Would we be able to overcome addictions, eat healthier, do our work on time, fight procrastination, and accomplish our goals if we had more self control?
The ability to exercise self control can benefit you in many areas of your life, such as your relationships, your ability to reach your goals in life, and even your success in the workplace. Many people think they might suddenly change their life if they could just learn the art of self control and developed better willpower. They would be able to adopt healthier habits, begin eating better, and regain control over their life.
Self Control helps with:
1. Emotional Regulation: It helps you manage your emotions as you choose your response and how you act wisely. Imagine you had a fight with your partner over something. Even if you feel you are right and feel like you are burning in anger, self control can help you deal with the situation and talk wisely. Hence, it helps you respond to emotional situations in a healthy and constructive manner.
2. Behavioral Control: It helps to control short-term urges and gain control in life, such as sticking to a particular diet. This would help you resist short-term temptations like eating sweets or junk and achieve a higher, longer-lasting goal.
3. Cognitive Control: It helps focusing attention, resisting distractions, and maintaining mental effort over time. As it helps to draw cognitive maps that are loaded with logic and help you achieve happiness.
Jeremy McCarthy writes about the connection between stress and willpower at spas, quoting research from The American Psychological Association in his article "Stress, Willpower And What You Want to Want." It suggests you lack the willpower, which gets in the way of your goals, and especially health-related ones.
Willpower and Brain
Operating as the most complex organ in our body, the brain determines how we manifest in this world - and that was exactly what technology like MRI did for researchers who wanted to study its activity during states of willpower. According to Dr. Metanchuk, willpower engages the prefrontal cortex part of your brain, which is essential for decision-making and inhibition—meaning stopping yourself from doing things like smoking or hanging out with friends who might not be supportive.
But the challenge is when dealing with two appealing options. The enormous distinction between long-term pleasure and short-term pain causes cognitive dissonance.
Eg, you are planning to leave sweets because[you want to lose weight.
Because if we want lasting joy (long term) then our mind will prefer to choose Plan A, yet at a biological level, we choose plan B because it is easier to achieve. This is where you need to kick in your willpower which would help you make a wise choice. This can help reduce cognitive dissonance caused by wanting to lose weight but also eating sweets. Willpower is a finite resource which if mastered, the art of self control can be achieved.
Strategies to Enhance Willpower and Gain Self-Control
When exercising willpower, timing and how you react becomes very essential.
For eg :- When you try to wake up early in the morning and your alarm rings.
Your brain quickly dives into the process of rationalization and instantly starts to give you ideas to skip this task because it is potentially difficult for you to achieve when compared with sleeping. Hence it becomes important to:
Set Clear Goals
When trying to set a goal make sure for it to be SMART i.e Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound. Now that means you just don’t just say “I will wake up early in the morning.” Set it specifically–” I will wake up early in the morning for three months and exercise.”
Which means it is on point, achievable and has a clear purpose to what needs to be done.
After setting the goal, the next step is to plan. This means that you prepare yourself mentally and set time and make changes in your schedule to wake up early.
Mindfulness
Engage in activities like meditation and grounding exercises to help you connect with the present and achieve your goals. As today is what counts. As you have set your goal to wake up early, staying in the present would account for you engaging in activities with your whole heart leading to long term results.
A simple grounding technique that can be used here is:
Find a place in a garden and just lay down, close your eyes and listen to all the sounds around you. If any thought crops up, re-focus by taking a deep breath and try to focus on the sounds from your surroundings again.
Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is very important to achieve self control and increase your willpower. As if only when your mind and body are in sync can you work efficiently.
You will only be able to wake up on time when you sleep adequately and eat healthy.
Positivity
Surrounding yourself with positivity will exponentially improve your willpower and unlock your self control, as with a positive attitude comes great happiness and the will to achieve.
Your decision to wake up early and exercise can be reinforced if your family and friends encourage you and you yourself affirm positively like:
“Waking up early has helped me________”
You can also read: https://www.solhapp.com/blog/random-act-of-kindness
Self Reflection
Self control can be achieved by gaining insight and tracking what you are doing. Journaling your thoughts will help you to scale your success in achieving goals but also help you identify hurdles on the way.
Build Resilience
Self-control can be achieved and willpower can be boosted when you learn from your mistakes and still choose to keep doing a task which causes uneasiness.
Like waking up in the morning might feel painful but when you keep doing it irrespective,you will eventually become used to it and have access to willpower.
Practicing self control demands patience and consistent effort. It is not a single day achievement but a long term dedication to self improvement and growth. As we develop the ability to exercise self control and start to make thoughtful decisions we can eventually improve our ability to perform and function.
Normalises Seeking Help: Solh combats the stigma connected with mental health by establishing a judgment-free zone. This can encourage someone battling with trying to seek expert help.
Anonymous Support Groups: Connecting with those who understand your problem can be quite useful. Sharing experiences and realizing they are not alone can provide a great source of comfort and encouragement.
Talk Now: When dealing with overwhelming emotions, have access to a counselor who can help you guide you through any hiccup you face.
Clinical Support: The app's simple access to confidential consultations can be an excellent initial step for someone struggling with trying to achieve goals who is hesitant to pursue traditional in-person therapy.
Other: Solh is a one-stop place for you to access and navigate different sources like audios, guides, and reading material to help you deal with any ongoing stressor.
