Boosting Willpower

Willpower is something we all wish we had more of, especially with all of the demands on our time each work day. Recent research suggests that willpower is very similar to a muscle – it can become fatigued if we use it too much. But, just like a muscle, it can become stronger through use.
Studies have shown that if we increase our willpower in one area, it can carry over into others. For example, if we apply our willpower to getting more exercise, we are also more likely to watch what we eat as well.
And studies have also shown that we never completely run out of willpower. We always have a little in us for challenges we know we will have to face in the future. Summoning up that willpower has a lot to do with our motivation, our motivation to keep at it.
There are things we can do also to help with willpower.
One thing is simply to avoid temptation in the first place. If you don’t want to eat that piece of pie, keep it out of sight in the refrigerator, rather than on the counter right in front of you.
Planning ahead can also help. For example, if you are watching your diet, and you know that your friends are going to order dessert at the restaurant you are planning to eat at tonight, you can make plans for what you will do or eat instead.
Research also indicates that willpower is tied to glucose levels in our blood. So, if our willpower is flagging, eating foods that will increase our blood sugar levels will also help with our willpower.
Also, according to the research, making a long list of New Year’s resolutions is not particularly helpful. If we want to make a change in our behavior, it is much better to just focus on one thing at a time, rather than a whole bunch of things. It will require a real exertion of willpower to make a change to a habit, but once that change has been made and you get used to it, it requires much less willpower to maintain it. Then is the time to move onto something else.
It doesn’t take much willpower at all to contact the recruiters at the Opti Staffing Group when looking for new opportunities in the Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, Lake Oswego, Tacoma, or Chicago areas. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

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