Mentally transform your temptation

Simply transforming the desired object inside your brain affects your response to it — and how much willpower it will require to abstain.

• An adult might not be as easily persuaded that a tempting item is simply a picture, but it can be transformed in plenty of other ways.
• "For instance, instead of a drug being a fantastic high, pretend it's a poison," Mischel says. "How you think about it makes a huge difference in cooling your desire for it."