So if you are stressed out and you do not know what to do, you might do something out of the ordinary or something you wouldn't usually do, right? Wrong. Recent research has found that in times of stress, individuals fall back on their regular habits, whether that is sitting on the couch eating ice cream or going for a jog.
When individuals think of old habits, they often think of negative habits. However, data from five recent experiments indicates that individuals continue their usual habits - whether good or bad - when they are overwhelmed. They found that during exam times students continued their usual habits with regard to the type of breakfast they ate and whether they read the entertainment or the educational section of the newspaper. Such research demonstrated that the simplest way to cope with stress was to do what had usually been done.
Research has also demonstrated that willpower is a finite resource. It's as though individuals draw willpower from a well when they attempt to self-regulate themselves, such as when preventing themselves from eating brownies. When dealing with too many stressors, an individual will tire out and only time and sleep can help to replenish this well.
Stress is often unavoidable and everyone deals with it in his own way. Although our bad habits may stand out more in our mind, it may be comforting to realize that individuals rely on their good habits when stressed as well. The best thing to do is to give yourself time to relax so that your willpower is still strong when dealing with the next stressor.
References: http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/health/bad-good-habits-stress/index.html?hpt=hp_bn13
No comments:
Post a Comment