New Delhi, Jan. 7 -- Three of the shortest-lived things known to man are teenage crushes, Indian roads after a spell of rain and new year resolutions. There's a good chance that most of us have already broken our new year resolutions of going to the gym everyday, increasing mindful eating or reducing mindless scrolling.

Psychologists attribute this to a uniquely human tendency of prioritizing short-term gratification over long-term goals. A chocolate hazelnut brownie is an instant mood-lifter, but the rewards of avoiding this sinful temptation will take weeks, if not months, to be evident. However, under some conditions we are likely to reverse our inherent psychological inertia. For instance, someone recently diagnosed with diabetes wil...