This self-control trick can help you overcome temptations you barely notice

Everyday temptations love to hide; they only reveal their insidious nature over time. Luckily, a simple self-control trick can help you tackle these sneaky indulgences.

Many everyday temptations don’t seem like temptations at all.

You come home from work with a slight headache: I think I’ll skip my upper body workout today. You’re at a party with a bowl of chips right in front of you: Let me have a handful. You’re browsing Netflix on a Sunday night: Maybe I’ll watch one episode of 3 Body Problem.

Social psychologists call these insidious temptations epsilon-cost temptations: “It is only through repeated consumption that the cost of these kinds of indulgences becomes consequential.”¹

One handful of chips won’t clog your arteries. One skipped gym session won’t make your biceps wither away. One Netflix episode won’t ruin your next week’s schedule. But we all know it’s not just one.

“Due to their deceptive nature, epsilon-cost temptations are easy to overlook: If you don’t realize you’re being tempted, why try to resist the action?”

Due to their deceptive nature, epsilon-cost temptations are easy to overlook: If you don’t realize you’re being tempted…