The Trap of Impulsiveness

How can we stop being impulsive? Is this possible? Impulsiveness can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, acting on our impulses can help us get out of a jam or solve an immediate problem. On the other hand, these impulsive actions might cause us to act in ways we later regret or make it more difficult to think rationally.

Topic references:

SLOWING DOWN

And I tell patients: Spot your talking, spot your walking and spot your eating. And I add: You talk too fast, too violently or vehemently. You walk too fast; you eat too fast. And any speed thrown onto an action is bad for the nerves. The fast speaking, the fast talking, the fast walking gives you tenseness. And that’s unfortunate for your nerves because the tenseness produces or precipitates symptoms. And if I hear the person talking fast, and if I see the person walking fast or eating fast, then one asks oneself, why doesn’t the person herself notice?

Well, the answer is, we do not notice things that have become strongly habitual. A deep-seated habit becomes, not unconscious, but little conscious. It is done spontaneously, and it is not reflected on. And fast walking, fast talking and fast eating has become a deeply-rooted habit that one does not reflect on. So one does not know, or one is not aware of the fact, that one does things with too much speed.
Manage Your Fears, Manage Your Anger, Spotting Deeply-Seated Habits, chapter 52, pages 324-325

MOTIONLESS SITTING

… control of restlessness and agitation through determined motionless sitting
Mental Health Through Will Training, chapter 41, Sabotage Method No. 9: Failure to Practice Muscle Control, page 327 in the 3rd edition
For a detailed description see Manage Your Fears, Manage Your Anger, lecture 56, There Is No Hopeless Case (part 2), pages 352-353