Many of us struggle with irrational, impulsive decisions and actions. From overspending on clothes to procrastinating on daily goals because you got distracted by something irrelevant, we struggle to control our tempting desires for immediate self-gratification. As we know, impulsivity can be problematic, leaving us feeling unaccomplished and regretful. This article dives into the complex world of impulsivity and discusses mindfulness as a possible technique to regulate it.

This article will cover:

• Understanding impulsivity (functional & dysfunctional)
• Consequences of dysfunctional impulsivity: behaviour, mood, disorders
• Mindfulness
  

Understanding impulsivity

Impulsivity can be defined as the tendency to get involved in rapid and unplanned reactions to stimuli prior to a complete processing of information. People who are impulsive tend to prefer immediate rewards over delayed rewards, even though they know that, in general, frequently opting for immediate rewards can be harmful[5]. In reality, impulsive people want to change their behaviour, yet find it difficult to do so as they often lack, or fail to use, sufficient self control [3]. Self-control can be defined as the ability to manage one’s impulses, emotions, and behaviours to achieve long-term goals [12].

Some possible examples of impulsivity, of which some may be familiar to many, include:

• Overeating or drinking
• Prone to become aggressive or angry easily
• Being very easily distracted
• Tendency to procrastinate a lot (read our article on procrastination for more)
• Interrupting conversations[13]

According to self-report measures conducted by Whiteside and Lynam, four factors are commonly identified in impulsivity [6]:

1. Lack of premeditation - Failure to think thoroughly or plan before acting on an impulse;
2. Sensation seeking - Desire for novel and exciting experiences (including also risky behaviours such as drug use);
3. Lack of perseverance - Failure to sustain attention or effort during tasks;
4. Urgency - The tendency to commit rash or regrettable actions in emotional contexts.

Out of all four, lack of premeditation was shown to be the most common conceptualization of impulsivity, very frequently found in the majority of the self-reports[6]. Furthermore, there are two domains of urgency:

1. Negative urgency - those behaviours in response to negative emotional stimuli [4,6]. For example, during heightened anxiety, one is more likely to smoke when offered.
2. Positive urgency - when one performs rash or regrettable actions when exposed to potential tempting rewards [4]. For example, uncontrollably eating a favourite food given its delicious taste.

Please note. These are very basic examples. Trying drugs, smoking or binge-eating your favorite food does not necessarily imply that you are impulsive, nor does being impulsive imply that you will engage in these behaviors. Always be careful with correlation vs. causation.

Another perspective…

The description of impulsivity given above comes off as quite negative, but did you know that a term such as “functional impulsivity” exists?

Functional impulsivity refers to acting on an impulse in situations where such an action is helpful [3]. For example, rushing to help someone who fell off a bicycle. The difference is that: while dysfunctional impulsivity refers to acting impulsively in situations where it is itself a source of problems, functional impulsivity is that of when the situation desires it[3].

Consequences of dysfunctional impulsivity

Behavioral and mood consequences

A research study found that more teenagers than adults or children tend to act impulsively[12]. Understanding the consequences of dysfunctional impulsivity may further motivate experts to design effective interventions that can help teenagers be more mindful about their impulsive behaviours.

A well-known consequence of dysfunctional impulsivity is the negative influence on time management[10]. Impulsive people usually find it difficult to accomplish daily tasks[10], and this can lead them to feeling regretful, stressed and even dissatisfied. Because of this, they may feel like they are rarely in control of their actions, potentially leading to feelings of inability and low self-esteem[10, 11].

As previously mentioned, it was found that high impulsivity can increase low life satisfaction[1]. Therefore, the more impulsive the person is, the less satisfied with their life they may be. This may be explained by low self-control[9]: the realization of low self-control may incline people to feel like they do not have their everyday life under control [5]. Furthermore, this may influence individuals to do poorly in many aspects of life, such as work, school or in relationships [5, 11].

Read this Think on Ink (anonymous) on dissatisfaction. Do you relate?

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Correlation with mental disorders

In addition, dysfunctional impulsivity can play a role in the development of substance abuse and eating disorders, particularly in binge-eating[2]. When an individual is reward-sensitive to food/ alcohol, they pay more attention to related cues, such as the smell and advertisements of food/alcohol[2]. Impulsiveness fills the individual with a lack of self-control, and they may go eat or drink uncontrollably, almost always leading to intense regret and low self-esteem after the binging/ drinking episode [2, 6]. Therefore, it is not necessary that impulsivity starts the substance abuse or binge-eating disorder, but it may play a role in individuals who are already addicted to the food/ alcohol, and may instead prolong the disorder instead of setting an onset. It is also important to know that the correlation goes both ways, that is substance abuse or binge-eating disorder can also influence high impulsivity[2].

Please note. As we well know, there is a lot of stigma in relation to these disorders, as the person is indeed usually seen as lacking any type of self-control, and is therefore responsible for their own disorder. However, we must recall that blaming someone for their disorder, as if they brought it upon themselves, is disrespectful, impertinent and deeply insensitive.  

Mindfulness

Learning to incorporate mindfulness in daily life can help individuals be more focused and attentive in the present, preventing them from indulging in impulsive behaviors [10]. Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through meditation or other training[8, 10]. It involves a certain way of viewing your emotions; whereby your goal is not to try to change your emotions, but instead change your attitudes towards the emotion[8]. In this way, impulsive individuals can explore their impulsiveness inside-out and learn to bring out it’s good sides!

Stop and breathe right there! Head to our article written by two mindfulness professionals to know more about it!

ONE :)

The first step to mindfulness can be realizing that most emotional experiences have good purposes[8]; for example, a fear of an exam is a negative emotional experience, but it usually means that we care about getting a decent grade in the exam. The emotion of “fear” that is associated with a negative attitude now becomes more complex and neutral; one that doesn’t allow people to label emotions negatively so easily, but instead urges them to understand the entire situation better. Mindfulness therefore doesn’t focus on labelling emotions as good/bad, but allows for greater insight into the situation[8]. This ability to be more analytical of yourself and the situation can help prevent impulsive decisions and behaviors [9].

→ Example: Suppose you’re angry and you want to yell at someone. Mindfulness calls you to observe your thoughts by paying attention to the bodily sensations that accompany the emotions[8]. By paying attention to the ways in which the emotion unfolds in your body, you can be able to delay the reaction and dissolve the rumination that often accompanies the “upsetting” emotion, like anger in this case[8,9].

TWO :)

Mindfulness can help reduce emotional reactivity[7], meaning it can help individuals experience less intense negative (or overly positive) emotions when helpful. Essentially, it helps prevent the emotion from controlling you, so that you can instead divert focus to the relevant situations at hand[9]. As we disengage from intense emotions that set an immediate reaction (to immediately fill the emotional insecurity), we can be more in control of our decisions on how to behave[9, 10].

In conclusion…

It becomes clear that something as “simple” as not being able to control your actions can have unsatisfying consequences on people, especially when prolonged. However, if you are an impulsive person, it helps to think that many others are impulsive as well, and there is no point in blaming or shaming yourself for having this trait!! There is always a way to regulate your impulsiveness, and one way is through mindfulness. And also, there is an upside to everything, to impulsivity as well. You must simply get to know it better: make it your friend not your enemy.

Additional sources

1. Headspace guide to meditation- Netflix
2. The mind explained: meditation- Netflix
3. Tidying up with Marie Kondo- Netflix
4. Minimalism - Netflix

References

1. Chamberlain, S. R., & Grant, J. E. (2019). Relationship between quality of life in young adults and impulsivity/compulsivity. Psychiatry Research, 271, 253–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.11.059

2. Dawe, S., & Loxton, N. J. (2004). The role of impulsivity in the development of substance use and eating disorders. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 28(3), 343–351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.03.007

3. Dickman, S. J. (1990). Functional and dysfunctional impulsivity: Personality and cognitive correlates. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(1), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.1.95

4. Echeburúa, E. (2013). Overuse of Social Networking. Principles of Addiction, 911–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-398336-7.00092-9

5. Emmons, R. A., & Diener, E. (1986). Influence of impulsivity and sociability on subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(6), 1211–1215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.50.6.1211

6. Favaloro, B., & Moustafa, A. A. (2020). Intolerance of uncertainty and addiction. Cognitive, Clinical, and Neural Aspects of Drug Addiction, 205–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-816979-7.00009-1

7. Karrass, J., Walden, T. A., Conture, E. G., Graham, C. G., Arnold, H. S., Hartfield, K. N., & Schwenk, K. A. (2006). Relation of emotional reactivity and regulation to childhood stuttering. Journal of Communication Disorders, 39(6), 402–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2005.12.004

8. Moore, C. P. (2021a, March 17). What Is Mindfulness? Definition + Benefits (Incl. Psychology). PositivePsychology.Com. https://positivepsychology.com/what-is-mindfulness/

9. Nauman, E. N. (2014). How Does Mindfulness Improve Self-Control? Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/How_does_mindfulness_help_control_behavior

10. Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Astin, J. A., & Freedman, B. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(3), 373–386. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20237

11. Signs of Low Self-Esteem. (2020, November 25). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-low-self-esteem

12. Underwood, E. U. (2013, November). Why teenagers are so impulsive. Science.Org. https://www.science.org/content/article/why-teenagers-are-so-impulsive-rev2

13. Zald, D. (2015). Impulsivity. Brain Mapping, 387–389. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-397025-1.00259-1