Animals act upon instinct. Humans, however, can think.
Everyone has been in a situation where they just rushed things, and later wished they had taken things slowly. When animals are in a state of panic, they generally tend to act on instinct and don’t think about what they are doing. They just blindly do whatever their instinct tells them. Fortunately for us, through many years of evolution, we have developed something no other animal has. By rationalizing and making sense of a situation, we can “bypass” our first instinct and control what we do. This allows us to think things through and plan our actions, even if we are in a tough situation.
By simply taking a moment to breathe deeply and tell yourself to calm down, you will find that you can think more clearly. You should set your priorities, find what matters most, find that outcome you want, and plan a series of actions that will lead you to that outcome.
I know what you are thinking, “It is easier said than done.” Well yes, it is easier said than done, but by at least trying to calm down, you will get better results.
You should try the following in any situation:
- Calm down
- Make sense of the situation
- Set your priorities
- Find the outcome you want
- Plan your actions accordingly