Here’s what helps build self-control:
- Willpower can be trained just like a muscle. How to train it? Making volitional efforts. If you do it often and regularly, the task of making these efforts will eventually become easy for you;
- Meditate! Meditation on a regular basis increases blood flow to the areas of the brain which are responsible for self-control. Those areas become more active boosting the ability to exert willpower;
- Deep breathing can help, too. The fact is that when the brain “turns on” instincts, the breathing becomes rapid. Controlling one’s breathing (its rate and depth), one can control one’s instincts. Deep and slow breathing allows concentrating, what helps your willpower win against your instincts;
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- Physical exercise, just like meditation, makes the area of the brain responsible for self-control (this area is called “the prefrontal cortex”) more active. In addition, it relieves stress and eases depression. When I say “physical exercise”, I mean not only physical exercises proper (sports, working out), but also any physical activity including dancing, gardening, swimming and even walking and climbing stairs;
- Get enough sleep. If you don’t, your brain will receive less glucose, and glucose is the brain’s fuel. Willpower is energy intensive, so, without enough fuel, the brain just can’t accomplish the task of self-control – it has no strength to do it. Moreover, the prefrontal cortex (which is, as you already know, responsible for exerting willpower) loses control over other areas of the brain, what weakens willpower even more;
- Do you remember what I said earlier about training self-control like a muscle? Now, I’d like to point out that you shouldn’t overtax yourself when training your willpower. Everything should happen gradually. And be sure to have a rest and to relax from time to time;
- Stress decreases the ability to control oneself. With that in mind, prepare for stressful situations ahead of time – or try to avoid them;
- Eat healthy. Food you eat should give you energy and maintain stable blood sugar;
- Keep proper hours. In this way, your self-control will improve all by itself without you even noticing it:-);
- Try to always be punctual: fulfill all promises you gave and perform all your duties;
- Positive emotions and pleasant experiences (perhaps, surprisingly enough) boost willpower, too. So, do something that makes you feel good – listen to some music, watch a movie or have a chat with a person you find interesting.
So, that’s how to have self-control. And now, just as I promised above, I’d like to recommend you a tool that will help you strengthen you willpower with almost no effort on your part. It sounds paradoxical, but it’s true. The tool in question is a computer program that, by means of suggestion, transforms your personality the way you want. Using this program, you can not only boost your self-control, but also relieve chronic stress, overcome anxiety or depression or just become happier. FOLLOW THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS UNIQUE TOOL.
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