How to resist temptation – techniques for the brain

Irena Jurjević, consultant from Gestalt psychotherapy and founder Centers of success

Well, it’s not like that!

Research shows that it is impossible to teach people to resist temptation – in fact, it is only possible for a short time or not at all. This means that if we accept that brutal self-control does not work, we will feel less guilty and blame ourselves less when we fail. So, we are not invertebrates, but our brains work that way.

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Also, research shows that people who are driven by internal motivation have no need for self-control at all.

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Many of us believe that achieving success in anything requires a lot of hard work and sweat. The truth is, in fact, most often the opposite. The most motivated people are driven by internal motivation, which means that they strive for the goal with joy, they do not, in fact, feel the pain of having to do something or abstain from something, but enjoy the process of creating and building something, achieving a goal or approaching the vision that have devised.

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You know those people who are uncompromisingly focused on what they’re doing, learning, can’t tear themselves away from the project they’re building, the book they’re reading, the skill they’re learning? They can work on a problem for hours, days, months, such people don’t miss the training of the sport they play, they finish college with a regular job, etc. Maybe you envy their commitment, persistence and focus, or you often ask them “Well, well, how are you doing?!”

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They are so united with the vision they are striving for, that passing temptations cannot even touch them.

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Here’s how we make it difficult for ourselves – how we hypnotize ourselves

When we want to get rid of a bad habit or when we want something for ourselves, it sounds something like this in our head:

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  • I don’t want to be fat anymore.
  • I won’t be lazy anymore.
  • I can’t eat this cake.
  • I shouldn’t smoke anymore.
  • I shouldn’t buy more of these boots.
  • I don’t want to be poor anymore.
  • I can no longer eat fatty food late at night.
  • I’m sick of bad guys/women.
  • I don’t want to get drunk anymore!
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The brain does not perceive negations!

“Don’t think about the cake… the cake… mmm the cake… I’d like the cake… Don’t think about the cake… nice, crispy cake, full of cream… cake… I don’t want to smoke anymore… I don’t want to smoke cigarettes… cigarettes… I’d like a cigarette now… where are my cigarettes…? I’m tired of poverty… I’m so poor… poor…”

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What did you imagine? Exactly what you suggested to yourself. Our brain creates the preconceptions we give it: cake, alcohol, fat, fat.

We hypnotize ourselves by constantly creating the very preconceptions we don’t want and directing ourselves exactly where we don’t want to go.

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Visualization, hypnosis, meditation, NLP reframing techniques work on this biological basis.

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In order to resist temptation more easily, you will need to become aware of what you are telling yourself (inner self-talk) and change it. Instead of creating images of what you don’t want, start creating preconceptions of what you WANT:

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  • I’m slim and I’m going to be even hotter. – Imagine your slim body in the future.
  • I am hardworking and diligent.– Imagine yourself working hard and managing to master what you do.
  • I will have as much money as I need, and then a little bit more and more. – Imagine yourself in future activities that can bring you money.
  • From now on, I choose only good and pleasant people for a relationship.– Imagine what kind of person and relationship you want.
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Replace images

For emergency help in moments of temptation, it is important to stop, before waving a plate, wallet or any other temptation, imagine what you want instead of what you don’t want. Imagine your slim body in your favorite, tight jeans, with all the details you put on yourself, how you walk confidently and feel so good in your attractive and firm body, you feel the eyes of others on you, it makes you feel comfortable. You are so proud of yourself that you managed to achieve all that.

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The longer you stay in that feeling of pleasantness, satisfaction and self-confidence, the less attractive the cake will be to you.

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At the level of brain biology, it’s simple: you learn new behavior and feelings. As you strengthen the new neural circuits, the old ones (the ones that wave at every cake) loosen.

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“I want – goals”

We are more motivated when we want something instead of what we need or have to. None of us wants to be forced to do anything, and we often feel that way. You know that nagging feeling in the morning when you hear the alarm clock and when you recall information about your life, then you realize that now you HAVE to go to work. Then you have to cook lunch. Well, you have to pick up the children at kindergarten. You have to clean the house. You have to go to your parents for lunch… To kill yourself immediately!

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Everything in life is a matter of perception. “I have to go to work now” is a thought that leads to a nagging feeling. “I go to work so I can afford… I go to work to earn for… I go to work because I want to contribute…” – sounds better and leads you to at least a slightly more pleasant and optimistic feeling.

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When you say to yourself:

  • “Now I choose” or
  • “I want” instead of “I must… should… can’t”, you will take back your own power.

The reframing technique sounds like this:

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  • I shouldn’t take this cake. – I want to have a slim figure, so now I’m going to move to the other end of the room and talk to someone.
  • I have to go to the gym… but I don’t feel like it. – I want to go to the gym, because it will make me look good and I know I will feel good.
  • I shouldn’t smoke. – I choose to be/want to be a non-smoker because it’s totally cool and it’s so good for me.
  • Ugh, I have to finish this report. – I want to finish this report now so that I can feel carefree for the rest of the day.
  • I have to pass the exam. – I want to pass the exam, because it is another step to the diploma that I want so much.

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Spice up this process with something pleasant and attractive:

I have to clean the house on Saturdays… – I want to clean the house because I enjoy my apartment a lot when everything is in its place. While I’m cleaning, I’ll turn on the music and dance. Something like this!

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If you want to contact Irena Jurjević for psychotherapeutic counseling, via Skype and video call, contact her at the email address irena@centaruspjeha.com

Source: www.sitoireseto.com