The Power of Delaying Gratification
Have you heard of the Marshmallow test?
It took place in the 1960’s by Stanford Professor Walter Mischel.
The experiment began by bringing each child into a private room, sitting them down in a chair, and placing a marshmallow on the table in front of them. At this point, the researcher offered a deal to the child. He told the child that he was going to leave the room and that if the child did not eat the marshmallow while he was away, then they would be rewarded with a second marshmallow. However, if the child decided to eat the first one before the researcher came back, then they would not get a second marshmallow.
So the choice was simple: 1 treat right now or 2 treats later.
Then the researcher left the room for 15 minutes.
As you can imagine, the footage of the children waiting alone in the room was rather entertaining. Some kids jumped up and ate the first marshmallow as soon as the researcher closed the door. Others wiggled and bounced and scooted in their chairs as they tried to restrain themselves, but eventually gave in to temptation a few minutes later.
And finally, a few of the children did manage to wait the entire time.
The study results were published in 1972, but the interesting part came years later.
As the years rolled on and the children grew up, the researchers conducted follow-up studies and tracked each child’s progress in a number of areas. What they found was surprising.
The children who were willing to delay gratification and waited to receive the second marshmallow ended up:
· having higher SAT scores
· lower levels of substance abuse
· lower likelihood of obesity
· better responses to stress
· better social skills
· and generally better scores in a range of other life measures.
The researchers followed each child for more than 40 years and over and over again,
the group who waited patiently for the 2nd marshmallow
succeeded in whatever capacity they were measuring!
I can tell you that the opposite of this is true also.
I let the stress and overwhelm of the year 2020 send me into a downward spiral of not delaying gratification in my diet. I ate all the things!
The world around was so scary and unpredictable that I let food, sugar, and carbs become the comfort of my days. I regularly picked up donuts to share with our staff, and save a couple for myself in the process. I made lots of homemade (we couldn’t go out!) dinners with potatoes and gravy, and don’t get me started on the breads and pastas. The food was something reliable to anticipate and enjoy when the news was scary and we were shut in without our friends.
Can you relate???
When I finally chose to fight my way out of the fog, the outcome was not a good one. About 25 extra pounds, lots of inflammation & autoimmune issues, and buckets of shame. I was thankful to be able to hide in my house but miserable about wanting to.
Fast forward a few years and I’ve learned to employ some great strategies to overcome stress eating and I feel so much better. Delaying gratification is key!
Don’t get me wrong- I have not mastered this yet! I don’t think I ever will completely, but I am committed to getting up every time I fail and starting again. I’ve decided that each time I fail, I will get curious and ask myself why I made those choices and how I felt after I did.
And you can too! I don’t care how far you’ve gone in the wrong direction, you can change direction today and choose today not to stress eat by delaying gratification.
The result is peace, weight loss, satisfaction, and contentment!
These verses give me hope and comfort, I pray they do for you too:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews 10:36
How would your life be made better by delaying gratification?
Would it help you become the woman God created you to be?
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
I know you can do it ❤️,