March is traditionally a month of fasting and reflection across multiple cultures and faiths; however, beyond its spiritual meaning lies a powerful psychological truth: healthy & controlled restraint trains the brain into better habits. 

Mental fitness coach, neuroscience-based performance specialist, and endurance athlete Liezel van der Westhuizen says you don’t need to fast for religious reasons to benefit from the psychology behind it. 

“Fasting is one of the oldest forms of cognitive training,” says van der Westhuizen. “It strengthens the brain’s ability to pause, regulate impulses, and act from intention instead of emotion. That’s mental stamina.” 

The Neuroscience Behind Restraint 

When a person voluntarily gives up something, whether food, caffeine, social media, or immediate emotional reactions, measurable cognitive processes are activated: 

1. Delayed Gratification and Dopamine Recalibration

Modern high-pressure environments overstimulate the brain’s reward system. Constant notifications, quick wins, and immediate responses flood dopamine pathways. 

Temporary restraint helps recalibrate this system, reducing impulsivity and increasing focus. Research in behavioral neuroscience shows that taking those intentional pauses, such as stepping back from reward-seeking like the highs of cute cat videos or ‘treat yourself’ choices, will help strengthen executive control networks in the prefrontal cortex. Remember that, much like addiction, you cannot let the thing that gives you bliss control you (yes, even scrolling can be a bad addiction); it’s about you controlling the level of bliss sustainably.  

2. Identity-Based Discipline

Mental fitness is not about willpower alone. It is about identity. 

When someone chooses discomfort voluntarily, they reinforce a self-concept of control and capability. Identity-driven discipline is more sustainable than motivation-driven action. It shifts behavior from reactive to intentional. 

“Every time you override an impulse, you reinforce the belief: I am someone who can handle discomfort. This is one thing I can healthily control,” van der Westhuizen explains. 

3. Emotional Discomfort Tolerance

Restraint builds emotional endurance. 

In both fasting and high-performance environments, the first battle is rarely physical. It is emotional – irritability, urgency, frustration when unlinked from what was previously so readily available for you to tap into daily. The ability to sit with discomfort without reacting, strengthens emotional regulation pathways and reduces reactivity over time. 

This is not deprivation. It is nervous system training. 

Performance Carryover into Business 

The benefits extend directly into leadership and sales performance. 

In competitive sales environments, emotional impulsivity can cost revenue. Quick defensive replies, urgency-driven discounting, and reactive decision-making often undermine strategic positioning. 

“The sales professional who can delay reacting emotionally closes better deals,” says van der Westhuizen. “Restraint creates clarity. Clarity drives stronger negotiation, better judgment, and higher long-term performance.” 

In high-stakes conversations, the pause becomes power. 

A Modern Mental Fitness Reset