Three ways to power up your self- control
The more self-control you have the better able you will be to avoid eating an entire pizza in one sitting. The less likely you’ll be to pop off in frustration, or to buy the $200 shoes that you don’t really need. Decisions get easier and you’ll be calmer and less reactive.
Still, we are bombarded daily by stresses, decisions and temptations sure to suck our self-control right out of us. But, there are a few simple things we can do to strengthen our reserves and make it easier to cope with life’s challenges.
Three ways to strengthen your self-control
1. Think about the why. In several experiments led by Kentaro Fujita participants who thought about “why” they did something were able to exert greater self-control and persist longer at a task then those who thought about “how” to do something. For example, if you think about why you are not going to eat an entire pizza – because you want to be healthy — you’re bound to strengthen your self-control and resist better than if you think about how you are going to avoid eating the pizza by just filling up on salad. When we know what the end result is – the goal we are going for — rather than the means of getting there, we’re more likely to put down the slice of pie, and build-up our personal power.
2. Take a time out. We are constantly facing things that test our self-control. Make sure that each day you have a little breather from the bombardment and simplify your choices. If you’re buying toothpaste, for example, get the kind you always get to take some of the stress out of the kind of decision making that can tax yourself-control on bigger things. Be sure too, to find a few minutes for restorative quiet each day. Take deep breaths, allow thoughts to flutter in and out, but don’t act on them. When your reserves of self-control are depleted, you need some time and space to refill.
3. Change the way you operate. Use your non-dominant hand to operate the mouse, pour the cereal, brush your teeth, or do anything else (that is safe to do) for two weeks. This takes self-control. As you practice this and persist, you become more disciplined and more able to handle all the other irritations in your day, according to research by Thomas Denson. Even changing your posture can help do this. So, if you a shoulder slumper, practice sitting up straight and your self-control will improve. That will help you remain calm and controlled even under pressure.
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