Emotions and Behaviour 

Our behaviour is a reflection of our emotions; how we feel. And the feelings come from our thoughts and our environmental experiences.

Would it be fair to say that when you think about something very sad (tsunami, earthquakes) your feelings tend to tune in with the thought? For a lot of people this happens automatically, they don’t even realise that’s what they are doing. That is the power of a thought.

In the same vein if you are focused on something jubilant (a wedding, a holiday or a new career move) the waves of joy you feel and the things you notice tend to be uplifting.

So it is clear that you are the one who chooses how you feel and in turn how you act… or react. The biggest issue with behaviour is that people tend to judge you on the way you act, yet your actions are not who you are, they are what you do. Bad behaviour will reflect poorly on you and so it is important to be aware of the signals you are giving off. Not for one minute would I say you are not to express yourself just think before you act and make sure you are not over-reacting.

Most people have behaviours they don’t like and it is often these same behaviours, when seen in others, that are disliked. When you dislike someone’s behaviour it is a good idea to ask yourself what it is about that behaviour that offends you and to question whether you are equally guilty of displaying that behaviour.

Like most things you are used to doing, many of your behaviours have become a habit. You have become set in your ways and act on autopilot. And this is yet another reason to start paying attention to how you are behaving.

You can change your behaviour once you are aware of it. And you become aware of it when you start tuning into how situations and people affect your emotions. It’s rarely an overnight change, it takes practice and consistency. But if it helps you to be the best person you are meant to be… it’s got to be worthwhile right?

The Behaviour Challenge!

What behaviours do you have that you’d like to change? (Swearing, sarcasm, anger, etc) Create a score card and note each time that behaviour shows up. For each score you get, you have to pay a forfeit to a charity of choice. You must pay the forfeit each and every time so make sure it is enough to make you not want to forfeit it but realistic to your budget (maybe £0.50/$1 per forfeit). This will heighten your awareness to your behaviour and help you to start kerbing its frequency. Make sure you let your inner circle know so they can help keep you on track… And whilst you are breaking the behaviour, your chosen charity will benefit – A true win-win!

Live Blissfully!

YvonneB