We've all been through countless situations in life where we couldn't get enough control over our conflicting drives and thoughts. You may not be able to resist the temptation to smoke a cigarette, even though you clearly want to quit. Or you have a hard time giving up that cozy alcoholic drink, when you actually know that it is better for you.
Willpower is something we struggle with in our daily life. That's because these conflicts are internal and often the result of two powerful opposing voices.
Willpower is controlled by the brain's prefrontal cortex, the part that also regulates self-control and decision-making. Therefore, the most effective way to control your willpower is to take good care of this part of your brain.
Willpower and the Marshmallow Experiment
One of the most popular experiments ever conducted to investigate the power of the will is the Marshmallow experiment. It Marshmallow experiment, which began in the 1960s, was led by psychologist Walter Mischel.
In the experiment, 4-year-old children were allowed to choose between now one marshmallow or two marshmallows if they could only wait 15 minutes. As these children grew up, researchers were able to track their performance, especially with regard to willpower and decision-making.
It was noted that the kids who now resisted the temptation of one marshmallow in favor of two 15 minutes later achieved greater academic and financial success. This demographic and group of people was also characterized by better health and lower rates of criminal offenses and divorces, compared to the group that chose one marshmallow directly.
From this experiment alone, it is abundantly clear that choosing delayed gratification over instant gratification is one of the most powerful ways to nurture willpower.
Numerous subsequent studies and experiments seeking to explore the power of it have corroborated the findings of the Marshmallow experiment. Some studies went so far as to compare siblings, only to show how delayed gratification positively impacted participants' willpower as they grew up.
One thing is certain: we all long to always have our willpower under control. But dealing with two conflicting needs is not that easy. Luckily for you, we've collected some of the proven strategies you can implement to give your willpower an absolute boost.
10 tips to improve your willpower
Have an exercise routine
Healthy dieting goes hand in hand with sports. But the goal here is to always push your own boundaries.
If you did 10 reps yesterday in your workout, consider 11 today, 12 tomorrow, and keep raising the bar as you go. By pushing your limits, you can gradually work towards a higher performance.
Feed your mind with the right foods
"You are what you eat."
This age-old saying, however many times it is repeated, has never lost its meaning. And it especially sounds true when it comes to increasing your willpower. Choosing the right foods to feed your mind doesn't have to be a tedious process.
The general rule is to eat balanced diets on a regular basis, with an emphasis on healthy proteins, complex carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables. Once you've identified the healthy diets needed to optimize your brain's performance, you can also log all the foods you eat every day using a food diary or fitness app for added guidance.
Meditate
Meditation is not just a technique of connecting with your higher power. It's also an excellent strategy that trains your brain to resist the urge to wander and instead to to focus at the present moment.
According to studies, just meditating for 10 minutes a day for 3 days can greatly boost your mental focus and energy levels. And there are tons of YouTube audio tracks you can consider meditating on just to get a little more experience with them too.
Visualize your goals
Nothing fuels your willpower more than always having the picture of your goals in front of you when you want to make a decision. The image can be a mental or physical image, depending on your degree of commitment to the goals in your life.
However, experts often recommend something physical because it's even more realistic. For example, if you have trouble losing weight, bring a picture of what you would like to look like physically. When you are faced with the choice between snacking or a healthy meal, look at the photo for stimulation and know what you are doing it for. Afterwards you will experience a very satisfied and satisfied feeling!
Get plenty of sleep
Sleep deprivation is closely linked to anxiety. In summary, insomnia and anxiety affect the functionality of your prefrontal cortex. This in turn adversely affects your response to cravings, which will ultimately disrupt your willpower to eat more sensibly.
According to numerous studies, the brain scans of people who sleep at least 6.5 hours each night show no visible signs of deterioration in the prefrontal cortex.
Work on your posture
This is a simple yet powerful strategy that can help you work on your willpower. It means that you have to correct your posture when you notice that you are going slack. The strategy immediately improves your perseverance, strengthening your willpower.
Work with priorities in your tasks
Willpower is limited. Your willpower is usually highest in the morning. But as the day goes on and you make more decisions, it gradually drains, just like a gas tank.
This underlines the importance of setting priorities in your daily tasks. Always make sure to do the most important and urgent tasks in the morning, when your willpower is strongest.
Increase your ability to handle pressure
Stress is an essential part of life. But when you are stressed, your body uses a lot of energy to make spontaneous decisions. You can better use that energy by your prefrontal cortex to make more informed decisions.
Whenever you feel overwhelmed, the conventional wisdom is to put off any decision making anyway. Instead, take a deep breath and let the stress levels dissipate, then all the energy that your body would have used will be sent back to your prefrontal cortex.
Prepare for setbacks
When pursuing your goals, it is helpful and often much better to be optimistic and hope that everything will meet your expectations. However, neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt states that it is healthy to also take into account the possibility that things could go wrong.
Also see her Ted talk on why diets usually don't work:
Pay extra attention to your automatic decisions
Everyone has their own automatic decisions. You may not be able to resist the desire to go out for drinks with friends on the weekend or the temptation to snack on junk food.
After you understand your automatic decisions, you can get in the habit of always putting them off. Before making such decisions, take the time to assess the value of each choice. Any decision that involves sacrificing long-term success for short-term pleasure is actually not worth considering at all.
Finally
Like most positive habits, strong willpower takes time to develop. But if you follow the tips mentioned above diligently and with patience, it will only be a matter of time before you fully control your impulses and urges.
Sources including AllMarketing (link), InspirationFeed (link), Lifehack (link), TheStrive (link)
Very good article this and very recognizable! Very close to the daily routine. Can I do something with it!
But Sandra Aamodt was a real eye-opener!
Hooray for this doctor who puts his finger on the sore spot exactly for me. Eating when you are hungry is a (scientifically substantiated) advice that I can do something with!