When emotions overpower rational thought

How to stop impulsive thoughts from controlling our actions.

All of us hold onto experiences we would rather forget. Somewhere in the back of our mind, we have a locked door holding back the memories we aim to suppress. Opening ourselves up to learning from those memories is terrifying, so we avoid them at all costs.

In a sense, our mind is like an old handbag. It’s messy and full of rubbish, but it has all the emergency necessities we could ever want. However, we don’t want to dig through all the empty gum wrappers, loose change, and endless receipts to find what we need.

Our minds work the same way. Deep down, we know that we’re capable of overcoming a panic attack or navigating an overwhelming experience. Yet, we’re too focused on our emotions in the moment to ask ourselves what the next step should be. Instead, we convince ourselves that we can only find the solution to our problem from outside sources.

But so often, we already have the answers we’re looking for in our minds. When we want insight — a way to stabilise our thoughts and figure out the next step — we can dig around in our mental archive and, more often than not, find our way back to a steady heartbeat and controlled breathing.

The problem is that we’re afraid. Digging up memories in search of answers also means unravelling forgotten experiences and opening a can of worms. For most of us, the possibility of what we will uncover is enough for us to want to keep everything locked up — the idea of revisiting our past too daunting.

For example, in the past, when I’ve been on the verge of a panic attack, I became incapable of thinking rationally. I know so many techniques that are supposed to alleviate the…

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