The human being is capable of doing great things , but sometimes you have to push him to take the first step. Occupations and difficulties often separate people from personal goals or objectives that they set out to accomplish but that end up (temporarily or permanently) in that little pile that we all have in our minds where we keep that list of pending tasks in life . Do we really not have time to carry out all those things? How can we commit to ourselves to deliver what we promised? What can we do when the will falters? Scientists have discovered several useful strategies for increasing your willpower and getting where you want to go.
Change habits
According to a study by Case Western Reserve University (USA), small changes in daily habits are enough, for example brushing our teeth for several days with the opposite hand to the one we usually use (the left hand in the case of children). right-handed), to strengthen the will and apply these changes to other more complex activities.
Muscle tension
Iris W. Hung, from the University of Singapore , has discovered a curious trick to exercise self-control: if when we feel our mouth watering at a cake we tense our biceps or the muscles of the hand for a minute, it will be more easy to avoid temptation. “The mind and body are so closely linked that simply squeezing the muscles can activate the willpower,” he concluded in the journal ‘ Journal of Consumer Research ‘.
Good actions
For his part, Kurt Gray of Harvard University has shown that doing a good deed increases our willpower and our physical endurance. “Perhaps the best way to resist a mid-morning donut is to donate the money it would cost to a good cause, ” says Gray, who reported his findings in the journal ” Social Psychological and Personality Science .”
Expose yourself to temptation
Although it may seem counterintuitive, to increase your willpower it is best to expose yourself to real temptations . In a series of experiments, scientists at the University of Chicago demonstrated that if a person is on a diet, he will better strengthen his will if he has cakes or candies in the kitchen, within reach, and avoids eating them than when he only sees images of chocolate and treats in magazines or on television.
Distraction
Distraction is also a good strategy, as researchers from Columbia University (USA) have shown. If we consciously hum or think of something else when something tempts us, it will cost us less to control ourselves.
One by one
Accomplishing several goals that require a lot of self-control at the same time can be almost impossible. According to Sandra Aamodt , editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal Nature Neuroscience , there are several activities that can quickly deplete our willpower : resisting tasting certain foods or drinks, suppressing emotional responses, taking a test, getting little sleep, and trying to impress people. someone. Therefore, it is better not to do them all at once .
Five meals a day
When we lack glucose in the blood, our capacity for self-control suffers according to Roy F. Baumeister of the University of Florida (USA). Hence, experts recommend not skipping any meal to conserve the willpower we need to exercise, stop smoking, study, acquire a habit such as cycling to work, and even persevere on a weight loss diet.
