Hello, dear readers! How often can we lose control of our emotions and then greatly regret it. How can you learn to avoid such unpleasant situations and control yourself? It turns out that regular exercise is a great way to let off steam and regain control of yourself. If you find it difficult to remain restrained in stressful situations, adopt effective self-control techniques recommended by psychologists. The ability to behave in any situation is extremely important for every person, however, it becomes especially relevant when you are trying to quit smoking, get rid of food addiction or recover from shopaholism. In such difficult stressful situations, it is very important not to let your emotions get the better of you, because the consequences can be catastrophic. That is why in this article we have collected the most effective techniques for self-control that will increase your self-confidence and help you always maintain self-control and calm.
Self-Control Basics: Know Yourself
In order to lead a full and rich life, you need to be able to control your own emotions, desires and basic instincts. Self-control is a skill that can be acquired throughout life. In addition, it is necessary to regularly improve this skill in order to control such negative emotions and qualities as anger, gluttony and envy. Self-discipline and endurance are qualities without which it is impossible to imagine the life of a prudent and intelligent person. It is these character traits that help you avoid negative aspects of life and temptations, ranging from drugs to bank loans.
If you want to learn to control your desires and emotions, first of all, you need to know yourself. This means that you must analyze your behavior and actions in detail, because this will help identify your strengths and weaknesses. Only when you realize what exactly your weakness is can you begin to work on solving the problem. The willingness to limit yourself in food, the desire to give up cigarettes and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations (particularly when you are stuck in traffic) all have a positive effect on a person’s physical and mental health. However, in order to master the technique for self-control, you first need to learn to hear and understand yourself. Since irrational behavior is considered the sworn enemy of self-control, you should always try to act prudently and carefully, especially when you need to make an important decision or perform a special task.
Arterial pressure
This indicator is objective. It is no secret that certain fluctuations in blood pressure indicate the rhythm of cardiac activity.
There are various types of self-control during physical exercises, used in sports practice, which allow one to assess the state of the body. Among them are functional tests. So, with independent physical training, it is recommended to do twenty squats in half a minute. After this, the trainee must sit quietly for 3 minutes. A heart rate from 100 to 130 beats/min after physical activity will indicate a low level of load, 130-150 beats/min will indicate average intensity.
Sometimes the pulse with this method of self-control can increase to 150-170 beats per minute. This indicator is typical for the maximum load. The obtained values are an excellent guide for self-control.
How to avoid temptations and maintain control over emotions
Eating chocolate, smoking and buying a new pair of shoes gives a person only short-term pleasure, however, these little things do not have a long-term positive effect. On the contrary, most often after these actions we feel remorse, disappointment and even depression. That is why it is very important to be able to notice and take into account the alarm signals that the body gives in stressful situations. If you are caught by surprise, do not rush to panic. Better stop for a moment and analyze the situation in detail. If you notice a cute bag in a store window, don’t rush to go inside and buy it. Consider whether you can afford this impulse purchase and how many outstanding credit card bills you already have. When your hand reaches for another cigarette, think about the harmful effects nicotine has on human health. The same applies to the desire to order a second serving of dessert or alcoholic drink. Before you do this, “press pause” and rethink your spontaneous impulse.
Application of hygiene rules
Each person, in addition to self-control over the performance of sports exercises, must be able to properly organize their work and rest. In other words, follow the rules regarding personal hygiene. This concept includes a number of factors, namely:
- maintaining a daily routine;
- balanced diet;
- hygiene of the body, shoes and clothing;
- rejection of bad habits.
Strict adherence to all these rules is an important factor in maintaining normal performance and maintaining health.
Keys to Self-Control
Of course, taking control of yourself can sometimes be difficult. After all, self-control is a very vague and fragile substance that is very easy to lose. The ability to control your emotions can disappear in just a few seconds, and you will again begin to act and think irrationally. If you want to be a healthy person not only physically, but also emotionally, you need to train not only muscle endurance, but also willpower. How, you ask? In fact, it is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. All you need is regular practice, persistence and the ability to compromise. Always be attentive and careful and do not forget in what situations the ability to control emotions will certainly come in handy.
Kinds
Self-control completely depends on the mental characteristics of a person, as well as on the social environment in which he grew up and developed, and the influence of society. There are 2 types of self-control:
- Human behavior used to eliminate attraction to attractive internal and external stimuli. What is the significance of self-control here? It helps to avoid long-term negative consequences. For example, violations of the law, drug and nicotine addiction.
- Individual behavior aimed at waiting out unpleasant and painful situations in order to gain benefits, improve health and condition, and spiritual growth. For example, charity, fulfilling duties at a job you don’t like, overcoming hunger while losing weight.
Effective techniques for self-control
Analyze your behavior.
If you perform most of your actions and tasks automatically, it will be very difficult to control your behavior and decisions. If you want to get rid of extra pounds, you will need to make a list of allowed foods and stick to the planned nutrition plan. If you want to have money in your bank account, you need to learn to control your own spending.
Put your worries aside.
Despite the fact that you always need to act consciously, you should not get hung up on negative thoughts and reproaches of conscience because of a mistake or bad deed. The human brain is actually very vulnerable and easily susceptible to suggestion. That is why, the more often you avoid thinking about this or that thing or person, the less often this image will appear in your imagination. For this reason, psychologists advise practicing self-control techniques only when there is really a need for it, and it is better to devote the rest of your free time to other, more interesting activities.
Lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
Any changes in daily habits and behavior involve learning to control emotions and make compromises. This also applies to the habit of going to the gym every day and eating healthy foods, as well as the willingness to give up cigarettes and not waste money on junk.
They say it takes the human brain 21 days to form a new habit. So, to achieve your goal, you only need to endure for three weeks. After 21 days, you will notice that a healthy lifestyle has become an integral part of you, and then you will no longer have to force yourself to lead an active life. The main thing is to live three weeks in a row, adhering to a healthy lifestyle.
Learn to relax.
Take a deep breath, close your eyes and count to at least 10 (more is possible). These self-control breathing techniques are incredibly effective in calming and relieving stress. When you're nervous, angry, or about to make a rash decision, try stopping for a moment and relaxing. If you don't like this technique, you can replace it with other relaxation techniques, such as meditating or drinking a cup of chamomile tea. The main idea of these techniques is that a person in a state of peace and balance is less likely to make irrational decisions under pressure from the environment.
Pay attention to your surroundings.
Imagine a situation: your friends visit beer bars every evening after work to drink a glass of alcohol, and meanwhile you are trying to give up this bad habit. What is the way out of this situation? Try to distance yourself from such leisure activities with friends for some period or offer them an alternative way to relax after a working day. The same applies to ardent shopaholics. If you often spend too much money on things you don't really need, never visit the mall when you're bored or upset. If you're trying to lose weight, only go grocery shopping after you've had a filling lunch. When you have a lot to do, put away your phone and other gadgets that may distract you from your work. The people who surround us have a significant influence on our behavior, thoughts and beliefs. That is why try to avoid unfavorable situations that interfere with improving self-control techniques.
Relieve stress through meditation.
There are many effective ways that will help you keep your emotions under control and improve your ability to distance yourself from people who have the habit of imposing their opinions. Regular physical activity, sports, walking, or even a simple bath with foam and bubbles will help relieve tension and calm irritation.
Dear readers, how do you manage to cope with emotions, what techniques do you use, share in the comments.
With love, Lena.
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State of the nervous system
The central nervous system is the most complex of all body systems. It consists of brain sensory centers designed to analyze changes in both the external and internal environment. They are the ones who control all the functions of the human body. The main task of the central nervous system is to accurately and quickly transmit the necessary information. The operation of this system also needs to be checked when performing self-monitoring during sports. For this purpose, there is a method of conducting an orthostatic test. The results of such a study reflect the excitability of the central nervous system.
To obtain the necessary data, a person must take a lying position, rest for 5-10 minutes and count his pulse. Next, you need to stand up and measure your heart rate while standing. The difference in heart rate values over one minute will indicate the state of the central nervous system. So, with weak excitability this value will be from 0 to 6, with normal - from 7 to 12, and with lively and increased, respectively, from 13 to 18 and from 19 to 24 beats per minute.
Self-monitoring of the functioning of the nervous system is also recommended through observations of the skin-vascular reaction of the body. It is determined by rubbing the skin several times with any non-sharp object. If the place of pressure turns pink, then this reaction will indicate that the body’s vascular response is within normal limits. White or red coloring of the skin area will indicate high or increased innervation of the skin vessels, observed, as a rule, during overwork, during illnesses or when they are not completely cured.
To self-monitor the functioning of the central nervous system when performing physical exercises, you can do the following:
- Romberg test, which detects imbalance;
- Yarotsky test, which determines the sensitivity limit of the vestibular apparatus;
- finger-nose test.
