Living Consciously: How To Manage Impulsive Thoughts

The first time I heard the term “living consciously” was in India. I had a classmate who, before every meal, closed his eyes, paused for a couple of seconds, and then ate. 

At first, I thought he was expressing gratitude or saying a prayer. Later, he explained to me that he was practicing conscious eating. 

Eventually, I began to observe myself and the world around me and noticed how we act on our compulsions. These compulsions were not necessarily bad or unhealthy, but they put us in a state of unconscious action. It may feel like someone else is driving while we are sitting in the driver’s seat. 

We may eat while scrolling through our phone, speak before we think because something triggered us, or stay stuck in negative thinking patterns because we don’t pause and analyze our thoughts – we think impulsively.

Benefits of living consciously 

1. It gives us control 

When we live more consciously, we are in the driver’s seat of our life. Instead of living on an impulse while being driven by external stimuli, we decide what we give our energy to, when, and how much. 

Conscious living heightens our awareness and puts us in a position of an observer. Although we may not be able to manage external circumstances, we can become in control of our internal system and expand our ability to self-regulate. 

2. It helps us make better decisions 

Any conscious moment is an opportunity to choose what to say (or not), what to think, or how we want to act. 

Choice, in and of itself, is the most empowering tool we all have. One of the reasons why we often feel stressed out, anxious, or overwhelmed is because we feel as if life is out of our control and we have no part in managing it. 

When we practice living consciously, we decide how we want to respond to life instead of reacting to it. 

3. It brings peace 

Although we can’t predict what others do or what happens around us, we can certainly predict how we choose to handle it within our thoughts and emotions. 

Managing our internal system by living consciously brings us peace because we get to create our inner experience. If we are the one who chooses how we want to feel and act, our worries, anxiety  and overthinking naturally decreases. 

How to practice living consciously 

1. Feelings vs. thoughts and how to spot them 

Life always happens on an emotional level. Ultimately, what we feel is what the perception of our life is. Feelings are a great indicator of our thoughts. They help us point out what we are thinking. This is especially useful when we want to identify our habitual thought patterns or unconscious thoughts that happen with minimal or no effort, e.g. limiting beliefs about ourselves or negative self-talk we foster regularly. 

When you find yourself in a disempowering emotional state without any obvious reason, ask yourself: “What am I thinking that makes me feel this way?” 

By learning how to identify your (often) unconscious thoughts, you raise your awareness. The moment you become aware, you become conscious. When you are conscious, you have a choice to change it. 

2. Living consciously – The Power of Pause 

A simple tool that allows you to live more consciously is the power of pause. Let’s say you feel frustrated, angry, upset, or even sad. The moment your awareness kicks in and you observe your emotional state, mentally whisper to yourself, “PAUSE.” 

I recommend taking three deep breaths to bring your attention back to your body and away from your mind. Then, ask yourself this, “Knowing that I am practicing conscious living, how do I want to respond to this situation?”

The first part of this question brings you back to your goal. The second part of the question moves you towards conscious action and away from acting on an impulse.

3. Practice with small things first 

Although managing impulsive thoughts or behaviors takes work, patience, and awareness, I recommend starting with small tasks first. 

A few places to start are:

• Eating: when you eat, eat only, Don’t talk to others, don’t use any gadgets, and only focus on your food and its smell, texture, temperature, etc. 
• Pause before making a decision: set yourself a goal that at least once today, you will pause before responding to an email or a message, agree to an invite, or consciously choose what you eat or where you go. 
• Check in with your emotions: set-up an alarm on your phone to go off 3 times a day. When your alarm goes off, check in with yourself and ask, “How am I feeling right now?” And see what comes up. 

Living consciously ultimately means that we live with awareness and manage our life in a well-thought-out way. We exercise the power of choice and dictate what happens within us on a mental and emotional level. Living consciously brings peace, clarity, confidence, and trust in our ability to design life on our terms.