NEW SCIENTIST ARTICLE: TEMPTATION AND RESOLVE

[Rags]

This week's New Scientist (13 September) has a very interesting article on will power, resisting temptation etc.
Whilst not directly addressing alcoholism, the article presents ways to help our resolve.
One of the findings of Roy Baumeister from Florida University :
"exercising willpower is like exercising a muscle and it takes time for the resources used to be replenished" He also suggests that blood glucose levels are the key to keeping willpower strong................. exercising willpower depletes energy levels just like exercise does.. He found that having a sugary lemonade drinks assists in keeping resolve.

Planning also helps a lot as it takes away some of the conscious mental effort, and can turn a difficult conscious decision into an unconscious habit, which in turn "makes the process faster and more efficient without depleting energy levels"

The article also mentions other ploys we can use. Not a bad read; if your newsagent has a copy, grab it.

[tlrgs]

NEW SCIENTIST ARTICLE: TEMPTATION AND RESOLVE

thank youy for sharing very interesting and i use it everyday in the fight against al

[A Work in Progress]

NEW SCIENTIST ARTICLE: TEMPTATION AND RESOLVE

This is an excellent article and the work by Baumeister and colleagues is getting a lot of attention. I totally agree, Rags, that this is very much applicable to folks who are struggling with any sort of behavioral problem that has a compulsive or impulsive component. It highlights the truth that few of us truly understand: that using our minds is a type of WORK and it requires an expenditure of energy. Planning to avoid our triggers is mental work; re-directing our attention to something else when we experience thoughts and urges ("craving") is mental work; refusing to give in to impulses is mental work. And, as the article notes, the more that we engage in this work, the more efficient we can do it, so it becomes less a struggle. And clearly we are more vulnerable to finding ourselves seemingly unable to make effective decisions in the face of strong impulses (or "temptation") if we are otherwise stressed and have low blood sugar. Excellent support for the well-known phenomenon, that people relapse when they are stressed; and also excellent support for the HALT idea (don't let yourself get Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired) in AA.

Thanks!

wip