At least when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, people fail to meet their goals 92% of the time. One of the ways that you can meet your goals more consistently while improving your life is to practice self-regulation.
Self-regulation is a personal skill that allows you to have more control over your life. Self-regulation allows you to feel more grounded and aligned with your true self and can lead to more success in the classroom, at work, and beyond.
In this guide, we’ll tell you about the importance of self-regulation and how to develop it.
What Is Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation is a skill that pertains to being able to have self-control and emotional intelligence. It’s also about making good long-term choices. Self-regulation skills allow you to manage yourself effectively and include keeping emotions, body movements, and goals in check.
Self-regulation is often mentioned in regard to children and studying habits. However, self-regulation is also beneficial for adults who want to be more effective and their jobs and in their everyday lives.
Self-regulation goes beyond just self-control. It’s about managing your life and your behaviors effectively while also improving social skills.
How to Develop Self-Regulation Skills
So how can you practice self-regulation to have more success in your life? Here’s how you can get started.
Become More Mindful
One of the biggest steps to becoming effective at self-regulation is to practice mindfulness. Practicing techniques such as meditation, being mindful in your everyday life, and trying to be more self-aware is a big part of practicing self-regulation.
Simply sitting and breathing and noticing how your body feels can be helpful for you. You may notice areas of physical stress or mental stress when you do so.
Getting into the habit of noticing your body, your breath, and the things around you can be beneficial when trying to improve self-regulation skills.
Know Your Goals and Values
Another important part of self-regulation is getting in touch with your values. Then, once you identify what you value make sure that you’re taking action. Let your values influence what you do and keep you motivated when taking action and living your life.
Planning well and then following through on those plans is essential. Be sure to see here for more information about “executive function” and how important it is for finding success in your life.
Improve Accountability
One of the things that you need to do to practice self-regulation is to hold yourself accountable. You should set goals and values for yourself and should monitor yourself to ensure that you follow through.
You should also make sure that you’re accepting accountability for your actions, both good and bad. Getting clear about your actions and holding yourself accountable for them is a good way to self-regulate more effectively.
Strengthen Your Willpower
A big part of improving self-regulation is to assert your own willpower when living your life. You should use it to control your impulsive behaviors, meet your goals, and have better agency over your actions.
Choosing the best actions for yourself requires conscious choice and effort. Practicing the muscles of your willpower is essential if you want to start having better self-regulation in your life and find success.
Using These Tips to Develop Self-Regulation
If you want to improve self-regulation skills in your life, make sure that you’re following the tips above. By becoming more mindful, getting in touch with your values, and holding yourself accountable, you’ll experience more success in your life.
Need more tips for everyday living? Read through our blog now to find more useful advice.