Ever feel hijacked by your emotions?
Like you know it’s not helpful, but you still do the thing anyway?
Yeah. Me too.
For me, it’s food—especially the kind that spikes my blood sugar.
Tonight, after a rough day of unexpected neck pain, I gave in to a craving for tortilla chips. Just a handful… and then some.
Now? My blood sugar’s going to be wrecked for a few days.
This is what emotional urges do. They feel urgent. And sometimes, they win.
But there’s a tool from Dialectical Behavior Therapy that I try to keep in my back pocket—
Opposite Action.
It’s simple. Not easy.
But powerful.
You do the opposite of what your emotion is telling you to do.
Feel like isolating? Call someone.
Anxious and want to avoid? Show up anyway.
Craving junk food? Choose something that supports your health instead.
Tonight, I didn’t use Opposite Action.
And I’m feeling the consequence.
But I’m not here to beat myself up. I’m here to remind myself—and maybe you—that every moment is a chance to try again.
Opposite Action doesn’t erase the urge.
It gives you power over it.
Next time, I’ll cook. Or breathe. Or pause.
Because emotional urges don’t have to run the show.