Simple pause techniques can reduce impulsive reactions in adolescents and adults.

Adolescent brains are still developing, making emotional control more difficult.

Consistent practice of breathing and delay improves response control over time.

The voices were already rising when I walked into the yard of the youth detention center in Bogotá. Carlos Andrés stood face to face with another young man, his body tense, his eyes fixed, the kind of moment that can turn physical in seconds. Words had lost their weight, and the space between them was closing quickly. I stepped closer and spoke firmly, without raising my voice, “Breathe… count… just wait.” For a moment, it seemed as if nothing would change, yet something small appeared, a pause, almost invisible, where he held back just long enough for the situation to shift in a different direction.

What I asked him to do in that moment may sound familiar in another setting. The turtle technique is often introduced to children to help them manage strong emotions, guiding them to pause, breathe, and step back before reacting. It sounds simple, yet it carries depth when practiced with intention. Over the following months, I worked closely with Carlos Andrés, who at 19 had already developed strong patterns of impulsivity and oppositional behavior consistent with oppositional defiant disorder. Rather than asking him to hide, the work focused on helping him withdraw internally, to remain present, breathe, count, and create a brief space before responding.

This approach aligns with what research continues to show about development and behavior. During adolescence and early adulthood, impulse control systems are still forming, which makes immediate reactions more likely in emotionally intense situations (Green et al., 2023). Consistent use of simple regulation strategies........

© Psychology Today