Find happiness by exerting…willpower

Find happiness by exerting…willpower

More and more, experts in happiness and positive psychology are focusing on the importance of self-control, self-regulation and willpower; which means happiness is not the same as hedonism but more so, comes from self-managing one's emotions and life!

This article from the SHM explains some of the simple, but important concepts…

by Sarah Berry

Do you go for hot, quick kicks or hold out for slow-cooked, simmered down but potentially sweeter satisfaction? Managing temptation and learning to wield willpower has been a very human battle and the subject of moral debate since the dawn of man, woman and bodily delights.

This is because self-control is one of our greatest weaknesses. It is something we struggle with strenuously – up to four hours a day according to the latest research. But, it is also one of our greatest virtues.

Willpower is the energy that makes self-control possible. And self-control is one of the most useful and helpful traits known to psychology, says Dr Roy Baumeister, author of New York Times bestseller Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength.

"People with good self-control do better in work and school than others," says Baumeister, who is speaking at this week's Young Minds Conference in Sydney. "They end up healthier and wealthier. They are more popular and have better, more stable relationships. They have fewer mental health and adjustment problems. They stay out of trouble and jail, manage their emotions, do better at dieting and avoiding addictions. At the far end of life, they live longer."

Strong statements. But, they can be backed up.

There is a famous experiment from the '70s by Walter Mischel, a professor in psychology at Stanford. In the study young children were offered their choice of one marshmallow (or cream-filled biscuit) straight away, or two if they were willing to wait while Mischel left the room for up to fifteen minutes…

…keep reading the full and original article HERE