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You might ask yourself “why do I have such a short fuse?” You can get angry at the drop of a hat, and it accelerates so quickly that you’re stomping around slamming doors before you even know it. Some of your friends may even question why you act this way.
Actually the length of your “fuse” is determined by a number of reasons:
First of all, we all enter life wired a little differently from our parents, grandparents, even our sisters and brothers. Even twins born just a few minutes apart have slightly different genes. It might take years for these differences to show up, but your mother will know almost immediately.
Impulse Buy
Some people are impulsive, acting quickly – often without thinking. Others are slow and deliberate, taking their time to think before acting. Impulsive, fast acting, excitable people have much shorter “fuses” than their calm, cool and relaxed siblings.
However parents can be a big factor in the “fuse” equation. If one or both of your parents are high-strung and quick-tempered, there is a good chance you will turn out very similar. Hence the old saying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Even if you don’t live with your parents, you can pick up traits from a close mentor or role model.
You Against the World
Your unique personality has a lot to do with the length of your “fuse.” If you are impatient, demanding, confrontational, aggressive and impulsive in your everyday life, more than likely your fuse is dangerously short. Basically it’s you against the world and the rest of us had better look out.
The question then becomes, how can you make your fuse a lot longer? We know it’s not possible to change your parents or your genes but you can change your lifestyle. To start, you can cut back on the amount of caffeine, sugar and junk food you consume every day. Obviously chemicals that affect your brain also affect your mood and actions. And, if you are a substance abuser, you are more apt to be on edge.
Is There Something Else Going On?
You may also be suffering with one or more undiagnosed mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder. So it wouldn’t take very much to make you angry. You may also have a low stress tolerance, causing anxiety, shortening your fuse even further.
Sleep it Off
You could evaluate your sleeping habits. You might not be getting enough sleep. You should be sleeping seven to nine hours every night including on weekends.Getting less sleep than that or having interrupted sleep can be hard on your nerves. Younger people especially have erratic sleep habits, and that can cause serious health problems later in life.
Even more important is the quality of your sleep. It’s important to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. In addition try not to eat, smoke or exercise within two hours of going to bed.
Whatever
You might also have a bit of a stubborn trait that prevents you from letting the other person have the last word. If you just can’t allow that, you might try ending the conflict or situation with the classic “whatever.” Don’t continue arguing. Just say “whatever you say” and walk away.
This report is not a diagnosis. We hope this information can guide you toward improving your life.
Review our Knowledge Base or the links displayed on this page for similar and related topics.