Do something differently. Essentially try to do something other than what you believe your emotions are telling you to do. Notice the emphasis placed on the word ‘do.’ This wasn’t a typo. It was meant to really emphasize the importance and difference between actually doing something differently and just thinking about doing something differently.
What you want to do, ideally, is the opposite of what you think your emotions are telling you to do. For example, if you’re feeling depressed and are feeling like isolating yourself and taking nap, call a friend or go for a walk. You read that right – although you might not feel like it in the moment, when you take those actions, you might find that your feelings change. At the very least, in this case, you’ll be able to look back on the day and say that you tried something different.
Here are some other examples of emotion-driven behaviours (EDBs) and opposite actions.
Other Types of Emotion-Driven Behaviours (EDBs) |
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| EDB | Opposite action |
| Prematurely leaving a social situation | Staying in situation and talking to people |
| Having to do things perfectly | Leaving a task uncompleted or untidy |
| Leaving a movie theatre before the movie is done | Move to the centre |
| Calling relatives to check on safety | Restrict calling |
| Withdrawing from favourite activities | Doing those activities |
Take a few minutes to think about and list your own emotion-driven behaviors and the opposite actions you could take.
My Emotion-Driven Behaviours Form |
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| My EDB | Possible Opposite Action |
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