Whenever I get upset about something and am about to make an unwise decision I tend to zoom out and look at the situation from the side. That way I easily see that what I am about to do is not justified and is entirely based on momentary emotions. That way I can let those thoughs go and they no longer affect me. When I feel mildly annoyed by things people do or when I am about to make something I don’t actually need or want, I use this technique to stop for a moment and look at the issue from diffenet perspectives. More often than not responding to those situations does not provide anything positive, so I quickly lose any desire to do something unwise.
Simply being aware that I am about to do something that brings nothing but more problems isn’t enough to snap out of it. People can still blindly act on their emotions because they think like they must do it. The important thing to consider in these scenarios is wether you actually want to do what you are about to do and deal with the consequences. After asking this question everything becomes clear and any irrational motivations lose their power. For example, when a family member unintentionally causes annoyance by an unnecessary question or a distasteful remark, I feel compelled to say something judgemental or defensive, but I quickly clear my head of any temptations by realizing that I, actually, have no reason to do that.
What I am getting at is that detaching random thoughts from the real motivation is a good habit to have. You are not what you think – thoughts just are and there is no need to act on any of them. Just question wether you really want to do something or is it an emotional urge.
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