Ready to stop those knee-jerk reactions? In this episode, we’ll explore techniques to help you think before you react and stay cool under pressure. Let’s master the art of calm responses together!
LINKS
CREDITS
Host: Casey Donovan @caseydonovan88
Writer: Amy Molloy @amymolloy
Executive Producer: Anna Henvest
Editor: Adrian Walton
Listen to more great podcasts at novapodcasts.com.au
Good morning and welcome back to the Space, a mindfulness podcast for everyone. Are you a knee jerk reactor? Don't worry, We're all guilty of it, especially with the people we're closest to. Your partner makes an innocent comment and you fly off the absolute handle. Your mum sends you a text and you feel like a five year old. Your friend says she can't make it tonight and you give her the cold shoulder. Did that feel like the best reaction or could you have done better? The problem with a knee jerk reaction is it really does come easy. It's an automatic reflex which is driven by emotion, not logic. It can be driven by our wounds rather than our heads. We can't always stop it, but we can limit the number of times we go there. Rebecca Or is a relationship coach who helps couples to reduce the mind drama in their relationships. She says, a knee jerk reaction is often driven by a feeling of rejection. It's kind of a protective response from the brain. We blame another person for making us feel bad, and we want to make them feel bad as a punishment. The thought error here is that you think someone else is responsible for how you feel, says Rebecca. Next time you other knee jerk reaction, she recommends asking these questions, what are the facts of this situation, What am I making those facts mean? What else could be true? What might your brain not be considering about this? What might another interpretation be So? What if you did overreact? Don't worry. All is not lost, Own your stuff up, repair with that person. Use the mantra I can choose again. The problem with knee jerk reactions is it can happen on autopilot. If you are going to act like a jerk, at least do it on purpose. That's the mindful way space out.