Tanks, Tits, and Impulsivity.

Will Power is a muscle. Will power is a limited resource. Uuuuu instagrams notification let me check that….

What was I saying.

Ummmmm popcorn be right back.

Impulsivity.

a behavior without adequate thought, the tendency to act with less forethought or a predisposition toward rapid, unplanned reactions to internal or external stimuli without regard to the negative consequences of these reactions.

We know that substance abuse issues, eating disorders, and obesity are all related to impulsivity.

Compulsivity.

the tendency to repeat the same, often purposeless acts, which are sometimes associated with undesirable consequences.

Now I want you to think honestly about your relationship with fitness and eating. Are you impulsive? Are you compulsive?

YES.

It’s ok. I am hell of impulsive and compulsive. For example, last night I watched a bunch of Ido Portal Videos for the first time since going through all the Postural Restoration Methodologies. I immediately saw exercises I wanted to tweak and add breathing tempos to. So, laced up my kicks and experimented for about 30 minutes in the gym.

That was a positive impulse and I compulsively read and research movement and then try different things out. (If I did this at 2 in the morning or while I was supposed to be paying attention to something else, even this positive habit could be negative.)

Now what if I would have watched Klokov muscle snatch two Brazilian women and subsequently walked out to the gym and went for a 1RM Snatch and then drove to the strip club the night before my wife comes home.

To the chagrin of some, that would have been a negative impulsive act and one I can see coming a mile away since I am not 19 anymore.

So how can we allow impulsivity and compulsivity to work for us not against us?

1. Be cognizant of your environment.

If I have sweet potato chips in the cabinet. I am going to eat them. At times this could be healthful and at other times this could be me just being bored and saying UUUUU look sweet potato chips. Chomp chomp. Nom Nom. Bag gone. Sadness. For some of you this may be ice cream or some dude-bro that won’t stop effing texting you about his Fran times.

2. Control your environment.

Don’t test yourself with items that you know you will be unsuccessful with. This isn’t a game you will win. If you know that you will succumb to a brownie comma if there is brownie mix then throw it all away. If your gym mates won’t shut up, find a new gym that isn’t bat shit crazy. Neither of these things has to happen fast, in fact be gentle with yourself and let the habit or action slowly fade away and that way so will the thought process around that act.

3. Never say can’t

The worst thing you can say to yourself is I can never do that or eat that ever again. Why? Because human beings naturally want to break rules. Don’t push the button. Ohhhhhh the button. I…want…to…push..it What works much better is putting the compulsivity off to some future time. I will do that later or I will do that next Friday. Chances are you won’t because the original stimulus is long gone and you have had time to think about it and then even if you do have a planned cheat that is not the end of the world and may boost motivation going forward. Whatever gets you to the other side of the river.

4. Avoid high octane stimuli

For example, we know that if you play a ton of violent video games where you blow all the things up this stimuli develops negative plasticity in the survival oriented lizard brain. This part of the brain is very primitive and reactive and also governs reasoning and control. Therefore, bombarding your brain with a ton of stimuli, flashing lights, loud noises, and suspense thrillers, real or fictional can make you more impulsive. Controlling this content can be a game changer and even just being aware that you may be more susceptible after these type of experiences can be helpful. Now think of someone with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD who just says inappropriate things and goes on benders all the time. My grandpa was in the Korean War. He was a marine fighting for the 38^th parallel. His entire battalion was killed in combat. He was the only one left and from what I know he was flown out with shrapnel in his back from a grenade explosion he endured days earlier. Even as a little kid I had this feeling that he was holding on by a thread, because he was.

All these ideas are great but the first step is becoming awake to an impulsive or compulsive behavior. You have to become the watcher of your thoughts. Enjoy the journey. It’s yours.

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh,

*You may believe that impulsivity and compulsivity make life worth living. but you are really just a slave to your desires - Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs.

By: Ben House