Emotional impulses ad their impact on behaviour
Emotional impulses are sudden, intense urges to act that are driven by our feelings rather than by rational thought. These impulses often occur in response to a trigger – an event, situation or even a memory that sparks a strong emotion. For blokes, these impulses can manifest in various ways, some of which might be familiar to you.
Trigger: Something happens that sparks an emotion.
Emotion: You experience a strong feeling, often before you’ve had time to think about it.
Impulse: You feel a sudden urge to act in a certain way.
Behaviour: If unchecked, this impulse leads to an action.
For example, imagine you’re at the pub watching a footie match. Your team concedes a goal due to a dodgy referee decision. The trigger (bad call) leads to an emotion (anger), which creates an impulse (to shout at the telly), potentially resulting in behaviour (actually shouting or throwing something).
Impulses are driven by the brain and can be automatically through the limbic system.
The sequence, or simplified version goes:
Trigger (known or unknown)
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Emotion Felt (Amygdala)
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Is it now, do we know, how safe is it (Hippocampus)
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Thalamus makes connections
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Hyperthalamus – expressions of emotions
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Brain Stem – Reaction
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Pre Frontal Cortex (later on) why did I do that/that went well/ didn’t go well etc
The impact of these impulses on behaviour can be significant:
1
Reactive Decisions
Acting on Impulse often leads to decisions we later regret. You might tell your boss to sod off in the heat of the moment, only to regret it when you’ve cooled down.
2
Strained Relationships
Impulsive behaviours, especially those stemming from anger or frustration, can damage personal and professional relationships.
3
Avoidance
Some impulses lead us to avoid situations that make us feel uncomfortable. For instance, the impulse to decline social invitations if you’re feeling low can lead to isolation.
4
Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Impulses might drive us towards quick fixes that aren’t good for us in the long run, like reaching for a pint every time we feel stressed.
5
Missed Opportunities
Acting on impulses like fear or self-doubt can hold us back from taking positive risks or embracing new experiences.
6
Physical Health
Stress related impulses, if frequent, can impact physical health, leading to issues like high blood pressure or poor sleep.
Understanding these impulses is the first step in managing them. It’s about recognising that gap between the impulse and the action – that’s where we have the power to choose our response. It’s not about suppressing emotions, but rather about acknowledging them and deciding how to respond in a way that aligns with our values and long-term wellbeing.
By becoming more aware of our emotional impulses, we can start to break automatic patterns of behaviour and make choices that serve us better in the long run. This awareness is a key part of emotional intelligence and can significantly improve our mental health and overall quality of life.
Skill Stop
Exercise: “Impulse Inventory”