How to Avoid Cognitive Dissonance

• Become self-aware of your defensiveness.
• How? Make a list of your triggers—things that upset you—and practice paying attention when triggered. Look for physical reactions such as warmth in your face and chest, sweaty palms, reduced hearing, and tunnel vision.
• Realize that not all actions are irrevocable or unable to be changed.
• Develop your ability to acknowledge and learn from mistakes and errors (Aronson, 2018).