[i_like_black]

Excusing my general lack of input, with number 4 (managing impulsive behaviours) I may have some stuff that could be helpful due to it being a key target area in my own life.

With budgeting there's things like taking out cash once a week and once it's gone you're not allowed any more (which allows you to save), changing credit cards for debit (which means you're not spending money you don't have), freezing cards etc at the bottom of an ice cream tub full of water and NOT memorising the number, so that you have to wait for the water to melt before you can make the purchase.

There's also things like knowing exactly what you need to spend each week - how much is rent/board/mortgage, which bills do you have weekly, how much do you need for food, for transport, for medical costs, and then importantly, how much do you think you can allow to have as random spending money. I was told that an important part of budgeting is allowing yourself some leeway where possible - for example, "I have $30 I can do what I want with, maybe this week I'll go out for drinks with friends." But another week could be a new shirt, you know? It's about making it achievable and making it possible to stay sane.

It's also important to dress potential triggers of impulsive behaviour - everybody has them. If yours is spending, you might want to consider why you feel you need this item. If it's emotional eating, what's the emotion? Is there another way you could be comforted?

Other key aspects of impulsive behaviour in a clinical sense include things that are high-risk (driving recklessly etc), drug-related (which could be addressed elsewhere), and to do with promiscuity or self-injurious behaviours. Impulsivity that is related to mania I also know bits and pieces about, and a lot of that is first recognising that you're in a manic state, and then getting help to apply skills - often someone else helping to take a step back, wait a couple more minutes, see if it's going to be helpful or harmful long-term is a good way of addressing these behaviours. It's also important to understand the risks - so say if someone is behaving promiscuously but is using every safety measure available to them, then yes it's impulsive, but long-term the most likely issue is more often self-esteem based, or purely the person is a pleasure seeker.

Anyway I have a few ideas but nothing cohesive and given where I'm at currently I don't want to commit to writing an article, but those are just things that bounced out of me following suggestion number 4 for an article.