Improve self-control with hypnosis and other techniques + tips
Self-control, it can apply to anything where you actually need to tell yourself no or just "Yes! Do it now." Research shows that if children have enough self-control to put off eating something sweet, for example, because they know they will get more of that sweet later, there is a good chance that this child will become a successful adult.
Even in adult life, self-control is still important to be successful, whatever your goal. That's why in this blog I discuss ways you can improve your self-control.
What does self-control mean?
Self-control means being able to go against your instinct or impulse not to do something or, on the contrary, to do something you don't feel like doing right away. This is a quality that largely distinguishes us from our ancestors and much of the animal kingdom.
You can train animals to delay behavior, as when you put a treat on a dog's nose until he is allowed to eat it, but it is not quite the same as human self-control.
Instead of reacting impulsively to a stimulus, such as an offer, and taking advantage of the offer immediately, you weigh various options. For example, is the purchase really necessary? Is there an alternative to the purchase? This kind of weighing on impulse is a form of self-control that is characteristic of humans.
Another temptation that you can ignore with good self-control is the urge to stop working or to stop doing your homework. Self-control, on the other hand, ensures that you do continue working or doing your homework. In that case, self-control is also referred to as discipline.
When do you need more self-control?
You may need self-control in all kinds of situations—in social relationships, achieving personal goals, reaching business goals, and maintaining your health.
Self-control in social relationships
All kinds of emotions can be stirred up in relationships. For example, you might feel jealous if your partner goes somewhere without you. Self-control and love then ensure that you don’t try to control the other person’s life like a total idiot. Some people need self-control for this, while others do not.
Another emotion that arises in relationships—such as with children or coworkers—is irritation or anger. How great is the temptation, often, to slap someone or start bullying them?
Lack of self-control is often something that causes problems such as child abuse or workplace violence. Instead of reacting like adults, the impulse to strike is greater than self-control.
Self-mastery in achieving personal goals
Self-control is also important when it comes to personal goals. One personal goal that most people have faced at some point is losing weight. For many people, exercising self-control when it comes to food is one of the hardest things there is.
Especially if you already have something tasty in the house, it's very hard to resist.
Not buying fatty foods often works, but if you share a household with someone who doesn't want to lose weight, sometimes you really have to think three times before you walk to that refrigerator.
Self-mastery for achieving business goals
Work comes before the girl. This is a saying often used in the Netherlands, usually by parents. In any case, it refers to the self-control a strong you have to work, or as mentioned earlier to do homework.
Especially as an entrepreneur who sets his or her own schedule, it’s tempting to take a day off when the weather is nice, but that can slow your progress toward your business goals.
So even then, self-control is vital to achieve success.
Self-control for your health
Addictions are often the most unhealthy habit you can have. Just as losing weight requires you to leave food, withdrawal requires you to leave the addictive substance. This requires almost extra self-control because the addiction triggers incredibly strong cravings.
Research also shows that people with low self-control often take more risks than those with higher self-control. As a result, things can go wrong more often, increasing the likelihood that people will see themselves as victims. A healthy level of self-control is therefore also important for your mental health.
Learning self-control, how do you do it?
For whatever purpose you want to learn self-control, it's certainly possible, and sometimes it's easier than you think.
Self-control for mental addictions
In the case of some mental addictions , hypnosis can already be a great solution to stop the craving for the drug, not even requiring your self-control to be super well improved.
The addiction is then made incredibly unappealing in your subconscious. As a result, you’ll be repulsed by the idea of using the addictive substance. This can work, for example, with addictions to pills or marijuana.
This is also possible with alcohol addiction, but because you also become physically dependent on alcohol, it’s important to seek guidance during withdrawal. The physical symptoms can be very severe, making self-control difficult, and medical intervention is sometimes necessary.
Learning self-control for business goals
Especially in your business life, self-control is important. Maybe you have a lot to do in a day and then focus is something you need. One way to strengthen that self-control is to use mindfulness.
Mindfulness helps you stay focused on your work. Research shows that many people get distracted by emails and social media. Through mindfulness, you can recognize more quickly when you’re getting distracted and can regain your self-control more quickly by simply focusing your attention on the work at hand.
Learning self-control for achieving personal goals
Self-control can also be taught for achieving personal goals. When dieting, self-control is incredibly important, especially since you can find something (unhealthy) to eat on almost every street corner. The study also shows that if you have strong self-control it causes a significant reduction in your weight in 4 months.
Mindfulness can also help with these types of personal goals to increase your self-control. For example, mindful eating is helpful when you really just want to eat healthy. I myself once noticed that a pizza just didn't taste good to me when I ate it mindfully because I suddenly realized that I was only eating fat.
Learning self-control for social relationships
Self-control in social situations is one of the most important skills you can have. It allows you to strengthen those relationships and it makes you less at risk of rejection through antisocial behavior.
Mindfulness is also the key to improving self-control in relationships. As a result, you’ll often find yourself reacting less impulsively. This applies to both romantic relationships and your relationships with your children.
In addition, setting an intention for the day is also a great way to strengthen that self-control. With every decision you make, you consider whether or not that brings you closer to your intention. These intentions can be:
- Today I am helpful.
- Today I am positive.
- Today I am going to deepen relationships.
Can you run out of self-control?
Precisely because self-control is something that you need to make strong, people also think that you can run out of self-control. Scientific research also shows that if you have made decisions that already makes your self-control a little weaker with the next decision.
This also explains why children whine so much with some people, because you do lose your temper once and give your child his/her way.
Running out is not really what it is, however, because you can also recharge it. Therefore, try one day to get yourself into a situation where making decisions is as minimal as possible. Or try to make sure there are larger periods of time between decisions to recharge your self-control.
General tips for strengthening your self-control
Good habits can also be learned to strengthen your self-control. That's why I have some general tips for increased self-control.
Tip #1: Make your bed every day
By making your bed each day, you immediately start the day with a good habit. You can then keep that trend going for the rest of the day.
Tip 2: Avoid unhealthy places
Whether this is people who are annoying or a fast food restaurant avoid places where you are more likely to lose your self-control. This also reduces the temptation to do something stupid.
Tip 3: Visualize temptations to change your perception
For example, if you are tempted to eat something unhealthy, you can visualize that what you see is actually a picture and not something grippy or perhaps you visualize it as something other than what it is. In a study from the 1960s, children visualized marshmallows as clouds which reduced the temptation to eat them a lot.
Want to learn more about mental techniques to improve your self-control or help others do so? Then check out Hypnosis Institute Netherlands' training courses.
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/self-control
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/mot/1/S/19/
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9125.12030/full
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjhp.12053/full
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/open-gently/201505/8-ways-boost-your-self-control