Self-disciplined people it is said to be rather grim and joyless contemporaries. Clearly, these diets longer, can motivate themselves better to the Sport, are probably ausgeschlafener and successfully in the Job. Studies show that students Who were already disciplined as a child rather than an adult is healthier, has fewer financial problems and less likely to be in conflict with the law.
But people who prefer common sense, salad, a chocolate cake or at a Party only effervescent drink, because you have three days later, an audit, can have no fun in life. Or?
Very well, you have, as it is now a series of studies documented in the “Journal of Personality” of German and US-American psychologist Wilhelm Hofmann of the University of Chicago. Therefore, people experience more positive emotions and are more satisfied with your life, if you have a good grip on yourself and needs may postpone, in order to achieve another more important goal.
The researchers interviewed more than 400 men and women, how much self-control in everyday life. Most people use this ability often and automatically, we usually give five pulses, only two actually. But individually, everyone is different of course. People that like to do something that is actually bad for you, but it is a fun activity, put the scientists in the category of the less self-disciplined people.
Significantly more positive feelings
At the same time, the researchers asked how satisfied the participants are with their life and what feelings they had mainly in the past few days and weeks. Those with more self-control reported significantly more positive and less negative feelings and more life satisfaction than those subjects with less self-control. The conclusion of the psychologist: he Who finds more joy in life, is also satisfied with it.
The effect was confirmed in further studies by the research teams. More than 400 volunteers were asked to give each a week long on a Smartphone information as to how frequently and how strongly they perceive their needs and how often you try to be especially problematic temptations. This includes desires that are in conflict with important goals in the distant future included, for example,: as a long pub crawl – even though the money would have to be saved for a new refrigerator. Or the fat Pizza with extra cheese and a large ice – despite the doctor’s recommendation to lose weight.
Also it became clear: anyone Who gives more time to the satisfaction of spontaneous appetites felt throughout the week, more well-being and was satisfied with his own life.
Situations, to avoid the embarrass
It reported both strong and weak self-controlled people of conflicts between temptations and long-term goals. The difference is that self-disciplined people seem to have intuitively a Trick – you avoid situations that could embarrass you. The at least the third investigation of the German-American Teams suspect. “Someone with good self-control can apparently manage his life so that the conflicts occur relatively rarely,” write the study authors. Self-control prevents or minimizes problems and makes so happy.
However, for the less self-controlled people, the researchers have a good news: “self-control is, to a certain degree of increase,” says study leader Hofmann. For this purpose it is needed to practice tasks that require this property. Smokers around, it was easier to stop Smoking if you stop in the two weeks prior to the Smoking in self-control trained. Then they stayed much longer smoke than an untrained group. “Self-control resembles a muscle,” says Co-author Roy Baumeister: you will get stronger by Training. Read more
Study: The search of the happiness formula
More energy: So the perfect day
Interview: money does not make one happy, is it?
Here you can read more on the topic of happiness and satisfaction: the search for The happiness formula the perfect day Interview: money doesn’t buy happiness, right?