To strengthen your impulse control, practice the following exercise 10 times a day: identify the urge to check your phone, decline this request, and wait 10 minutes before giving in.

noli's read

This advice is based on the concept of 'urge surfing,' a technique derived from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness. Research, particularly randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on emotional regulation, confirms that creating a delay between an impulse and an action helps reduce the brain's automatic reactivity. The idea of 'strengthening' the brain is a metaphor for synaptic plasticity: repeating this inhibition engages the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in executive functions. While the short-term effect on managing distractions is well documented, the claim that this provides overall 'self-mastery' or increased depth remains a behavioral extrapolation rather than a measured clinical result. It is interesting to note that willpower is often described as a limited resource (ego depletion theory), although this model is debated by recent meta-analyses. In sum, the approach is mechanically sound for breaking digital reflexes, but its general impact on personality should be nuanced.

the sources

1. 1Hunt MG, Marx R, Lipson C, Young J. 2018
2. 2Yang J, Fu X, Liao X, Li Y. 2019