Jocko Underground: Your Behavior Is Impulsive. This is How You Know.

This is the Jocko Underground podcast number 116, sitting with Echo Charles. And I'm going to discuss with you impulsive behavior.

Because think about what impulsive behavior does to people. Yeah, I was thinking about, you know, we're in the middle of the deaf reset right now, and I was thinking about how often we make mistakes because we do something that's impulsive. It's a. It can create some real problems for people.

Impulsive behavior. So I went to WebMD.

Yeah.

Got some webmd.com.

Some of the things that impulsivity can cause is things like aggressive behavior.

Restlessness, interrupting others.

Being easily distracted, breaking the law, destroying things.

A.

Hard time, saving money.

Inappropriate remarks.

Angry outbursts, and lack of forethought. So these are the kind of things. By the way, it didn't mention a donut. Sure. Which I think is real high on the impulsive. Also, what about reaching for your phone? Oh, yeah, because you want to check the gram. Right. That's an impulsive behavior. Right?

Yeah.

Am I right?

You are. Right.

Now look, there's. There's actual psychological conditions that can cause these things like bipolar disorder, adhd. So there's. There's a certain level of impulsive behavior where it like wrecks someone's life. And.

I get that. But I kind of want to talk about just more of the things that we're. That we're thinking of that you and I are thinking of. Hey. Ate a donut. Shouldn't. Ate. Pulled through the drive thru. You know what I mean?

Yes, sir, I do.

Spent. Bought that thing that I didn't need. Kind of more normal, impulsive things, maybe they don't wreck our lives, but they definitely pull us off the path. And look, here's the thing. If you have some of those more, more strong impulsive behaviors that are causing major issues in your life. Impulsive gambling, impulsive spending, you're running up your credit. Like if you're out of control, there's. That's a different scenario where you need to get some help, some professional help, but for, for more normal scenarios. I was just trying to figure out or I looked up to try and see what kind of advice they give.

So one of the terms that they used is mindfulness.

Mindfulness, which means you're paying attention to what's going on. I guess. I guess that's the way it's. I guess that's what it means. You're aware of what's happening, recognizing the impulsive behavior before it occurs, which to me is the same thing I read about which is knowing what your red flags are. If you're gonna lose your temper, you gotta know what those red flags are. If you're gonna spend money, you got to know what those red flags are. What's that feeling that you're getting? You know, one of the things I've said about spending money. Do you. Have you ever built anything? Oh, yeah, that's right. You make videos?

Sure.

Seriously, you make a video, you get done with the finished product. Do you have a feeling of satisfaction? Oh, yeah. Or you build something at your house.

Yeah, yeah. Slingshot.

Slingshot. Super good. When you build something, you get a certain level of satisfaction. But in this day and age, we very seldom build things right. Because everything's so we kind of get the same satisfaction just by buying it. So I think that's. That leads to. That leads to some people just buying things because it makes you feel good. Like you just built something even though you didn't do anything.

Yeah.

All you do is press click, right?

Yeah.

All you did was hit prime and it's coming your way. Yeah. So recognizing what feeling you're having before you hit click or before you go spend the money or before you eat the donut. So that's what mindfulness is about. Just being aware of what you're doing, just taking a step back. Being a little bit detached is a good way to control your impulsivity. Avoiding the situation. This is a big one that they talked about in, in some of these.

Websites where they give you advice or they're giving advice. WebMD is one of them. Avoiding the situation completely. This is kind of what they tell, like alcoholics. Right. Don't go to the bar. Don't drive by the liquor store. Don't drive by the liquor store. Reroute your drive home so you don't have to drive by, you know, Aces Liquor on the corner. Because when you buy Drive by Aces Liquor, you're going to get tempted to go in there. So that, to me makes sense. If you've got some thing that's a big weakness for you, avoid it. Avoid looking at it, Avoid being around it. I know it. The Alcoholics Anonymous, one of their things is people, places and things. Right. If there's people that you used to hang out with, can't hang out with them anymore.

Yeah.

There's places you used to go that would make you drink, can't go there anymore. And if there's things you used to do that you like to go, you like to drink when you golf. Nope. No more golf.

So to me, the Avoiding those situations is kind of similar to people, places, and things. Makes sense to me. Another one that they brought us, having an alternate outlet. And this is a good one for more like the normal problems that we have. So let's say, for instance, you're a person that blurts, interrupts people during a meeting. Yeah.

That's a habit that some people have, and it's hard for them to control. It's almost like they got Tourette syndrome.

Yeah.

People just can't just be quiet and listen. One of the recommendations they have is an alternate outlet, which is to write things down. So you're sitting in a meeting when you got to say something. No, don't say it. Freaking write it down. Process it. Maybe you say it later when it's your turn, when the other person's done.

Another example that they gave was if you're arguing with your spouse, like, you start to feel that tension. Go for a run, go for a workout. Go hit the heavy bag. Do something. Have an alternate outlet for those impulses that you're feeling. To me, that made sense.

Taking a breath. Right? Breathing. Whatever sort of breathing technique. In. In through the mouth, out through the nose. You want to do the. The four inhales, one, four count, exhale, whatever it is you're going to do. Those type of things are a good way to control your impulses. That's kind of like.

When you tell your kid to count to 10.

Yeah.

When they're mad.

Yeah.

Count to 10. Right. Do you tell your kids that?

No, they don't have tempers.

If you did. If you. If you have someone has a temper, you tell them, like, count to 10.

Yeah.

And then you try with your kid. Your kids, like, one of the nine, ten.

Yeah, that. It does make sense that Kant. And also the breathing. But it makes more sense. I don't know. This is what it seems like. I'm not the WebMD or a regular MD whatever. But it does seem like it makes.

Sense that everyone's a WebMD dude.

I know.

Hear me with Dr. Luke. I'm like, bro, I googled it. I'm good.

Your diagnostics are wrong. I'm gonna live forever. Yeah.

And you're. Meanwhile, you're looking at the little asterisks at the bottom. Oh, this thing does not necessarily mean that you have this. Oh, see, it says I don't have it. See, because usually it says, I read MD and I have cancer. Straight up. Have it right now. But the. The breathing technique and the counting to 10, that's like when you physiologically are losing control. Like physio. So, like, if you're. I don't know, if you get nervous or something. Well, if in the event of you not having a temper or something, like, physiologically involved in your impulses. In impulses, then that feels like it works. Because anytime I get, like, nervous and I'm, like, nervous and I breathe or whatever, it does help.

What makes you nervous?

I feel like I just did it. Like. Yeah. Where I was like. Like, oh, you're gonna laugh. But I was more nervous than I should have been. Like, I'm using too much energy internally or whatever it was before I did squats yesterday. For real.

Bro. I'm telling you. Because.

Oh, yeah.

But, yeah. And I literally did breathe. Not because, oh, my gosh, I'm nervous. I'm losing control. It was that I'm using more, like, internal energy than I should be. I need to be right in the perfect zone. That's what I'm saying. But. And it works. Like, you can totally do it. And even before tournaments, like, back in the day, a long time ago, before tournaments, when, like, I would have these gagging fits like, before only the first match. I don't know why. And. And I'd be, like, freaking. Like, I'm like. Like, I might throw up if I don't stop this. And then. Yeah, that. Like, I'll just breathe. And you just focus on breathing all the way out to. That helps. But anyway, so they're good.

Functional.

Yeah.

Change your scenery. Slash, expand her. This is one that I was thinking of. To me, I think this is. This isn't from the experts from the medical web. Doctors.

Sure.

This is just for me. Hey, you're feeling an impulse to do something. Go do something. Like, change your scenery.

Yeah.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

Oh, you're about to do something that you know you shouldn't do. Go do something. Just go walk outside. The classic example. And I think that ties back into, like, changing your perspective. You're expanding your horizon, your visual horizon. Right. You focused on one thing, like, like we talked about with Huberman. Like, expand your visual horizon. Let's see what else you can see. Let's see more.

Wait, you said that you thought this, and it wasn't on the list. I wasn't on the list.

It wasn't on the list to change your scenery. When I think it's actually a really good thing to do.

I think it's one of the. They're all kind of. In my opinion, given what I'm feeling is kind of lumped into the same one. Like, like having another outlet and changing your scenery. They're kind of the same thing. And it goes with which I'm surprised it's not on this. But what. Which makes me agree with you. What you're saying, like, probably 101% even, but you put it back in the day, is like, find a new mission. So this is a small version or a shorter term version of finding a new mission. So if, yeah, if you're trapped in the house with all the donuts, or, I don't know, whatever the case may be, if you have something else to do in a different place and you care about that thing because it's an actual, like, outlet, probably you'll. You'll think about those donuts or that desire for the donuts way, way less. And in fact, if you care about the other thing that you're doing, you won't think about the donuts at all because you don't have time for that kind of stuff. You know, it's like if you're. I don't know, like, I don't know if you're skiing or snow, but if you're skiing down the mountain, you're not thinking, man, I wish I had some vodka right now. If you're alcohol, you're like, you're skiing. If you're doing jiu jitsu right now, like, if you're trying to choke me and I'm like some gambling addict or whatever, and I'm trying, really trying to beat the gambling habit and you're trying to choke, I'm defending the choke now. I'm defending the armor. I'm doing this. I'm literally not thinking about gamble. So that's like a small version of finding a new mission.

Yeah, it's just completely changing your environment, changing. It's, it's, it's weird, though. It's kind of. It's like we were talking about on a podcast the other day, it's changing the route. So that is a little excerpt of what we are doing on the Jocko Underground podcast. So if you want to continue to listen, go to jockounderground.com and subscribe. And we're doing this. We're doing this to mitigate our reliance on external platforms so we are not subject to their control. And we are doing this so that we can support the Jocko podcast, which will remain as is free for all as long as we can keep it that way. But we, but we are doing this so we don't have to be under the control of sponsors. And we're doing it so we can give you more control, more interaction, more direct connections, better communications with us. And to do that, we are, we're building a website right now where we'll be able to utilize to strengthen this legion of troopers that are in the game with us. So thank you. It's Jocko underground.com it costs $8.18 a month. And if you can't afford to support us, we can still support you. Just email assistancecounterground.com and we'll get you taken care of. Until then, we will see you mobilized Underground.