6 Easy Tips to Increase Self Control
Photo Courtesy: Eneas De Troya
You may feel the need to exercise restraint and control in your life for many reasons. You could be succumbing to a range of temptations including eating more, spending more, talking more or getting angry easily. Irrespective of what your temptation is, here are a few ways in which you can increase self control.
1. Exercise regularly
Experts have stated that exercise can help in increasing focus and self control. When you exercise and strain your muscles, you are likely to increase your threshold of pain. When you try to achieve certain targets set by your instructor at the gym, you get into the habit of giving yourself positive affirmations to achieve your fitness target no matter what. This will help you to exercise restraint and conquer your desire to do something that you shouldn’t be doing.
2. Intensify your efforts
You can increase self control by deciding to reward yourself whenever you successfully overcome a desire. When you know that you will get a reward for your efforts, you are likely to be doubly motivated to make sure that you do your very best. So the next time you are trying to exercise control in eating, drinking or spending, picture your reward in front of your eyes and exercise control.
3. Practice meditation
Meditation is a technique which is known to help in increasing focus, concentration and stability of the mind. It involves watching the thoughts in your mind and the breath in your body. Meditation can help you to be in control of your senses because of which you may be able to restrain your impulses in a more effective way. Ten minutes of meditation on a daily basis can help you to see a significant change in your ability to control yourself.
4. Involve a friend or a family member
If you think that you need external intervention in increasing your self control, you can involve a friend or a family member to help. Request your friend to intimate you every time he or she spots you losing your self control and indulging in something that you shouldn’t. Develop your own conscience as you receive help from others, otherwise you will not be able to exercise self control independently.
5. Distract yourself every time you feel temptation to succumb
An effective way to overcome your temptation for anything is to distract yourself as soon as you feel a wave of desire leaping in your heart. For example, if you want to restrain yourself from consuming more calories, start thinking about the cost of your gym membership, as soon as you have a hunger pang. If you want to control yourself from losing your temper at silly things, start singing a song as soon as you think that you are about to lose your cool.
6. De-motivate yourself by thinking about the negative consequences of losing self control
You can increase your self control by thinking about the negative consequences of succumbing to a temptation. This will repulse you and you won’t have to struggle to exercise restraint. Thinking about the ill effects of giving into your temptation may also reduce the frequency of your bouts of desire.
