People with ADHD can find it hard to pay attention and control impulsive behavior. Symptoms can include:. Certain substances, such as alcohol, can break down inhibitions. This can lead to impulsive behavior. On the other hand, impulsivity may contribute to the development of substance use disorders. It may not be possible to determine which came first. Antisocial personality disorder involves impulsive and manipulative behavior.
Other symptoms are:. In intermittent explosive disorder , a person experiences frequent episodes of impulsive or aggressive behavior. Examples of this are:. People with kleptomania tend to have coexisting mental health disorders. These can include anxiety and depression. Trichotillomania is another rare condition. It involves a powerful desire to pull out your own hair. This condition is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder , though it was formerly classified as an impulse control disorder.
Brain injury or stroke can lead to changes in behavior. This includes:. Impulsive behavior can lead to other inappropriate behaviors with potentially serious consequences.
Research shows a relationship between impulsivity and:. Other research shows a link between impulsiveness and violent behavior. No exaggeration. Reserve a couple minutes of your time, preferably in solitude not obligatory, but very helpful. Breathe deeply for two minutes, focusing on the air coming in and out of your nostrils you can also focus on any of your body parts or sense your body in general ; when a thought crosses your mind, acknowledge it and get back to your point of focus. There are a zillion ways you can meditate deeper and longer, but at the beginning you need to keep things simple.
Try to meditate rather more often than longer. One minute here and there will be much better than 10 minutes of meditation lumped together. When you start, the frequency of your habit solidifies it, not the scope of it. The motorway from your mind to your tongue is wide and fast. Silence is weird, I know. I practiced it myself. I tried to not utter a single word for the whole day. I never succeeded. But man! It gave me so much control over my reactions!
Members of Forbes Coaches Council share their insight. Most decisions can wait. First, ask the question, "Does this need my immediate attention? Contrary to what your impulsive urge may tell you, you are not going to miss out by waiting to decide or respond. And in the process of waiting, I've found that I have a deeper sense of clarity on decisions than I would have otherwise experienced.
Take the time to talk to yourself or others involved. Stating your process out loud can help you recognize where you could think things through. Try sending a voicemail to yourself explaining your thought process and decision. Play it back and decide. Are you reflecting your desired leadership style? Keep trying and tweaking your message until you are confident. Before you decide to take action, write out what happened, who's responsible and your desired outcome.
Highlight anything that's factual and discard the rest. Once you get clear on the facts, you can look at the situation from a less emotional point of view and respond based on what actually happened versus what you "thought" may have happened.
When we are embroiled in a stressful situation, an objective opinion helps us avoid assumptions and impulsive decisions. Enlist a trusted colleague who has a good track record for making high-stake decisions and knows about your organization's challenges and politics.
Call, text or email to explain the situation, share your ideas, hear theirs, look at all angles and weigh your next steps. Active listening is a vital tool to help you stay out of your own thoughts. Reflect back to the other person what they said. Once you have reflected back, ask if there is anything else they want to add. Using this technique, you slow yourself down, which enables you to think before you act.
They include: Is this healthy for me? Do I have the time and ability to do this? I take herbal supplements or Ritalin, or a combination of the two, to remain focused and reduce my impulsivity. I slowly count to 10 when I have an impulse to interrupt in meetings. I also created a mantra: Stop-Breathe-Think-Choose.
I had business cards made up with this mantra, and I carry one in each pocket. I overthink things before taking action. I review all the different outcomes, good and bad. When I shop, I put an item in my cart and decide, as I near the cashier, if I still want it or not. I adhere to a hour rule. This has saved me from over-committing my time and resources.
It has also stopped me from sending off an angry email that might have cost me a relationship.
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