The Bite Size Podcast with Lorayne Michaels

Rewiring Your Brain: The Transformative Science of Delayed Gratification

• Lorayne • Season 2 • Episode 57

Share episode

Have you ever wondered why some people can consistently achieve long-term goals while others repeatedly sabotage their own success? The answer might lie in a simple yet powerful brain mechanism that's becoming increasingly rare in our instant-everything world.

Delayed gratification isn't just about willpower or discipline—it's a profound neurological process that literally reshapes your brain. When you choose to pause before responding to an urge—whether that's saying no to sugar, declining an impulse purchase, or stepping back from a toxic relationship—you're activating your prefrontal cortex (your brain's CEO) rather than your limbic system (the emotional, reactive center). This conscious choice creates new neural pathways that transform how your brain processes desires and rewards.

The science is fascinating, but the practical implications are life-changing. Regular practice of delayed gratification builds emotional regulation, preventing the spirals that often follow impulsive decisions. It significantly boosts self-esteem because you're consistently keeping promises to yourself, building genuine self-trust rather than eroding it. Each fulfilled commitment reinforces your identity as someone reliable and disciplined—someone who chooses purpose over temporary pleasure.

From a spiritual perspective, this concept reflects the ultimate example set by Jesus, who "for the joy set before him endured the cross." When we delay gratification, we're declaring: "I am becoming someone who can handle the weight of what I'm waiting for." We're not weak because the waiting is hard—we're wise because we continue to walk faithfully through the waiting season, trusting that what's being formed in us is worth more than what we temporarily forfeit.

Ready to strengthen your prefrontal cortex? Choose one area of your life this week—food choices, spending, screen time, or emotional reactions—and practice the pause. Interrupt those automatic responses and choose the wait. Your future self will thank you for the brain upgrade and the deeper satisfaction that comes from alignment with your highest values and purposes.

Where you can find me:
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
Email Me: LorayneMichaels22@gmail.com

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Bite Size Podcast. I'm your host, lorraine Michaels, former EMT and nursing assistant, now business owner and wild entrepreneur. I walked away from over 15 years in medicine to pursue my passion and my God-given talents. Now I get the honor of helping other women discover their passions and purpose. If you're feeling stuck in life, unsure where to go or what to do, welcome. If you're exactly where you want to be great, you're welcome here too. If you have faced any kind of hardship or setback, you have found a safe place here. In other words, no matter who you are or what you've been through or what you're going through, this is the space for you. On the Bite Size podcast, we'll discuss life, business and faith. There's something for everyone. So grab a cup of coffee and something to take notes with, because there will definitely be things you won't want to forget. Definitely be things you won't want to forget. Hey friends, welcome back to the Bite Size Podcast. I'm your host, lorraine Michaels, and today we are going to dive into a topic that builds grown woman strength. So if you're a dude and you're listening, don't tune out, because you can learn something too, or you can maybe help guide your wife I was going to say help teach your wife. But let's be honest, you're probably not teaching your wife. I'm just kidding. I'm kidding. Anyways, this is going to help build some strength, but also listen to me it literally reshapes your brain. What am I talking about?

Speaker 1:

Delayed gratification, it isn't just a discipline issue, it's a subconscious upgrade. Ever felt stuck in cycles of impulsivity, quick fixes or self-sabotage? This episode is for you. So we are being conditioned every day to expect instant gratification, that everything happens and should happen in an instant Scroll tap done, click, buy, done. And your brain it's learning to expect that dopamine hit every time you respond to that urge. But here's the truth Every time we say yes to an impulse, we reinforce the belief that I can't wait, I don't trust the process, I need relief now. But when you delay gratification whether it's saying no to sugar, a toxic relationship, gossip or buying something you don't need but you want in that moment you're literally rewiring your subconscious mind to believe I am safe to wait, I trust God's timing and I choose purpose over pleasure. You are literally cementing it into your brain that you can do hard things, that you can wait, and I know, you know you might be listening and you're like well, if I want it, if I want it and I can get it, why not? There's a deeper issue here. It's a matter of the impulsivity. It's the matter of instant gratification rather than delayed gratification and what that actually is signaling to your subconscious and your brain. So let's talk a little bit of brain science here.

Speaker 1:

When you delay gratification, you're engaging your prefrontal cortex, and that's the part of your brain that's responsible for logic, decision making, future planning. It's basically the CEO of your brain, and most of us are living out of our limbic system, that emotional, reactive part of our brain. It seeks comfort, it avoids pain. It's totally natural. That's where addiction lies. That's where binge eating is impulsive spending, numbing behaviors. When you hear I mean I used to be the one that was like oh my god, I need a drink like no, you don't need a drink. You just don't have healthy coping mechanisms. So you turn to alcohol to help feel numb, so you don't have to think about the things that's really bothering you and do the work. I'm preaching because that used to be me at one point in time. It's the numbing behaviors, it's where they get their grip. But here's the power Every time you pause, every time you breathe, you choose internal discomfort over a quick relief. You activate the higher part of your brain and over time it becomes your new default and spiritually, you're training your spirit to lead over your flesh. It's in Romans 12, 2, and that's really what puts it into action being transformed by the renewing of your mind, not to be of the world, but to be renewed by the word and to be renewed by the spirit transforming your mind. That's like literally what's happening, because you're doing the thing that's hard so that you can have the thing that's best in the long term.

Speaker 1:

Let's talk about mental health and emotional growth. So delayed gratification it also increases your emotional regulation. You don't spiral out of control. Every trigger there is. It boosts self-esteem because you're keeping your promises to yourself. Every time you break a promise to yourself or you say that you're going to get up in the morning and work out and you don't, it is chipping away at your confidence and your subconscious is starting to believe that you cannot trust yourself. And so, by delaying gratification, it actually boosts your self-esteem.

Speaker 1:

It breaks cycles of addictive behaviors because you interrupt that automatic loop when you automatically do something. I see it, I want it, I got it. I think there's a song, I think there's a song that she talks about that. Is it like Rihanna? I don't remember, but anyways, I'm not going to lie, I like the beat. But anyways, breaking the cycle of addictive behaviors, because you're interrupting that loop and you're actually stopping the path and starting a new one. You're rewiring your subconscious. It builds patience, peace, clarity. You're no longer ruled by the now, you start to become rooted in the next, and so I kind of want to reframe this in a faith-based way for you.

Speaker 1:

Jesus didn't shortcut the cross. He endured the pain of the wait for the joy that was coming. I know that that's pretty heavy, right. He could have had instant gratification and he could have gotten out of it, but he didn't. He endured it because he knew what was coming. He knew the joy that was ahead. Hebrews 12, 2 says for the joy set before him he endured the cross. So, girl, if he can wait for the promise, so can we.

Speaker 1:

So I want you to ask yourself these three things what am I rushing that God is asking me to grow through, to wait through? The second one is where have I been choosing relief over refinement? Oof, that's a good one. And what would it look like to trust the process more than the outcome. I want you to think about those things, write it down, journal it, pray about it and reflect on it. And really I mean these are some hard questions. Don't gloss over them. Dig into it and see what comes up. Here's your practical step Pick an area of your life this week your food choices, your spending your time, your scrolling, your fitness, your reactions, how you respond to people, how you react, and practice the pause.

Speaker 1:

I want you to practice the pause, interrupt that automatic response, that knee-jerk reaction, and choose the weight and speak this over yourself. I am in the stretch. I am becoming the woman who can handle the weight of what I'm waiting for. Friend, you're not weak because the weight is hard. You're wise because you're still walking. Stay faithful, stay rooted, stay expectant. God's not done and you aren't either. So I'll see you in the next episode on the Bite Size podcast. And do me a favor, friend, if you haven't already. Please rate and review the show, send it, pass it along, share it with someone and tag me. But the best thing you can do for me, and I would be so appreciative, is, if you just rated the podcast, head on over to wherever it is you listen to. Apple Podcasts is the easiest one and review it Always. Friend, friend, remember you were divinely created for divine purpose and there was no mistake in you.