The art of self discipline

What is self discipline?

Well I think it depends on who you ask but I believe -It is the ability to keep on keeping on and take forward action despite how you’re feeling (emotionally or physically). It is a skill that can be learned and mastered.
An example… Going to the gym even though you are tired, because you know this is a positive thing for your health and once you’re done, you’ll feel better. Here is another example… Setting your alarm 30-60mins earlier to get a head start on some things you feel like you don’t currently have time for - like meal prep, work, exercise…

Acts of self discipline vary from person to person

It is important to sit down and have a think about some things that you could improve with some self discipline. Most of us are spending way too much time on our devices yet screaming we don’t have enough time to eat healthy and exercise. So perhaps if this is you, some self discipline may mean you firstly need to prioritise what’s important in your life and then acknowledge some self discipline that could help you out - meal prepping, waking up earlier, setting limits on your devices for screen time.

Acknowledge weaknesses and remove temptations

If you know that Oreos are your weakness, acknowledge that and remove temptation by not buying them. Then you don’t even need to be self disciplined because they aren’t in the house. If you are not currently a ‘morning person’ make it easier for yourself to become one… Go to bed a bit earlier so you’re still getting the minimum 7 hours per night, when you get up do something you enjoy straight up - for me that’s a coffee all by myself in the peace and quiet while all the small humans are still asleep. If scrolling social media is a weakness it would be wise to set some limits on your screen time. If you have an Apple device you can do it within the settings of your phone.

Self discipline does not mean you have to go without

Would you believe me if I said I had about 5 blocks of chocolate in my fridge? Well I do! I have chocolate everyday - just 2 squares of the dark stuff or no-added sugar Lindt. That’s a form of self discipline. I have chocolate in moderation and I don’t miss out. Once you learn self discipline it is easy to have all the things in moderate amounts. Self discipline might also mean you delay rewarding yourself. Instead of having a coffee and muffin after each workout, how about saving that money up for some new runners? Two birds - one stone!

Meditation and mindfulness are wonderful ways to practise self discipline

If you have ever tried to sit and be mindful or meditate, you’ll quickly realise how hard it can be to sit with only your thoughts. This is a perfect practise in self discipline and has many amazing positive effects. Mindfulness and meditation are similar practices that essentially require you to be in the present moment. Sounds easy enough - but it can be a very difficult task given our fast-paced lives.

Self discipline will likely be uncomfortable at first.

This isn’t a bad thing! Learning to accept discomfort is a big step in the right direction. It’s totally okay to be bored from time to time. Experiencing sadness, loneliness and discomfort is all apart of life and these days we are all too quick to try and avoid it at all costs. But is it really helpful to try and hide from these emotions all the time? I think not. Life is full of difficult moments and learning to sit with them for a while can be a very enlightening experience. Nothing grows in comfort zones, so expect to grow through what you go through.

Learning to say no to others can be really difficult

If you’re a people pleaser, then saying no to others in order to protect yourself (mentally, emotionally or physically) feels horrible. When we say yes to someone else we need to make sure that we aren’t saying no to ourselves in the process. Let’s say you’ve been asked to work an extra shift and you really don’t want to cover it because you are feeling emotionally drained - if you say yes to your boss, you’re saying no to your own needs and boundaries. Here is another example… Perhaps you’ve been asked to go to a party but feel socially exhausted. If you go, you know that you’ll potentially feel really socially exhausted afterwards and if you stay home you will have some time to recharge and recuperate. Again, saying yes to the party might mean you are saying no to yourself and your own needs.

Self discipline is hard! It takes a lot of practise… It’s just like a muscle, the more you work it out the stronger it will get.
I promise if you give it a crack and stick with it you can create some great self discipline habits!