When we think of alter ego, we are immediately reminded of Batman. He is always on duty to save Gotham city and fight the bad guys who disrupt the peace there. He might not have time to relax but the point is, having an alter ego like Bruce Wayne might help us calm down.

You don’t need a mask to activate that alter ego but if the Batman mask can help you meet your alter ego, you can wear one!

Your alter ego doesn’t need to be complicated or fight on the battlegrounds. It can be simple that would just lift off those big burdens you have been carrying around. Once they are off, you’ll feel light, confident, and relaxed.

According to the research, having an alter ego can serve as a ‘self-distancing’ tool and that is crucial in certain cases. We all need to refrain from impulsive actions during a complex situation and this is the way to control those sudden emotions to burst out.

We can gain the power of self-control once we adopt the alter ego. You won’t be fidgeting with nervousness or pacing up and down your room while stressing over any little matter.

Rachel White, assistant professor of psychology at Hamilton College in New York State reassured us by revealing, “Self-distancing gives us a little bit of extra space to think rationally about the situation.”

The research involved a few studies to understand the impact of having an alter ego. One of those studies involved some people who were ready to give a public talk. These participants were told to keep their thoughts in the third person to build a bridge between themselves and their emotions.

The results revealed that the ones who successfully ran their thoughts in the third person conquered their anxiety and felt less stressed.

The next study involved a few 6-year-old kids who were given the task of pressing the space bar whenever they encountered an image of cheese among other pictures running across the computer screen in front of them.

The research team encouraged those kids by telling them they are a part of a ‘very important activity’. Also, that they would be ‘good helpers’ if they sit through it for a longer time. Initially, the team gathered the kids in one room with an iPad with many games installed in it to distract them from the main task.

Before beginning the task, the researchers told these children to think about their feelings if they are bored mid-way.

The first group was told to think in the first person – ‘Am I working hard?’ The next group was convinced to keep their thoughts in the third person – ‘Is Hannah working hard?’

Finally, the last group was encouraged to step into the character of their favorite superhero. They were even given the outfit and accessories to adopt the role completely. They would ask themselves, ‘Is Batman working hard?’ when stuck in a monotonous cycle during the task.

The results proved everything! The children who thought in the third person spent 10% more time on the task as compared to the ones who thought in the first person. While adopting an alter ego of a fictional character led to those kids spending 23% more time on that activity.

Rachel White kept these results in mind while concluding that adopting an alter ego can lead to good self-control, emotional stability, and less stress.

It’s time you decide an alter ego that suits you the best!

The post Adopt An Alter Ego Like Batman To Feel Less Anxious And Gain Self-Control appeared first on The Nerd Series.