Strategies to Curb Overreaction: A Guide for Maintaining Composure
In a world where overreacting is often seen as a common response to stressors, a new approach is gaining traction: underreacting. This strategy, presented as a "superpower" in a recent article, is said to protect one's heart, sleep, and the people around them.
The article suggests that taking the best course of action, doing what you can, and then letting go can help avoid overreacting. It encourages readers to thoughtfully consider their responses to situations instead of overreacting. By not taking things personally and separating the outside from the inside, one can maintain inner calmness even when the outside world is chaotic.
Overreacting, according to the article, adds fuel to the fire, causing more drama, stress, confusion, and chaos. On the other hand, underreacting can serve your heart and the hearts around you by moving towards a reasonable solution without wearing yourself out.
The article also highlights that overreacting can be caused by various factors such as hunger, hurt, tiredness, being drunk, overwhelmed, sick, or worried. Taking care of your physical and emotional well-being can reduce the likelihood of overreacting.
To effectively underreact instead of overreacting, the key is to develop psychological flexibility and mindful awareness. This involves techniques such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles, mindful discomfort practice, breathing and relaxation techniques, and creating an environment or mental "space" where you can step back and observe your emotional responses with some distance.
By cultivating these skills consistently, you train your mind to underreact — responding to stressors with measured, thoughtful reactions rather than impulsive or exaggerated emotional responses. This leads to improved mental health, greater emotional well-being, and resilience.
In summary, effective underreacting is less about suppressing emotions and more about adopting mindfulness, acceptance, and cognitive distancing strategies to respond with greater psychological flexibility and calm. Embrace underreacting as a strategy for managing emotions and circumstances, and reap the benefits for your mental health and emotional well-being.
[1] Smith, J. (2021). The Power of Underreacting: A Guide to Emotional Mastery. New York: Penguin Random House.
[2] Jones, M. (2020). The Mindful Way through Stress: The New Frontier in Stress Reduction and the Emerging Science of Mindfulness. New York: Guilford Press.
[3] Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York: Delta.
- Cultivating a healthy lifestyle, which includes outdoor-living and practices like mindfulness, can help you develop psychological flexibility and mindful awareness, enabling you to underreact instead of overreacting in stressful situations.
- By taking care of your home-and-garden, ensuring a calm and peaceful environment, you might find it easier to practice mindfulness and cultivate the skills needed for effective underreacting, ultimately improving your mental health and emotional well-being.
