Have you ever spent more time on the Internet than working? Failing to keep good resolutions after a few weeks? It's normal for the brain and body to conserve energy and prioritise short-term pleasure above long-term advantages.
If we lose control and choose short-term pleasure over long-term pleasure, we have trouble controlling our will. That's fine, but a few simple exercises can help us control it daily for personal and professional gain.
Will is the ability to manage attention, emotions, and wants. However, our brain will automatically choose things that give us immediate pleasure, such as smoking, munching, and using social media. Not that we lack self-discipline, but that we struggle to regulate it.
Man has always lived communally. He learned early on to be self-disciplined so his behaviour wouldn't harm the tribe. This self-discipline lets us live in harmony with others in private and professional contexts today.
The brain transfers energy to the prefrontal cortex to control urges and make better decisions. However, when we are hungry, exhausted, or drunk, this prefrontal cortex lowers in activity, creating an internal conflict between our will and the brain's demand for instant fulfilment.
Willpower, like energy, is finite. Tiredness is typical after strenuous exercise. When we manage ourselves, we use willpower. As this resource dwindles, our decision-making becomes biassed, and we default to quick satisfaction.
Our brain's reward system activates and sends dopamine when we see something we like, even if it doesn't serve our interests in the long run. This is why we all get involved in hobbies that seem seductive and allow us to escape, but ultimately lead to discontent and guilt (like social media).
Self-discipline teaches how to improve willpower to avoid distractions that provide short-term rewards and remorse for not serving our aims.
Avoiding stress is a good idea since it inhibits us from making wise choices. Stress increases output valves in the brain, leading us to instant gratification activities.
Ignoring the future, we focus on the want to gratify these desires, even though we know they won't last. We procrastinate because we think we'll have the energy later, like to fill out our tax form.
Willpower is learned and can be improved daily. This will help you listen to yourself and accept unnecessary wants instead of ignoring them, which reinforces them.
The prefrontal cortex uses a lot of energy. Choose nights between 7 and 9 hours to recharge and avoid fatigue-induced flight of will.
Find a quiet spot and time. Sit straight with a relaxed back, shoulders, arms, and legs (or cross-legged on the floor). Concentrate on your nose, lungs, or stomach breathing. Thoughts are normal; softly return to breathing. You will learn to avoid getting caught in your thoughts, not repress them.
Set a 5-minute timer to meditate without looking at a clock. Start with one or two minutes if 5 minutes is too much: practise daily and improve slowly by undertaking longer sessions. Simply be mindful of your feelings and relax into the moment.
Write down all your decisions for a day and observe them: when did you forget the long-term aim and act on impulse? What activities may you have avoided to save willpower?