Self-control training: Satisfaction included

Disciplined people who have a high degree of self-control are in some ways revered and respected. But the medal also has a downside, because who always has a good grip, quickly has the image of the "fun brake" away. A study has shown that this is not true. On the contrary, disciplined people are doing great!

In the evening early to bed. Before that, no activities such as chocolate, chips or beer. Instead, sports and healthy food. These are the people of the group "self-control".

The evening like to be a little longer, extensive pub crawls, instead of sports the lolling on the sofa with cracking and crunching delicacies, which may not be healthy, but damn delicious. That could be the group of "pleasure people".

Admittedly, the former certainly live longer. But do you have something of that? Is not it dreary to always pay attention to correct behavior, proper nutrition, punctuality and discipline? Is not it, as a study has found out. But how can that be?

Happy and self-controlled

It was the collaboration of a German-American study that appeared as a series in the "Journal of Personality" and was conducted by the University of Chicago. It turned out amazing. On the one hand, the survey of 400 men and women showed that self-control is something that everyone carries. From five impulses, to do something "stupid", we give on average only two. Nonetheless, those who responded more frequently to temptation and others who were less likely to do so. The follow-up question about individual satisfaction was exciting. It was larger among the disciplined people than among those who give in to one or two impulses.

In the next step, the psychologists interviewed 400 more people about their weekly experiences. They should use the smartphone to tell how many times a week they resist temptation. Here, too, it became clear that those who frequently stayed strong and resisted the impulse to deviate spontaneously from originally conceived plans felt more contentment over the weekend than those who often indulged in the vice.

Self-control practice: "I'm off!" Or "I'll stay tough"

What is the secret of self-control? Why do some people manage to stay disciplined while the others repeatedly collapse and succumb to temptation? There are two reasons for this according to psychologists. First, people with a high degree of self-control use a small but very efficient trick. They avoid situations that may make it more difficult for them to control and do something they do not want to do. According to the motto "I'm off," they often go out of their way when lure is nearby. Second, everything is a matter of practice. Those who practice self-control more often become better at it. It can be compared to a training program where the skills and skills grow the longer and more regularly you train. As such, anyone can learn to gain more self-control. And to be more satisfied.

Do children also need self-control?

Anyone who talks about self-control will inevitably come up with the question as to when to start with it. Only as a teenager? As an adult? Or even as a child? It is well known that skills acquired earlier can be made more pronounced or perfect. A 30-year-old will certainly have a harder time learning, for example, a new language than a small three-cheese-high that naturally grows up bilingually. However, in terms of discipline and self-control, you can not just say you practice early, so you have to start quickly. Because certain skills have to develop children first. So if you start with the self-control too early, the shot goes backwards.

With patience and spit

Before you can expect self-control from the offspring, you need patience first. Because self-control requires the ability of planning. And an understanding of time. Both have babies, as well as the patience, which their parents need first of all. Only gradually does a sense of "now", "equal" and "later" develop. Patience and self-control are mutually dependent, because when a feeling arises that something does not have to happen immediately, the insight can be gained to plan things, to postpone things. And to develop self-control.

Is self-control in children really necessary?

Actually, the answer to this question, if one imagines a child's daily routine, is self-evident. This includes brushing one's teeth, later going to school, homework, perhaps to some extent and according to age, help in the household and other obligations, which children are more or less exposed to. Discipline and self-control therefore also belong to the child's life. On the other hand, children have to learn, research, try and gain experience. They need space in which they can move and develop. It would therefore be fatal to make the same demands on children as on adults. In addition, adults are gradually becoming disciplined or less disciplined people anyway. Ultimately, the decision on this is made by every adult human being. But it is good to know that self-control can be trained. In moderation, it goes without saying that even if the temptation is great, it is exaggerating.

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