Here's how you can boost self-control

A recent research conducted found that people who think of themselves as busy are better at self-control. As per the researchers, just the perception of being busy can be used as leverage to promote better self-control. "Every day, we make many decisions that involve choosing between our immediate and future well-being," said Amitava Chattopadhyay, professor at the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) in Fontainebleau, France.



"When we perceive ourselves to be busy, it boosts our self-esteem, tipping the balance in favour of the more virtuous choice," he added. But they also saw that a few people who found themselves constricted of time got anxious and made hedonic decisions. For the study, the researchers asked participants to make decisions in different self-control domains related to food, exercise or retirement savings.



The participants who were reminded of a busy lifestyle were able to make better decisions as compared to those who weren't. The study showed that a heightened sense of self-importance played an important role in the increase of self-control. "When we temporarily dampened the sense of self-importance of participants who otherwise felt busy, the self-control effect vanished," Chattopadhyay noted.



The researchers hope to use this theory to increase relevant self-control behaviours in the population. Stay tuned for more updates.