Have you ever wondered what are the secrets to having self-control and willpower? In this article, we reveal some strategies.
Last update: June 10, 2020
Willpower and self-control are capable of changing our life in many ways, and science confirms it. Eating a healthy diet, reading more, playing sports, or working towards a long-term goal make the benefits of willpower lasting.
A group of scientists led by Terrie Moffit of Duke University studied self-control on a group of 1.000 individuals. These were followed from birth to age 32 as part of a long-term health study in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Together with his colleagues, Moffitt found that individuals with greater self-control in childhood became healthier adults both physically and mentally.
In light of these results, it is evident that willpower and self-control mark our steps along the path of our life. Recent studies suggest that willpower and self-control can be strengthened through practice.
Data on willpower and self-control
Researchers who study self-control often describe it as a muscle that fatigues as a result of exertion. However, they also say that there is another aspect of the muscle analogy. Even if your muscles tire with short-term exercise, it strengthens them in the long run.
Using willpower consistently in one area also improves others
Australian scientists Megan Oaten and Ken Cheng of Macquarie University in Sydney assigned a group of volunteers a training program - an activity that requires willpower - for two months.
Participants who performed better on self-control tests reported that they smoked and drank less alcohol, ate healthier, controlled their expenses, and improved their study habits. By consistently applying their willpower to exercise, they have strengthened other vital areas as well.
Procrastinate satisfaction
More than 40 years ago, Columbia University psychologist Walter Mischel explored children's self-control with a simple but effective test. The scientist left the children alone in a room with a candy on the table.
Before leaving the children alone with the candy, the little ones were warned that the scientist would go out and that if in his absence they would not eat it, when he returned they would have many more. A classic experiment, which has been replicated many times by analyzing the influence of different variables.
Children who succumbed to temptation also scored lower on adult self-control tests. It can therefore be concluded that an individual's sensitivity to immediate stimuli appears to persist throughout life.
Willpower and glucose
Eating often to maintain blood and brain glucose levels also helps replenish willpower stores. But we must not be fooled by the word "sugar".
According to experts, healthy foods without refined sugar are best suited for keeping blood glucose levels balanced.
The goals: better one by one
The results of Willpower's burnout studies suggest that making a list of goals isn't helpful if we really want to achieve them.
Being exhausted in one area can lead to a reduction in willpower in other aspects of our life, so it makes more sense to focus on one goal at a time.
Evaluating goals one by one makes the most sense. After adopting a healthy habit, says Baumeister, it is no longer necessary to use willpower to maintain it. In time, healthy habits become routines and can be followed with much less effort.
Self-control, or how to avoid temptations
Avoiding temptation is an effective tactic for maintaining self-control. In Walter Mischel's experiment, the children who had concentrated threw in the towel earlier and resisted less. Those who closed their eyes, looked the other way, or got distracted in some other way, were better able to resist temptation.
Preventing Behaviors
Another useful tactic to improve self-control is to determine how we will behave in anticipation of certain circumstances. For example, a person trying to control alcohol consumption may decide before a party that "if someone offers me a drink, I'll have a coke".
Intentions enhance self-control. Having a plan to implement in advance helps you make decisions on the spot without having to apply willpower.
The motivation is decisive
Mark Muraven has found that individuals whose willpower has run out persist in self-control if they expect a reward for their efforts.
A high level of motivation, therefore, can help overcome weakened willpower, at least to some extent.
Neuroscientific findings
Researchers found that the prefrontal cortex (the brain area that controls executive functions, such as decision making) exhibits greater activity in individuals with more self-control. Likewise, the ventral striatum (region believed to manage desire and reward) shows increased activity in people with less self-control.
The truth is, there are still many unanswered questions about the nature of self-control. However, it seems that with clear goals, the right amount of self-control, and a little practice, we can train ourselves to keep willpower steadfast in the face of temptation.
