Willpower And Self-control Can Change Your Life

Developing willpower and self-control can change many aspects of your life. For example , adding and sticking to a healthy diet, reading more books, exercising and even working towards a long-term goal. In fact, the benefits seem to extend through life.

Similarly, Terrie Moffit of Duke University and a group of colleagues studied self-control in a group of 1,000 individuals. The researchers followed them from birth until they were 32 years old. It was part of a long-term health study in Dunedin, New Zealand. Together with colleagues, Moffitt discovered that individuals with well- developed self-control during childhood became healthier adults, both physically and mentally.

With these results, it is clear that willpower and self-control are crucial for a good life. Recent studies suggest that there are ways to strengthen willpower and self-control. All you have to do is put them into practice.

Facts about willpower and self-control

Researchers who study self-control often describe it as a muscle. This is because it gets tired of all the heavy lifting. However, they also say that there is another side to the muscle analogy. For example, although your muscles may be sore for a while after exercise, they are also stronger in the long run.

Use willpower and self-control consistently in one area, and the rest will be better

Australian researchers Megan Oaten and Ken Cheng from Macquarie University in Sydney assigned a group of volunteers a training program (or another activity that required willpower) for two months.

Participants who performed better on self-control tests reported that they smoked and drank less. In addition, they ate healthier, controlled consumption and even improved their study habits. To consistently use willpower in physical exercise, generalized and apparently strengthened each participant in other important areas.

Delayed satisfaction

For over 40 years ago examined the psychologist Walter Mischel at Columbia University , children’s self-control. He did it with a simple but effective test. They put some delicious candy in front of the participants in the study. They were children, in this case.

Before leaving them alone, the researcher announced that he would go outside for a moment, and that if the child managed not to touch the candy during the absence, he would give them a new one when he returned. They would not get another candy otherwise. This is a classic experiment. In fact, it has been copied many times.

The researchers mainly analyze the influence of different variables. Overall, children who could not resist eating the candy were less successful in self-control tests as adults. An individual’s sensitivity to immediate stimuli seems to continue throughout a person’s life.

Glucose, willpower and self-control

Eating often to maintain your blood sugar level in your brain can also help recharge your reserve power. Do not let the word “sugar” fool you.
According to nutritionists, healthy foods that do not contain refined sugar are better than processed ones. They can actually balance blood sugar levels.

Goals are better achieved one at a time

The findings from the “willpower exhaustion” studies also suggest that the list of New Year’s resolutions is not a very good idea. At least if you really want to achieve everything you write on them. Exhaustion in one area of ​​your life can reduce your willpower in other areas. Thus, it makes more sense to pursue one goal at a time.

If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. According to Baumeister, in fact, it is no longer necessary to exercise willpower to maintain certain behaviors once you have acquired the first good habit. Over time, healthy habits become the norm and continuing them requires little effort.

Do not give up

This is an effective strategy for maintaining self-control. In the aforementioned candy study by Walter Mischel, children who focused their attention on the candy gave up earlier or resisted less. Those who closed their eyes, saw the other way or distracted themselves in some way, could resist the urge to eat it.

Implementation intention

Another useful strategy for improving self-control is the “intention to implement” technique. For example, someone trying to keep alcohol consumption in check may decide to ask for mineral water in advance every time someone offers them a drink.

Implementation intention improves self-control. Thus, planning allows you to make immediate decisions that do not require willpower.

Motivation is the key

Mark Muraven found that individuals whose willpower had been discharged could still exercise self-control in certain tasks, mainly when someone promised some kind of reimbursement for the effort. Either monetary or just the satisfaction of helping another person.

He concludes that high motivation can help overcome weakened willpower, at least to some extent.

Neuroscientific findings

Researchers found that the forehead lobe (a region that controls executive functions, such as decision-making) shows greater activity in people with greater self-control. Similarly, the ventral striatum (a region believed to control the processes of desire and reward) shows an increase in activity in those with less self-control.

Finally, there are many questions that can not yet be answered about the nature of self-control. However, it seems that with clear goals, self-vigilance and a little practice, you can train your willpower and remain strong when it comes to resisting certain desires and following the directions that have fewer demands and orders.