Instant gratification is the wish to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment. Basically, it’s when you want it; and you want it now. Instant gratification is the opposite of what we’ve been taught and try too hard to practice — delayed gratification. Delaying gratification is the ability to resist the temptation of instant pleasure. Instead of giving in to temptation, you hold out in the hopes of getting a better or longer-lasting future reward. When you know how to practice delayed gratification, you can wait for what you truly want.
Instant gratification is the opposite of delayed gratification. Instead of waiting patiently for what you want, you settle for someone that will bring you pleasure right away. As you might have guessed, the emotional part of our brain responds positively to instant gratification.
When given the choice of one marshmallow now or broccoli later, this part of your brain pushes you to choose the marshmallow. The logical part of your brain, though, tries to reason with you. It might tell you that broccoli is better for your long-term health and that you really don’t need to eat that. But a part of your brain will tell that the marshmallow is too tasty and good-looking not to be eaten instantly. This is a case of instant gratification bias
We live in a world where we are bombarded with messages telling us that we need instant gratification. We see it in the online ads we scroll, in the movies we watch, and even in the music we play. It’s no wonder that so many of us have a hard time controlling our impulses for instant gratification.
With advancements in technology, many of us receive more gratifying results with less effort. We grow weary of working harder and waiting longer for the sake of convenience over time.
Shopping for anything from apparel to food, to relationships may all be accomplished with a single click or swipe. Technology is at our fingertips, allowing us to get what we want and when we want it without spending much time or energy. We get an immediate reward for our actions. Over time, this behavior takes a serious toll on our patience, work ethic, coping skills, and even our stress response.
What Is Instant Gratification?
Instant gratification or immediate gratification as a concept describes the want to experience the pleasure or fulfillment of a reward in an immediate-moment fashion. It represents a lack of patience, and an inability to delay gratification in pursuit of future goals. Although the phrase is often used in negative ways, there can be positive aspects to it as well. For example, if you are working towards a long-term goal but allow yourself to enjoy small rewards along the way, this can help keep you motivated.
There are several different theories on how and why people seek instant gratification. One popular theory is that it’s a result of our culture. We live in a society that is increasingly focused on instant gratification. With technology, we can get what we want right away with the click of a button. And advertising is designed to tap into our desires and convince us that we need things that we may not even really want.
Whatever the cause, instant gratification can be a problem because it often leads to poor decision-making. When we make decisions based on immediate pleasure, we often sacrifice our long-term goals and well-being. This can have negative consequences in all areas of our lives, from our health to our finances.
What Caused Us To Become So Reliant On Instant Gratification?
Although the idea of instant gratification isn’t new, the technology we employ daily is new. Our behavior is molded by the world around us, which means that the use of contemporary technologies has created new habits in just a decade. They’ve changed our craving to consume, whether it’s through eating, purchasing, or simply utilizing digital devices.
A 2022 study by Reviews.org showed that the average person now checks their phone 344 times a day and that 43% of people check their cell phones while on a date. Our brains have become hardwired to expect immediate results, whether it’s a text, an email, or a social media notification. The delayed reward is somewhat of a lost art. This constant need for stimulation can lead to decision-making based on short-term gain rather than long-term benefit.
We’ve all been there before: we see something we want, and we want it now. We don’t want to wait, even if it means paying more in the long run. Whether it’s a new piece of technology, a designer handbag, or tickets to a sold-out concert, instant gratification has become the norm.
While there’s nothing wrong with wanting things, it’s important to be aware of the impact that instant gratification can have on our lives. In the modern world, we must have personal growth to ensure our future abundant lives.
9 Ways To Control Your Desire For Instant Gratification
The good news is, that there are things you can do to take control of your yearning for instant gratification. Here are seven tips to help begin the process to overcome instant gratification:
1. Be Aware Of Your Triggers
What are the things that trigger your desire for instant gratification? Is it seeing an ad for a new product on social media? Is it being tired or stressed out? Rather than having absolutely no idea what your triggers are, you can be more aware of them and better prepared to deal with them. There are many examples of quick fix that leaves negative effects, overcome the instant gratification trap, and seek pleasure from the deferred gratification that an abundant life provides.
2. Plan Ahead
One of the best ways to take control of your desire for instant gratification is to plan ahead. If you know you’re going to be tempted by something in the present moment, have a plan in place for how you’ll deal with it. For example, if you sense that you’re going to be tempted to spend money on unnecessary things, set a budget for yourself and stick to it. If social media is your instant gratification trap, turn off your phone while working. There is free access to apps that can help slow your usage. When you begin to realize that life is not about short-lived pleasure you will begin to experience positive outcomes.
One way if helping yourself plan ahead is to use backcasting. It is a great tool to help you for identify strategies to build your abundant life. It starts with the future abundant life or the future success that you want and work backward to the present. It helps you get to understand your strengths and areas of improvement to cater to your future, allowing for sustainable development and to achieve a desirable future.
3. Take Your Time
Don’t feel like you have to make decisions right away. If you’re considering buying something, take your time and think about it before making a decision. Ask yourself if you really need it or if you can wait. Oftentimes, the urge to have something right away will dissipate if you give yourself some time. It’s no easy feat to win, but keeping the big picture in mind will help you avoid pain. Feel good about your decisions instead of wishing you had waited longer.
4. Be Mindful Of Your Goals
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about our long-term goals. But if we’re not mindful of our goals, instant gratification can quickly lead us off track. Whenever you’re feeling the urge to indulge in instant gratification, take a step back and think about what you’re trying to achieve in the long run, what’s the amount of hard work that you had to put o come this far. Look at the bigger picture for your long-term success. This will help you stay focused on your goals.
5. Get Rid Of Temptation
One of the best ways to take control of your desire for instant gratification is to remove temptation. If there’s something you know you shouldn’t buy, delete it from your browser history or unsubscribe from emails that promote it. Don’t get caught in an instant gratification trap! Out of sight, out of mind. One episode more of your favorite feel-good show might give you pleasure at the moment but the sleep you needed for tomorrow is the reward your body needed. Few things in your everyday life truly required instant gratification, and overcoming instant gratification in everyday life helps build a better future for you.
6. Seek Professional Help
If you find that you can’t seem to control your desire for instant gratification on your own, it may be time to seek professional help. A therapist can help you identify the root cause of your problem and develop a plan to overcome it. Building up that self-discipline takes a team sometimes. When you lose motivation and begin finding yourself unable to avoid the short-term pleasure the negative effects can pile up. The reward system might be something you need help sorting out and when the team helps you overcome. You might need a large dose of help, and that is the point of help.
7. Manage Your Environment
The surroundings in which we live have a significant impact on our behaviors. To boost your chances of success, manage your environment before beginning any task. If you’re worried about checking your phone, put it somewhere else while you work. Preventing yourself from having access to your distractions can help you keep your urges in check and increase attention. Quit smoking or vaping and begin to instill your pleasure principle. Building that healthy relationship with your environment can help you break free from old patterns and avoid the discomfort of losing your dream.
8. Practice Self-Control
Self-control is a muscle that gets stronger with practice. The more you resist the urge to indulge in instant gratification, the easier it will become over time. Make a conscious effort to practice restraint on a daily basis, and you’ll find it gets easier over time. A good way to build your self-control is to make a daily list of the times you practiced self-restraint.
9. Set 3 Achievable Goals Everyday
Creating an unending list of things to do in a short period of time may cause stress and cause you to lose focus. Instead, make a list of three reachable goals for the day. This helps you work with greater purpose and maintain your motivation at an all-time high by encouraging more delayed gratification.
What’s So Important About Delayed Gratification?
Anything worthwhile in life takes time and effort to create. Real success comes from practicing discipline over temptation and distraction. Giving in to instantly gratifying habits can provide us with short-term relief and happiness, but these short-term pleasures don’t last, and they can interfere with achieving your long-term happiness.
The ability to hold out now for a much better reward in the future is a crucial life skill. Delaying gratification helps you to improve your self-control. It helps you to persevere through difficult activities, stay on task for longer, and enjoy things in moderation. With this, you’re more likely to stay on your intended life plan and reach your goals much sooner.
The good news is, that destructive habits can be broken, behavior can be adjusted, and with enough patience and discipline, you can learn the skill of delayed gratification.
Key Takeaways
The world is filled with distractions. Even though instant gratification offers a pleasurable sensation, it isn’t sustainable. If we want to be successful in any area of our lives, we need to learn how to control our desire for it.
When we make decisions based on short-term gain rather than long-term benefit, we often sacrifice our long-term goals and well-being. This can have negative consequences in all areas of our lives, from our health to our finances.
Instant gratification is a common problem in our society. But with a little effort, it’s something you can learn to control. Be aware of your triggers, plan ahead, and take your time when making decisions. And if all else fails, seek professional help. Use our nine tips, and you’ll be on your way to taking control of your desire for instant gratification.
