Think back to the last time you behaved impulsively, saying or doing something while in the throes of emotional pique that you later came to regret. Maybe you rage-quit a job you relied on for income or berated your partner over something minor, like the direction they hung the toilet paper roll. You probably would’ve done anything in the aftermath to rebuild the bridges you burned.
Sometimes you can mend the rift, but other times, it’s too late. Wouldn’t it be better if you could prevent acting rashly in the heat of the moment? Well, you can! Here’s how to use the HALT technique to overcome negative behaviours and thinking.
How does the HALT technique work?
HALT is the perfect acronym for a self-care management technique that helps you overcome negative behaviours by using mindfulness. It reminds you to stop and assess where you are emotionally, mentally and physically before behaving rashly or saying things you might regret. The term stands for hungry, angry, lonely and tired—four states of being that are incompatible with wise decision-making.
Human beings are infinitely complex creatures. We don’t always understand why we act the way we do. Sometimes, our behaviours are driven by biological forces. For example, if you feel hungry, your innate drive compels you to seek something to eat.
Other times, you might be reacting not to present circumstances but to triggers brought on by past experiences that compel you to act in familiar behavioural patterns. For example, those struggling with addiction should avoid walks and drives to certain areas associated with securing drugs. If you’ve recently quit smoking and drinking, you should probably avoid the local bar on weekends, at least until your new habits become set in stone.
Emotional triggers are trickier to recognize than tangible sensory stimuli like sights and sounds that remind you of days past. Your boss might be nothing like your narcissistic and abusive parent, for example—but them speaking to you in an exasperated tone when they’re tired could set off a cavalcade of feelings that transport you back to the helpless, trapped child you once were.
As a result, you might react with self-defeating avoidance behaviors, like calling in sick if you tend toward flight, or responding with surliness if fight is your innate stress response. Neither behaviour likely represents what your higher self would choose as the best way to act, if you want to protect your career trajectory.
HALT causes you to pause and explore the physical or emotional feelings that drive your thoughts and behaviours. It’s like an emergency shut-off switch to keep your wave of triggered energy from translating into maladaptive beliefs, behaviours and patterns. Instead, it gives you back control over how you choose to act next.
The great German psychologist, neurologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl describes the only true freedom all humans share—none of us can control everything that happens to us in life. However, we always have the freedom to choose our attitude, how we react to any given set of circumstances.
Using the HALT technique empowers you to embrace the power of pause and actively choose how you want to proceed in the face of any potential conflict. It’s far superior to letting your emotions run rickshaw, driving you into negative thought spirals and the unwise decisions that fuel them.
9 ways to HALT and manage your emotions
Now that you understand the HALT technique, how can you meaningfully implement it in your life? Step one is becoming more mindful. Recognize when you’re behaving in the heat of the moment and learn to stop yourself.
Once you recognize that you aren’t in the best mental state, you need to tune into your emotions and regulate them. You can do that by using one of the nine techniques below. It’s best to practice these methods when you feel calm, so you have them to draw on when your feelings pique.
Do a body scan
You can lie in meditation to do a body scan, but it’s not necessary to sit in a lotus pose. All that’s truly needed is relaxing your body from head to toe, so you can tune into the sensations it’s sending you. If you’re hungry or tired, this practice lets you take notice.
Following that, you’ll have a path forward. You’ll know you need to have a snack or sleep on your decision for an evening or two before acting.
Create a “time-out” phrase
Even after recognizing that you need time to regulate your emotions and think, you have to communicate that to others. Having a catch-all “time-out” phrase for various occasions lets you share your need succinctly, without having to think about how to explain your needs. What does this look like?
If one of your issues is piling too much on your plate, one of your signature time-out phrases might become, “Let me take a look at my calendar and get back to you in X hours,” before saying yes to a new assignment at work or agreeing to be in your friend’s wedding.
If you have to go into a high-pressure meeting with your boss, practice saying, “I’d like to take a five-minute break,” with no explanation or apology. Critical business moves take time, and healthy organizational leaders should respect your need to pause and collect your thoughts.
You can be downright playful with friends and loved ones. Normalize taking “time-outs” in your family. Instead of treating them as punishment, let your kids see you using this technique, too. It’s OK to say, “Mommy needs a few moments to breathe,” and retreat to your room, perhaps setting a timer if your littlest ones have separation anxiety. Modelling this behaviour is the ideal way to teach emotional regulation to your children.
Take a walk
Taking a walk might be your best option if anger or loneliness clouds your thinking. When you get angry, your body’s levels of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol will soar, in turn influencing the neurotransmitters in your brain. Stewing in your juices can lead to a volcanic eruption.
Walking harnesses the body’s innate flight response to dissipate stress hormone levels, preventing them from influencing a negative thought spiral. If you can do it outdoors, that’s even better—multiple studies show that exposure to the natural world dissolves stress and makes you feel better.
Eat something
If you’re hungry, you should eat something. This advice seems obvious—but make your snack even more effective by enjoying it mindfully. Nibble and sniff a piece of chocolate before letting it dissolve on your tongue. Savour the taste and flavour and tune in to how your body feels as you get full.
Stretch
When you feel stress, your muscles will contract in preparation for fight or flight. This reaction is ingrained into your evolutionary physiology—it’s what kept humans alive during the days when hungry bears were their biggest threat, not ever-rising rents or micromanaging supervisors. This tension can lead to aches and pains that further cloud your judgment. Stretching interrupts this reaction, inducing a more relaxed state of mind.
Colour
This HALT technique works well for emotional upset that muddles up your thinking. For example, you might not even recognize what loneliness feels like, if you’ve been living in survival mode.
In this mode, your body shuts off processes that are non-essential to supporting life, which is why many patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) experience anhedonia and dissociation—a loss of pleasure in daily life and a sense of disconnection from reality.
You might only feel a vague sense of panic or unease, as if you must do “something.” Colouring honours your physiological need to take action, along with your mind’s need to slow down and catch up to what’s happening in the present moment.
Freewrite
Freewriting is one of the best techniques for dispelling anger, but you must do so wisely if you want to save your career. The instant nature of electronic communication means you should never type out your thoughts into an email or social media post. Doing so could have unintended consequences.
Instead, type your thoughts into a blank document that you later delete. An even more powerful technique involves printing it out and tearing it up, symbolically scattering those negative emotions to the wind and refusing to give them any more mental space.
Listen to a guided meditation
Sitting alone with nothing but your thoughts can backfire if you’re prone to negativity spirals, while guided meditation can help transform your interior monologue into something more positive. You can find guided meditations on nearly every mental health app, but don’t worry if you don’t subscribe to one, as you can also find fabulous free resources on YouTube.
Take a nap
You know the eternal sage advice to sleep on a difficult situation. If you’re tired, take a time-out to take a brief, restorative nap. If possible, put off any decisions until you’ve had a full night’s rest.
HALTing takes time and practice
You have the power to stop saying and doing things you later regret, but it takes time and practice. Next time you’re feeling an irrational, negative impulse, try using the HALT technique to overcome it!
Medical disclaimer: This page is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by physicians. Please refer to the full text of our medical disclaimer.
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