Understanding Impulsivity: Recognizing and Managing Your Triggers

By ABS Behavioral Health

We all make quick decisions sometimes — but when impulsive behavior becomes a pattern, it can hurt our relationships, health, and mental well-being.

Impulsivity often looks like:

• Saying things you regret
• Reacting with anger or aggression
• Overspending or binge eating
• Interrupting conversations
• Making risky or emotional decisions without thinking them through

At ABS Behavioral Health, we don’t just label behavior — we help people understand it and learn tools to manage it. This blog will give you real, practical steps to manage impulsivity and identify your emotional triggers.

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🧠 What Is Impulsivity?

Impulsivity is acting without thinking. It’s closely tied to how your brain handles reward, emotional regulation, and self-control. Often, people act impulsively when they’re feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated, or under stress.

It’s especially common in those dealing with:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• ADHD
• Trauma or PTSD
• Substance abuse history

But impulsivity doesn’t mean you’re out of control — it means your nervous system is in survival mode more often than it needs to be. And that can be changed.

🔍 Step 1: Identify Your Triggers

Start by noticing when your impulsive behaviors show up.

Ask yourself:

• Was I tired, hungry, or overstimulated?
• Was I feeling rejected, judged, or unheard?
• Did I have a stressful interaction or confrontation before the behavior?

Pro Tip: Keep a log for 1 week. Write down what happened before, during, and after your impulsive reaction. This helps uncover your personal triggers and patterns.

🛠 Step 2: Use a Pause Strategy

You can learn to interrupt the automatic response.

Try this 4-second impulse breaker:

1. STOP – Say the word “Stop” in your mind.
2. BREATHE – Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4.
3. NOTICE – Label the emotion (e.g., “I’m feeling angry/frustrated”).
4. CHOOSE – Ask yourself, “What’s the best outcome I want here?”

Doing this regularly rewires your brain to insert space between trigger and reaction.

🎥 Watch & Learn: YouTube Series on Managing Impulsivity and Anger

Here are some video resources we recommend to dive deeper into controlling impulsive anger and emotional reactions:

✅ Why We Lose Control

Practical strategies for controlling emotional reactions from one of the best anger management educators.

✅ How to Stay Calm When You’re Triggered

Step-by-step guide to grounding and reducing emotional intensity.

✅ The Truth About Triggers

Learn how your past experiences fuel impulsive reactions and how to heal them.

✅ Emotional Regulation Skills

Easy-to-follow breakdown on emotional control, impulse management, and coping skills.

Bookmark these and watch them when you feel emotionally escalated or stuck in a cycle of reaction.

🧩 Step 3: Build Your Emotional Toolbox

Here are some strategies you can begin using daily:

• Daily movement or exercise: Helps regulate mood and reduce impulsivity
• Mindfulness practices: Apps like Calm or Headspace are great for beginners
• Journaling: Helps slow down your thinking and make space for reflection
• Avoid overstimulation: Limit caffeine, reduce screen time, and get better sleep

Even small shifts create big changes over time.

🙋‍♂️ When to Seek Help

If impulsive behavior is damaging your relationships, finances, or peace of mind, you don’t have to go it alone.

ABS Behavioral Health offers therapy programs that help with:

• Emotional regulation
• Anger management
• ADHD or anxiety-related impulsivity
• Trauma-informed care

Whether you need individual therapy or group support, our team can help you identify the root cause and create a plan for change.

👉 Struggling with impulsive reactions or anger?
Let ABS Behavioral Health help you regain control.

📞 Call us at 718-871-4593 or 📩 Request an Appointment Online (Make Intake Appointment)

Healing begins with one intentional step.