How Mental Strength Affects Will Power and Self-Discipline

I find it very interesting that people with mental strength have a higher level of self-control and self-discipline. These attributes have been shown to contribute to improved levels of health and fitness; people are happier on average, score higher on standardized tests and earn more money. Self-discipline is also highly correlated with accomplishing personal goals.

What you may not know however, that self-discipline and willpower is a mental strength skill that can be exercised and improved. In this article I’ll discuss:

• What I mean by self-discipline
• The benefits of self-discipline (supported by research)
• What affects self-discipline (again, supported by research)
• Finally, what you can do today to improve your own personal self-discipline

What Exactly is Self-Discipline?

I searched online and found several definitions for self-discipline, but my personal favorite is this:

“Self-discipline is the assertion of willpower over more base desires.”

I love that definition, because it clears up a misconception that people often have – that self-discipline or self-control is all about denying ones’ desires. I disagree – it’s not about denying yourself at all. Self-discipline is about freeing yourself from the shackles of base desires. 

Constantly giving in to weaknesses holds one back from taking advantage of opportunities and achieving their dreams – and that is why people of great accomplishment will pride themselves on their self-discipline. To me, self-discipline truly is the assertion of one’s willpower over one’s base desires – seeing past the short term so one can accomplish their personal goals. It is not a replacement for motivation – self-discipline rather is an expression of my motivation.

Other names for self-discipline include self-control, self-restraint and self-regulation. I prefer self-discipline, because a person isn’t “controlled,” “restrained” or “regulated.” They are instead focused on achieving their goals.

What Does The Research Show As Benefits of Self-Discipline?

• Higher grade point average
• Better adjustment (fewer reports of psychopathology)
• Higher self-esteem
• Less binge eating and alcohol abuse
• Better relationships and interpersonal skills

Source: High Self-Control Predicts Good Adjustment, Less Pathology, Better Grades, and Interpersonal Success JP Tangney, RF Baumeister, AL Boone also on PubMed

• More likely to be a healthy weight. Children who scored low on their ability to delay gratification were more likely to be obese years later (Abstract: Ability to Delay Gratification at Age 4 Years and Risk of Overweight at Age 11 Years Desiree M. Seeyave, MBBS ).
• Having self-control resources full is correlated with subjects being more honest, while depleted self-control resources are correlated with higher instances of dishonesty, and subjects placing themselves in situations to be tempted (Too tired to tell the truth: Self-control resource depletion and dishonesty Nicole L. Mead Roy F. Baumeister, Francesca Gino, Maurice E. Schweitzer, Dan Ariely)
• Self-discipline is important to financial success – in particular, self-control problems impede wealth accumulation (Measuring Self-Control John Ameriks, Andrew Caplin, John Leahy, and Tom Tyler.)
• Self-discipline is more important to academic success than a student’s IQ across a variety of metrics including final grades, hours spent on homework and attendance in class. (Self-Discipline Outdoes IQ in Predicting Academic Performance of Adolescents Angela L. Duckworth and Martin E.P. Seligman)
• Delayed gratification is a very specific form of self-discipline. After ten years, children who were able to better delay their gratification were:
• More academically competent
• More socially competent
• More able to cope with frustration
• More able to resist temptation (unsurprisingly)
• More verbally fluent
• More attentive
• Able to cope with stress more maturely

(Source: Delay of Gratification in Children W Mischel, Y Shoda, ML Rodriguez)

The evidence clearly suggests that when a person is better able to exercise self-discipline, they accomplish more, and make much faster progress towards their goals.

What Does The Research Show As Affecting Self Discipline?

In reviewing a variety of literature, research and journals, below is a broad summary of the results that jumped out as most relevant in helping a person live a life of power, purpose and passion!

Based on these studies, a person can decide how to approach their mental strength training – and come up with the steps they can take now to improve their self-discipline.

• Self-discipline is a psychological resource – and can be depleted. Subjects exercising self-discipline on one task did worse than a control group when attempting to exercise self-discipline on a second task (Mark Muraven, Dianne M. Tice, and Roy F. Baumeister, Self-Control as Limited Resource: Regulatory Depletion Patterns). 
• Self-discipline is replenished by sleep, self-affirmation exercises and positive emotional experiences (Google Books Preview: Handbook of self-regulation: research, theory, and applications By Roy F. Baumeister, Kathleen D. Vohs page 127 and also Abstract Restoring the self: Positive affect helps improve self-regulation following ego depletion by Dianne M. Tice)
• Stress depletes self-discipline (Baumeister and Heatherton Self-Regulation Failure: An Overview)
• Depleted self-discipline can be somewhat counteracted by having a plan on how to achieve your goal. (Abstract: Can implementation intentions help to overcome ego-depletion? by Thomas L. Webb and Paschal Sheeran)
• Self-discipline is correlated with blood glucose. Actively engaging in acts of self-discipline depletes glucose levels, while replenishing glucose in the body helps counteract the depletion of self-discipline. (The Strength Model of Self Control Roy F. Baumeister, Kathleen D. Vohs, and Dianne M. Tice)
• Self-control is like a muscle – it can be strengthened and improved (Journal Excerpt –Longitudinal Improvement of Self-Regulation Through Practice: Building Self-Control Strength Through Repeated Exercise Mark Muraven, Roy F. Baumeister, Dianne M. Tice)

What Steps Can You Take Today To Improve Your Self Discipline

• Don’t Unnecessarily Waste It: Remove Temptation. One of the best decisions you can ever make is a zero-tolerance policy towards chocolate, cookies, etc. in your house. If you’ve always had a weakness for desserts (and when you have them readily available) it’s a constant struggle to avoid them. By removing the temptation, you no longer have to expend any willpower on sugary snacks – and can better focus that reservoir towards other productive objectives.
• Stabilize Blood Glucose. Low blood glucose is associated with diminished self-discipline. One of the ways blood glucose levels drop is by consuming high glycemic foods – foods that quickly to glucose in your body. I’m going to oversimplify here, but briefly this causes a rush of glucose in your blood stream (a “sugar high” or “sugar rush”). Your body responds with insulin, which (oversimplifying) stores the glucose, and causes the level of glucose in your blood to plummet (the “sugar crash”). Avoiding these kinds of foods can help stabilize your blood sugar – and likely improve your self-discipline. Of course, it’s a bit of a catch 22 – it takes self-discipline to avoid eating tasty, sugary foods to begin with!
• Remove Unwanted Stress. Easier said than done – and removing unwanted stress probably has many benefits outside of improved self-discipline. You may not be able to immediately dump extra commitments, but I have an idea that just might work: I like to meditate daily to calm and center myself, there are bits and pieces of research supporting that meditation does improving self-discipline…you just need to look for it.
• Sleep. Make sure you get enough of it. Like removing unwanted stress, this is likely easier said than done for some people. The best advice I can give here really is take a look at what’s urgent and important in your life – and try to carve out some time to sleep.
• Enjoy Life. Positive emotional experiences appear to replenish your self-discipline reserve. I love to take breaks and run, play guitar, hike and do other activities that inspire me – find what works for you.
• Use Self Affirmations. Personally, I like using my desktop background as a reminder. I create them specifically so I could focus on a single thought and purpose. My favorite at the moment is persistence. Find your own mantra if none of those if for you, there are a ton of great sites to get some very powerful affirmations.
• Have A Plan. I suggest maintaining a to-do list, along with long term written goals. You’ll definitely find that when you have a plan in place that you are executing, it is easier for you to stay motivated to complete the task than if you’re just flailing around.

Long Term – Strengthen Your Self Discipline With Exercises. Self-discipline is a muscle – focus on small tasks that you can control, and build up to bigger ones. Some examples of exercise include:

o  Straightening your posture

o  Using your non-dominant hand for tasks

o  Regulating mood

o  Monitoring and recording eating

As a side note, I’ve noticed that when I’m more diligent about recording what I eat, I am also more diligent about working out. This reflects perfectly that adage that energy flows where attention goes and results show.

Gregg Swanson is a peak performance consultant and human potential coach and has authored several books and numerous articles on peak performance. Gregg specializes in developing mental strength in individuals that desire to reach their full potential. He has developed a unique online training program “Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior.” You can also pick up your free eBook,” Why Change is So Hard” by going HERE.