Self Regulation Discussion and Replies

 

 

“Self Regulation”

It will be helpful for you to review Chapter 4 pages for this week’s discussion question.

Something to consider: Think about the video here and this week’s reading.
Please click on the link below to view the video:

• Learned Helplessness
• https://youtu.be/gFmFOmprTt0

Our text tells us, “Self-regulation refers to the self’s capacity to alter its own responses. It is quite similar to the everyday term “self-control” (pg. 133). Self-regulation enables  people to be flexible, to adapt themselves to many different circumstances, rules, and demands. It enables people to “live together and get along much better” (pg. 134).  Baumeister points out that there are three important “components” to remember in order to successfully self-regulate: 1) standards, 2) monitoring, and 3) strength or capacity to change.

Your discussion post:

• Based on this week’s reading, think of an example from your own life in which you have had success in meeting a goal.
  • What methods did you use to achieve success?
  • Did it involve willpower?
  • Baumeister says that we can build willpower much like a muscle (138). Do you agree or disagree?
• Read the section in your text titled: “Habits, Self-Defeating Acts:
• Being Your Own Worst Enemy” and Delay of Gratification (Pages 141-142).
  • Can you relate to any of these actions that you had to overcome in order meet your goals? If so, how did you handle these self-defeating behaviors?
  • respond to two peers

peers 1

I would like to share an example of my successful weight loss in which I realized that self-regulation is important to achieving my goals and that willpower is an integral part of achieving self-regulation.

In order to achieve my weight loss goals, I decided to use self-regulation as a method, which involves three components. The first is standards, where I set a goal of 10 pounds that I would like to lose. I further helped with self-regulation by setting standards about how many calories I would eat each day and that I would eat foods low in oil and salt. The second is monitoring, which means monitoring what I eat and what I weigh each day. That is, I will record how much I eat and how much weight I gain. The third is the ability to change. After self-regulating this method, I could know if I have reached my weight loss goal and how much I have changed compared to my previous weight.

Lack of willpower is the biggest obstacle to change. According to Ph.D. Baumeister “Willpower is a key step in achieving the third step of self-regulation, which refers to a mental quality that we demonstrate when we consciously resist temptations and overcome difficulties in the process of reaching a predetermined goal”?Baumeister & Tierney, 2011) .

I agree with Baumeister that we can build willpower like a muscle. According to his research, “self-regulation works like a muscle, so willpower is a force”. It is possible that as people’s muscles get tired at times as they go about their daily lives, willpower can also become progressively more self-depleted as they exert self-control and resist temptation. In a state of self-exhaustion, people become more aggressive and prone to overeating, so a person’s ability to self-regulate is not constant. So willpower, like a muscle, can become stronger with regular exercise. It can start, for example, with some daily activities, such as standing up as straight as possible every day or forcing to exercise every day. Since willpower is related to the body’s energy intake, adequate sleep and healthy food are especially important (Baumeister & Tierney, 2011).

In order to reach my goal, I had to overcome the problem of “stopping halfway”. This is also known as “willpower”. I follow the standards and monitor them carefully in the early stages of the program, but in the middle and late stages I get tired and often can’t resist the temptation. For example, when I’m on a diet, I can easily lose control of myself in the face of a bunch of food, and I often want to just give up the diet. But I will give myself the psychological suggestion, that is, “delayed gratification”, I would keep reminding myself that if I could just stick to the plan for a month, I would have a perfect shape and eat more food. And when I finished the diet plan, I was able to control myself well enough to resist the temptation.

WC: 495

Reference

Baumeister, R. F., & Tierney, J. (2011). Willpower: Rediscovering the greatest human strength. New York, NY: Penguin.

peers 2

One of the goals that I struggled meeting was sticking to meditating every morning. This was a big goal for me because I personally struggle with anxiety and thought meditating would be a great tool to help ease the anxiety I struggle with. The first week of meditating was the hardest for me because I work and do school and have dogs that need to go outside so I feel like I was subconsciously making myself too busy to meditate. I tried pushing through these thoughts but to no avail. I viewed this goal as a chore and something that was not necessary for me at the moment.I believe that willpower is definitely something that can be built up like a muscle. “Willpower is a key step in achieving the third step of self-regulation, which refers to a mental quality that we demonstrate when we consciously resist temptations and overcome difficulties in the process of reaching a predetermined goal”?Baumeister & Tierney, 2011) .This quote explains to use how we have to push through the feelings of either being too busy or making excuses as to why we cannot achieve the goal that we have set in place. Once I pushed through the thought that I was too busy I told myself that meditating is something healthy that I enjoy and should be a part of my everyday schedule. Once you have willpower and want to achieve new goals it will come easier when we change our mindset to the project as well. With changing my mindset and building up my willpower I am able to meditate every morning even if it is only for 15 minutes. I was able to achieve this goal and push myself to try new goals and continue to build up my willpower more each day.