. Putting your thoughts on paper might help you to sort through things mentally. You can try to better understand why you feel the way that you do.
Writing about things that have been troubling you will often feel cathartic. Journals are often kept by people who are going through therapy, and it’s a tool that you can use to your advantage whether you seek therapy or not. Taking the time to write journal entries each day can keep you more in touch with your emotions. You don’t have to write too much if you don’t want to, but some people do decide to write a lot.
One good way to use journals to help with impulse control is to write down negative thoughts as you have them. You might have negative thoughts about slipping into old habits from time to time. Writing them down in a journal could help you to feel some relief. It’ll get the thoughts out of your head and it’ll hopefully keep them from altering your emotional state significantly.
Seek Therapy
Seeking therapy is a very good option for anyone who is struggling with impulse control issues. You might be having a difficult time coming to terms with the way that you feel. Some people have such a hard time with negative impulses that they won’t know where to turn. You should know that you aren’t alone and that help is available.
The experts at BetterHelp will always be there for you in your time of need. If you’re having problems with an impulse control disorder, then you can get assistance without even having to leave the house. Online therapy is a convenient way for you to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through. You can be matched with a therapist that is right for you, and it’ll be possible to start working on your issues right away.
It’s great that there are so many options when it comes to online therapy as well. You can chat with an online therapist using video chat, but you can also just speak on the phone or exchange text messages if you would prefer. It makes it as accessible and simple as possible for those who want to get help for various problems. If you’ve felt like your impulse control issues have isolated you from others, then you’ll be able to work on getting better with the help of a skilled therapist.
Signing up is simple and you’re going to be feeling much better soon enough. Issues like this are more common than many people realize. The problems that you’re experiencing can be dealt with, and you’ll be walking down a more positive path soon.
