TOP 8 exercises to develop your self-control

Hello blog readers. In this article, I want to tell you why self-control is so important, what its absence can threaten, and I will also share the most effective exercises for its development.

Development of self-control

Before taking the first steps, it is worth remembering that instant results will not come, and the development of any new personal quality takes time and gradualness. Self-control is the quality that allows you to balance on the border of desires and needs, while being able to sacrifice momentary pleasure or motivation for the sake of a further better result.

Discomfort with self-control

The formation of life strategies and attitudes occurs every day and reflects the habits of a person. Accordingly, depending on your daily actions, the ability to control your life will develop or be completely destroyed.

The less discipline in your life at the time of the beginning of the changes, the more discomfort you will have to face. At the same time, it is important to understand that the presence of negative sensations indicates the right path. But if you feel lightness and simplicity, then most likely you are deceiving yourself somewhere.

The difficulties of the transition to a new way of life can be explained by the reluctance of the psyche to leave the usual comfort zone. This does not mean that you are better there, it’s just that your body and brain are more used to it. Namely, going beyond the usual framework allows you to change life for the better.

You need to keep going through the discomfort and not stop if the results seem to be non-existent or harmful. Muscles will ache during the first days of training in the gym, and the rejection of junk food can temporarily cause physical discomfort and weakness. But this is not evidence of the harm of sports and healthy eating.

The same applies to intellectual work, when it is necessary to study new concepts or rewrite diplomas and articles several times — all actions will ultimately lead to the development and improvement of indicators, only if you do not stop moving forward.

Choosing the direction of the path

There is no point in developing your ability to self-control if the development goal is not chosen. Of course, we all admire people who are able to do something with willpower, in the absence of emotional involvement. But if you take a closer look, it turns out that there is an important task behind the implementation of unwanted actions.

In order for self-control to appear in your life, you will have to work on the importance of its components, rank your needs and aspirations. Otherwise, you can endlessly be distracted by watching publics and videos with kittens if you don’t have a constant plan of important moments in front of your eyes, which at a deep level on the scale of your life are much more important than momentary comfort.

I recommend reviewing your life and identifying in which area or areas there is a lack of development, where you do not feel happy or energized. The most significant areas:

• physical health;
• emotional well-being;
• family relationships;
• friendships;
• spiritual development;
• career;
• material support.

Everyone can add to this list with their own personal needs, as well as delve into the specific details of the highlighted areas. For example, if you notice shortness of breath quickly appearing behind you, then it will be easier to choose a trip to training next time, provided that you have a set and conscious goal to improve your health.

Schedule

Exercises are effective with a constant schedule, repetition of established standards or tasks. Accordingly, it is necessary to draw up an optimal daily schedule and implement it. Firstly, it helps to systematize your activities, distribute the load and understand what and how much of your time is spent on. And secondly, the daily routine itself disciplines and helps develop willpower.

Even if at the moment you do not have special goals and peaks that need to be achieved, then following the regimen helps not to lose shape and keep the nervous system in order.

The schedule must contain items such as:

• sleep — the time for going to bed and the rise should be set the same for all days, including weekends;
• sports or other physical activity (walking, dancing, any movement);
• a healthy diet that provides vitamins and minerals.

Keeping a routine helps maintain emotional self-control, improves the ability to cope with stress, and also contributes to the development of new strategies that require an initial act of will.

4 tricks to help regulate your emotional state

Control and movement in the chosen direction begins with the emotional component and the internal attitude of a person, the ability to react or restrain.

To improve your condition, there are special methods:

1. Dynamic meditation — is aimed at relaxing all muscle groups, while there is an active restructuring of mental processes. These classes are perfect for people who are not always able to cope with their emotions, and also have a high level of activity. Dynamic meditation consists in the rhythmic execution of a certain sequence of movements, usually carried out in a group form under the supervision of a teacher.
2. Independent meditation using special applications, audio and video recordings, books. You can start with 5 minutes a day, for example, in the morning. If you correctly follow all the prescriptions and instructions, then over time thoughts are ordered, the ability to choose reactions and control feelings appears.
3. Anti-stress breathing, which helps to regulate not only the emotional background in the immediate situation of increased feelings, but also stabilizes the psyche during the whole time. In order to stop an unwanted emotional reaction, you need to take several deep breaths and sharp full exhalations. If you feel that it is very difficult to cope with emotions, then at the moment of the most powerful experiences it is recommended to breathe often, but superficially.
4. The joys of life. Ensure at least a minimal presence of pleasant things in your day that give joy to you. Let it be at least 5 minutes of relaxation with a cup of your favorite coffee or ordering the necessary goods via the Internet to save time. Be sure to plan for yourself such small islands of pleasure. Over time, fill your life with more and more new amenities. Self-control develops not from the fact that a person manages to solve only necessary tasks, but also from the opportunity to have fun.

Having adjusted your schedule and engaged in an emotional state, you can begin to increase the effectiveness of your control in activities.

4 tricks to help control the implementation of tasks

How productive a person is is always evidenced by his performance, both in professional activities and in personal aspects. In order to force yourself to do something, and not be distracted by empty talk, in order to achieve results, you must have the ability to control yourself and your activity.

The following tips can help you get started:

1. Start doing what you have planned today, albeit little by little. Postponing the start of something until Monday or the new year is a waste of time. If the plans include professional sports, then you can do five-minute exercises every day that do not require any special clothing or subscription costs. If language learning is chosen, then you can independently learn a dozen words a day. The main thing in this approach is regularity and constancy, and over time, the formed habit can be deepened.
2. Plan your vacation — you need to know when and how you will rest. This helps not to be distracted in the process of work, creates a certain rhythm. In addition, a planned vacation usually turns out to be more emotionally rich and can be of immediate benefit (if it is a trip to a neighboring city instead of an evening in front of the TV).
3. Think positive. It is important not only to set specific goals. Each of them should have a deadline, and after successful completion, a reward.
4. Act «on the contrary.» Negative motivation is also great for enhancing personal control. It implies punishments for not following a schedule, a plan, or violating restrictions. This function can even be entrusted to one of your close friends or relatives, if at the first stages there is uncertainty in their own diligence (many seek to agree with themselves).

I gave only universal examples of exercises. There are other methods of increasing one’s awareness and, as a result, self-control. The more you learn about the possibilities of your own psyche, the more interesting and effective your life will become.

Conclusion

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Until next time!