Impulsive behaviour

Impulsive behaviour

Dr K K Aggarwal

Yet another incidence of impulsive behaviour and another life, this time of a dentist in Vikas Puri lost. The trigger, cricket ball hitting a bystander.

Impulsive behaviour are impulsive acts without thinking.

Sometimes acting on impulse may make a difference between life and death. If you’re walking across a road and a car is speeding toward you, you have to cat without thinking.

But in most situations one must Think First, Act Later. The situations can be when you are angry with someone; listening to a friend’s emotional secrets; taking an exam; you are on the job; you are on a first date; you are drinking or with people who are drinking; you are shopping or gossiping.

Remedies

·         In distress, open your eyes of the mind and ask yourself, options

·         When having multiple options, open the eyes of your heart, and chose the one which gives you comfort, conscience based decision

·         Buddha principle of right speech: before you speak, ask yourself: is it the truth, is it necessary and is it kind. If the answer to any is no, do not speak

·         Buddha principle of right action: before doing any action ask yourself: is it the truth, is it necessary, will it bring happiness to me and will it bring happiness to other. If the answer to any is no, do not do that action

·         You can also choose three different ways: think an opposite solution, think a different solution or think a positive solution

·         Stress is the acute or chronic reaction of the body and/or the mind to the interpretation of a known situation. So either change the situation, or make it not known to you, or practice a lifestyle in a way that stress does not react on you

·         Do not get upset. Remember that even in people growing in higher states of consciousness, the experience of anger can be frequently triggered by minor incidents

·          Practice STOP principle.

·         S: Stop

·         T: Take a deep breath and smile 

·         O: Observe how you feel

·         P: Proceed with awareness

·         The best solution is to practice chanting of ‘UUUUMMMM” with a speed of 4-5 per minute (slower and deeper parasympathetic breathing)