Why shouldn't you rely on willpower when changing habits?

A common excuse to start changing your life for the better and healthier is the argument about lack of willpower . As if humanity consisted of two types of people - those who can withstand temptations and those who cannot resist them. We imagine the effort necessary to start a more active lifestyle, follow a slow diet or quit addictions, and it seems to us that we will not be able to cope with so many restrictions . That we do not have enough internal strength for this and we cannot 100% control our own desires and behavior. In reality, however, the strategy of changing anything solely through self-control is doomed to failure . Success in this is achieved not by those who can resist temptations, but by those who skillfully avoid them.

Who has more power over us: willpower or the environment?

Scientists have examined under what circumstances we give in to our cravings. They observed over 200 people for a week. They concluded that the environment determines to a greater extent whether we control our cravings ¹ . Let's imagine a situation. We feel like we want to lie on the couch and eat popcorn. Whether this will actually happen depends on where and with whom we are. If we happen to be with friends who have planned the evening in a similar way, it's a sure success. If our group puts on sports clothes and goes for a run, there is no point in lying on the couch. Moreover, under the influence of the environment and environment in which we live, new cravings may appear in our brain . For example, join your friends' running training. If they preferred to lie flat on the couch, the thought of running would probably not even cross our minds. During the study, scientists also noticed that people who believed they had a strong will had much fewer cravings and encountered fewer temptations on a daily basis.

The more we use willpower, the more tired we feel.

An interesting conclusion also comes from research at McGill University in Canada. The researchers followed the students for a semester. It turned out that those study participants who were able to use self-control effectively did not achieve their goals . However, those students who experienced fewer temptations were successful . Moreover, people who practiced more effective self-control felt more exhausted . Relying on self-control is therefore not only ineffective, but also harmful in the long run ² . It turns out that willpower is a muscle that can be "overtrained" . If we use it too often, it not only exhausts us mentally and physically, but can also become unbearable.

What can we replace willpower if we want to change our habits?

For an action to become a habit, it must become part of your (daily) routine. If you know that certain tasks are difficult for you, try to make them as easy as possible . You need to organize your space in such a way that temptations do not await you at every step. If there is always a stock of bars in your desk drawer and you have sweetened drinks within reach at work, there is practically no chance that you will cut down on sweets and start drinking more water. If your vitamins are on the top shelf of your kitchen cabinet, it's unlikely you'll take them regularly. If you buy vegetables and fruits and immediately hide them in the lower baskets of the refrigerator, and remember about them when they start to spoil, there is no question of a diet rich in plant products. You can't quit smoking and give up alcohol if you always have a pack of cigarettes in your pocket and a bottle of wine in the fridge.

If you want to adopt a balanced diet, get rid of all foods considered unhealthy . Instead of bars, you can munch on carrots or eat fruit, such as berries. Leave them in an easily accessible place. If you forget to drink water, place a full water bottle or large cup of water on your desk and set a recurring reminder on your phone. If you want to start running, take your sports shoes out of the closet and put them in a visible place so that you can easily put them on and remember your intention.

Don't forget to find a company that is equally willing to change their habits or has already achieved the goal you are aiming for. Join a running group on Facebook and arrange a training session together. Make friends with other fitness participants. Invite your colleagues for a healthy lunch together. There are plenty of options.

When thinking about changing habits, it is not worth acting on impulse. Change should be a strategy consisting of many steps and stages. You need to think and plan all of them carefully. You don't know how to go about it, check here for tips .

Bibliography:

1. Hofmann, W., Baumeister, R. F., Förster, G., & Vohs, K. D. (2012). Everyday temptations: An experience sampling study of desire, conflict, and self-control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(6), 1318–1335.
2. Milyavskaya M., Inzlicht M., “What's So Great About Self-Control? Examining the Importance of Effortful Self-Control and Temptation in Predicting Real-Life Depletion and Goal Attainment.” Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2017. 8.
3. Resnick B., “The myth of self-control”, vox.com, November 24, 2016
4. Clear J., “Atomic habits”, Penguin Random House, 2018.