O Verdadeiro Segredo Do Autocontrole (Use Hoje Mesmo)

Summary

The video script shares insights from psychologist Dr. Jonathan Bricker on combating unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking and obesity. It highlights the importance of health and science values instilled by the speaker's parents and introduces the concept of 'acceptance' as a key to self-control. The speaker explains that instead of battling desires, one should allow them to come and go without acting on them, which is part of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The script also discusses the ineffectiveness of thought suppression and shares personal anecdotes, like the story of 'Jane,' to illustrate the practical application of acceptance in overcoming addiction.

Takeaways

• 🏃 The speaker's mother started exercising at 42 and progressively increased her physical challenges, culminating in reaching the base camp of Mount Everest at 57, illustrating the value of health.
• 👨‍🏫 The speaker's father introduced him to the importance of science through attending science classes and later becoming his high school calculus teacher, despite the awkwardness.
• 🌍 There is a global epidemic of unhealthy lifestyle choices, with around half a billion people being obese and another billion smoking cigarettes.
• 🚭 Despite the awareness raised 50 years ago about the dangers of tobacco, smoking remains a prevalent issue contributing to preventable premature deaths.
• 🧩 The speaker likens addressing unhealthy behaviors to solving a puzzle, with genetics, brain neurotransmitters, and environmental influences being pieces that cannot be tackled alone.
• 🔑 The key to solving the puzzle of unhealthy behaviors may lie in the choices we make regarding our desires for addictive behaviors, suggesting that self-control science could be pivotal.
• 💭 Acceptance, a new science of self-control, involves allowing desires to come and go without acting on them, differing from willpower or desire suppression.
• 📚 The speaker was initially skeptical about the concept of acceptance, but after attending a workshop and reading related books, became convinced of its effectiveness.
• 🔄 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which includes acceptance as a key component, is widely used to help people with anxiety disorders and addictions, and is even utilized in business settings.
• 📊 Clinical trials have shown that people who practice acceptance are more likely to quit smoking than those who try to avoid their desires, with double the success rate.
• 🤔 The speaker shares a personal story of counseling 'Jane,' a smoker, to illustrate the practical application of acceptance in overcoming the desire to smoke.
• 💔 Acceptance can also help in dealing with negative emotions such as shame associated with certain behaviors, by using self-compassion and honoring the feeling as part of the human experience.

Q & A

What significant change did Dr. Jonathan Bricker's mother make in her life at the age of 42?

Dr. Jonathan Bricker's mother started doing physical exercises for the first time in her life at the age of 42, beginning with running around the neighborhood and eventually participating in 5 km and 10 km races, a marathon, a triathlon, and even reaching the base camp of Mount Everest at the age of 57.

How did Dr. Bricker's father influence his early interest in science?

Dr. Bricker's father used to take him to science classes, and later in high school, he became Dr. Bricker's calculus teacher, which led to an uncomfortable situation for Dr. Bricker but also instilled in him the value of science.

What two values did Dr. Bricker learn from his parents that have guided him throughout his life?

Dr. Bricker learned the value of health from his mother and the value of science from his father, both of which have guided him throughout his life.

What is the current global situation regarding obesity and smoking as mentioned in the script?

Approximately half a billion people worldwide are obese, and despite the first report on the dangers of tobacco being published 50 years ago, at least one billion people still smoke cigarettes. Both tobacco and obesity are leading causes of preventable premature death.

What is the new science of self-control mentioned in the script, and how does it approach dealing with unhealthy behaviors?

The new science of self-control mentioned is called 'acceptance'. It involves allowing desires to come and go without necessarily acting on them, offering a different perspective on dealing with cravings for behaviors like smoking or overeating.

What is the main principle behind the acceptance approach to dealing with desires?

The main principle behind the acceptance approach is to stop struggling against desires and instead adopt a passive stance without judgment, allowing the desires to be present without necessarily acting on them.

How did Dr. Bricker initially react to the concept of acceptance when he first heard about it?

Dr. Bricker was initially skeptical about the concept of acceptance when he first heard about it from a friend. He thought it sounded like 'soft talk' and didn't pay much attention to it at first.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and how is it used to help people with anxiety disorders and addictions?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an approach that incorporates acceptance as part of its methodology to help people change their behavior. It is widely used to assist individuals with anxiety disorders and addictions by helping them deal with their cravings and commit to healthier behaviors.

What is the 'I'm having the thought' exercise mentioned in the script, and how does it help with self-control?

The 'I'm having the thought' exercise is a technique where individuals acknowledge their thoughts and cravings without acting on them. It helps create a space between the thought and the action, allowing for a moment of choice and self-control.

How did Dr. Bricker help 'Jane', a person seeking help to quit smoking, to deal with her feelings of shame and discomfort associated with smoking?

Dr. Bricker suggested that Jane honor her feelings of shame as part of the human experience and to treat herself with compassion and care, as she would treat a close friend feeling embarrassed for smoking. This approach helped Jane feel some temporary relief from shame and made it easier for her to resist the urge to smoke the next time.

What is the secret to self-control as discussed in the script, and why is it effective?

The secret to self-control, as discussed in the script, is to let go of control. Fighting against desires can lead to an endless tug-of-war with the 'desire monster'. By accepting desires without acting on them, they often lose their power and eventually go away on their own, leading to better self-control.