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| Le "Pater Noster" (by James Tissot) |
Lexi Petroni, in her Woman’s Day article How to Increase Your Willpower, has put together a list of research-based suggestions for effectively resisting those temptations that are better shunned than sorry. Six of these eleven suggestions warn against those
things which decrease willpower, and the other five advocate for those things which increase willpower.
Petroni states that the following things make it more difficult to resist unwholesome temptations: getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night; undergoing PMS or ovulation; parenting; being super stressed in general; saying “no” too much of the time; and having a spouse or housemates that consistently tempt you. Some of the things on this list may sound surprising – for example, parenting and saying “no” too often. Petroni points out that parenting “might leave you feeling burnt out, exhausted or stressed – maybe even all three – which creates the perfect situation to say sayonara to willpower.” She also points out that willpower can be like a muscle which weakens when overworked from saying “no” too many times.
This latter point explains the logic of Petroni’s suggestion to not be overly strict. Because our bodies are “natural pleasure-seekers,” constantly denying them treats will eventually boomerang. Therefore, never allowing “a bite of cake or a sip of a shake” could result in a tendency to “pig out.” Petroni’s
other four suggestions for increasing willpower are the following: do things to feel good about your overall body image and health; regularly eat foods that are rich in “natural vitamins, fiber and protein”; keep busy but not stressfully so; and enjoy warm sunny weather.
Resource
http://glo.msn.com/relationships/simply-resistible-1534667.story
Copyright August 24, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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