Three Ways To Increase Self-control According To Science

Many people find it difficult to be consistent when it comes to achieving their goals. It is tough to maintain the willpower we need to continue  moving forward towards our goals. If we want to increase our self-control, we must take responsibility for our actions and decisions.

Let’s get this straight. The main problem when it comes to pursuing a goal is that we encounter things along the way that disrupt it. For example, we want to lose weight, but on the other hand, we love to eat. It is difficult to remember our goal and resist the temptation. The same goes for many other aspects: We want to learn something new (a skill or a language, for example), but it is difficult for us to have time for it (reduce free time or get up earlier).

Increasing self-control (as well as willpower) is necessary for anyone who wants to grow as a person. After all, it’s important to get where you want to be.

How can you increase your self-control?

Self-control is the ability to suppress impulses, emotions and behaviors to achieve long-term goals. The ability to exercise self-control is what allows us to focus our attention on achieving all kinds of goals.

There are many ways to increase self-control and improve our willpower. In this article, we discuss something that science has proven.

Keep your stress under control

One of the reasons we lose self-control and our willpower falls apart is that we feel “forced” to do something. That is why taking responsibility for our actions is the basis of self-control. We must realize that this is our goal, and that no one else should do our work for us.

In fact, research shows that people function better and cope better with stress  when they feel in control. If you think things are out of your control, they probably are.

Furthermore, we know that stress can change the brain and weaken self-control when we are faced with a choice. According to a study, immediate reward characteristics have a greater influence on decisions made after a stressful period.

Researchers found that stressed individuals were more likely to choose unhealthy foods compared to people who were not stressed at all.

They also discovered that the effects of stress were also visible in the brain. The brains of the stressed participants showed altered connection patterns between different brain areas, which mainly reduces individuals’ ability to exercise self-control over food choices. Only some of these changes were associated with cortisol, the stress hormone.

Their study indicates that even moderate stress levels can affect self-control. One of the researchers explains that this is important because moderate stressors are more common than extreme events, and will therefore influence self-controlling decisions more often. Therefore, it is important to look for tools and strategies to manage and regulate stress.

In this sense, it is always a good way to control the level of stress and strengthen our willpower by stopping and taking a deep breath when we face temptations. Eating right, exercising or meditating also helps.

Go through with your plan

According to a study published in the  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,  self-esteem facilitates self-control. Self-affirmation can increase self-control by promoting higher levels (toward lower levels) of mental construction. Self-affirmation is therefore a mental strategy that reduces the likelihood of self-control failing.

A good example of this is the difference between saying “I can not” and “no” to yourself. It has been shown that regaining control of the situation by using the phrase “I have not” is more effective in helping us follow our plan and get rid of bad habits.

Every time you tell yourself “I can not”, you create a loop of negative feedback since you only remember your limitations. This indicates that you are forcing yourself to do something you do not want to do. Therefore, you should say “no” to yourself instead of punishing yourself by thinking that you can not reach your goal.

Practice mindfulness

Various studies show that mindfulness meditation improves a wide range of skills related to self-control and willpower, including attention, focus, stress management, impulse control and self-awareness.

Meditation changes the function and structure of the brain to support self-control. Just eight weeks of daily meditation can help improve self-control.

Other studies have found that meditation is very helpful in trying to get rid of addictions or bad habits (such as smoking) or trying to achieve personal goals such as losing weight.