Giving in to temptation for immediate gratification often leads to problems. Our emotions can misguide us, forcing us to rely on our willpower or distractions to get us back on the right path. Most people find it difficult to resist temptation and end up giving in to it. So relying on willpower alone is not always very successful.
When we experience desire, lust, or anger, these passionate emotions make us want to act in the moment. We then need to rely on our rational thought processes to change our view as to what we should value – this is where we need to practice our self-control.
It can be difficult to fight our desires and cravings. Part of us wants to give in for short term pleasure and part of us is trying to overrule the sense of impulse. This inner battle increases our stress levels. So by exerting self-control, are we achieving our goals, but to the detriment of our health? Other research suggests, that possessing self-control can be important for health and well-being. After all, it's key to have the ability to regulate and alter your responses, in order to avoid undesirable behaviors.
Managing Our Emotions
As our emotions can be so enormously powerful, is there a way we can utilize them to help us shape our self-control? When we feel gratitude, or reflect positively, it increases the value of a future goal and seems to impact how we feel in the present. Rewards that are delayed become naturally more attractive, without having to engage in any corrective strategy. Isn't it true that the more we want something, the more we appreciate it when we get it? Choosing to go without something for a while can be a path to feeling grateful.
Self-control evolved to help us build good character, be fair-minded, and to cooperate with others. Evidence suggests, that practicing gratitude enhances people's well-being and reduces stress. If we increase our gratitude, we make any task easier without having to work harder to achieve it. If we build a habit to cultivate gratitude, it can positively affect many dimensions of our lives.
The Practise of Gratitude
Gratitude helps people to refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. Reflecting on what we are grateful for, helps us to spend time appreciating life rather than ruminating on our negative experiences. Taking time to count our blessings is thought to enhance our self-control, make us more able to resist temptation, and do the right thing!
It's important to express gratitude. Everything we achieve isn't always down to our own efforts. It reminds us to pay it back and forwards for a better outcome for all. Studies suggest that gratitude increases people's sense of obligation to others, improving the likelihood of people acting more fairly to each other.
The best way to reap the benefits of gratitude is to notice new things you’re grateful for every day.
By looking for opportunities for gratitude, the more we increase the possibility to cultivate it in our own lives. Being grateful for the ordinary things and daily events contributes in a profound way to our well-being and happiness. Gratitude is such a powerful emotion, it's quite difficult to feel down or depressed when you're feeling it.
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