I read this on a fitness board. I thought immediately about the suggestion that was made to me a long time ago about writing down a list of things to do when urges struck. I did that and it sure helped me, and now I pass that suggestion on to newcomers here.
I think the outcome of this test is very relevant. For me in the early days of my sobriety, AL was like the marshmellow. See what you think.
Some of us probably have better natural instincts than others to keep our focus off of what it is we are not allowing ourselves to have. (AL) BUT..I think this study validates the benefit of staying distracted with other things in achieving the goal. Maybe knowledge of this study will help someone find a way to stay distracted.
For me? I made a long list. It included stuff of the “chore” variety – things I had been neglecting far too long. But based on a suggestion made to me, I also spent time thinking of fun things to do. I had been drinking my spare time away for so long, I didn’t know WHAT I wanted to do. I didn't have any hobbies except drinking. So I included books to read, movies to see, local places to visit or tour, hobbies I might be interested in. I even included things like “jig saw puzzle” because in the middle of an intense crave, I wouldn’t even THINK to get one out of the closet! Nothing was too goofy to be on my list. I’m very glad that “go to the gym” stuck. “Read and post on MWO” stuck. I still maintain a reading list that keeps getting longer! Etc.
Stop staring at the marshmallow.
DG
I think the outcome of this test is very relevant. For me in the early days of my sobriety, AL was like the marshmellow. See what you think.
The Marshmallow Test
In the early 1970s, a psychologist named Walter Mischel conducted an experiment involving four-year-olds. He placed each child in a room, where they sat down at a table. In front of them, a marshmallow. Mischel then made each child an offer. He could eat the marshmallow right away or wait for a few more minutes and receive another one. Almost everyone decided to wait. Mischel then left the room for twenty minutes.
While a few of the four-year-olds were able to resist the temptation for up to fifteen minutes, many lasted less than one minute. Others just ate the marshmallow as soon as Mischel left the room.
This was a test of self-control. If the child wanted to achieve the goal of receiving another marshmallow, then he needed to temporarily ignore his feelings and delay gratification for a few more minutes. What this study showed was that some children at the early age of four were much better at this than others.
What I found interesting are the strategies the successful children employed in order to endure the experiment. They kept themselves distracted. Covered their eyes, played with their hands or just entered a trance-like state where it seemed they were lost in their thoughts. Their attention was elsewhere.
The failed strategy of the unsuccessful children was the complete opposite of that; in essence, they fixated on the marshmallow almost as if attempting to stare it down, actively fighting the temptation.
The solution then is to stay distracted.
Final note: I first learned about the marshmallow test in How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer. A good read if you're interested in human behavior and psychology. It's interesting to note that the marshmallow test predicted future success in many other areas of life. When a follow-up study on each child was done twenty years later, it was found that children who waited longer also had better academic success and less behavioral problems than the ones who ate the treat sooner.
In the early 1970s, a psychologist named Walter Mischel conducted an experiment involving four-year-olds. He placed each child in a room, where they sat down at a table. In front of them, a marshmallow. Mischel then made each child an offer. He could eat the marshmallow right away or wait for a few more minutes and receive another one. Almost everyone decided to wait. Mischel then left the room for twenty minutes.
While a few of the four-year-olds were able to resist the temptation for up to fifteen minutes, many lasted less than one minute. Others just ate the marshmallow as soon as Mischel left the room.
This was a test of self-control. If the child wanted to achieve the goal of receiving another marshmallow, then he needed to temporarily ignore his feelings and delay gratification for a few more minutes. What this study showed was that some children at the early age of four were much better at this than others.
What I found interesting are the strategies the successful children employed in order to endure the experiment. They kept themselves distracted. Covered their eyes, played with their hands or just entered a trance-like state where it seemed they were lost in their thoughts. Their attention was elsewhere.
The failed strategy of the unsuccessful children was the complete opposite of that; in essence, they fixated on the marshmallow almost as if attempting to stare it down, actively fighting the temptation.
The solution then is to stay distracted.
Final note: I first learned about the marshmallow test in How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer. A good read if you're interested in human behavior and psychology. It's interesting to note that the marshmallow test predicted future success in many other areas of life. When a follow-up study on each child was done twenty years later, it was found that children who waited longer also had better academic success and less behavioral problems than the ones who ate the treat sooner.
Some of us probably have better natural instincts than others to keep our focus off of what it is we are not allowing ourselves to have. (AL) BUT..I think this study validates the benefit of staying distracted with other things in achieving the goal. Maybe knowledge of this study will help someone find a way to stay distracted.
For me? I made a long list. It included stuff of the “chore” variety – things I had been neglecting far too long. But based on a suggestion made to me, I also spent time thinking of fun things to do. I had been drinking my spare time away for so long, I didn’t know WHAT I wanted to do. I didn't have any hobbies except drinking. So I included books to read, movies to see, local places to visit or tour, hobbies I might be interested in. I even included things like “jig saw puzzle” because in the middle of an intense crave, I wouldn’t even THINK to get one out of the closet! Nothing was too goofy to be on my list. I’m very glad that “go to the gym” stuck. “Read and post on MWO” stuck. I still maintain a reading list that keeps getting longer! Etc.
Stop staring at the marshmallow.
DG
awprint: RUBY Imagine yourself doing What you love and loving What you do, Being happy From the inside Out, experiencing your Dreams wide awake, 
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