What willpower is - Deepstash
The Psychology of Willpower

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How to strengthen your willpower

How to overcome temptation and distractions

The role of motivation in willpower

The Psychology of Willpower

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What willpower is

What willpower is

Willpower is the ability to resist or delay short-term desires to achieve long-term goals. Other names for willpower are self-discipline, self-control, self-regulation, determination, drive. Willpower consists of three things:

  • "I won't" power - Saying "no" to temptation.
  • "I will" power - Saying "yes" to the things you know will lead to long-term satisfaction.
  • "I want" power - Remembering your goal.

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Physical exercise can be a great tool to enhance self-control

One study found that participants who focused on consistent exercise for two months ate less junk food and more healthy foods; they watched less television; they studied more; they saved more money; they procrastinated less.

Instead of considering how much exercise you need for re...

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The impulsive system and the cognitive system

The impulsive system and the cognitive system

  • The hot system is the impulsive, emotional part, and manage your responses to certain triggers.
  • The cool system is the cognitive, thinking system that reminds you to tame your impulses and focus on your long-term goals.

A willpower ch...

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Weakening your willpower

Weakening your willpower

Two other major hindrances to self-control are:

  • Self-criticism: Feeling bad makes it harder to resist temptation because we want to cover our shame and guilt with instant gratification. Instead, be compassionate with yourself, especially when confron...

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Stress weakens self-control

When you're stressed, the sympathetic nervous system takes over - also referred to as the "fight or flight system." It enables your body to respond quickly to perceived threats or stress. When this happens, your heart rate goes up and stays high, leading to feelings of anxiety and anger.

P...

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Meditation increases self-control

Meditation increases self-control

Meditation can train your brain for better self-control. Meditation increases your attention, focus, stress management, impulse control, and self-awareness.

When we practice a certain behavior, we strengthen the neural connections for that behavior, making it more accessib...

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Improve your self-awareness by tracking your daily choices

Once we understand the root cause of our behaviors, it is easier to work towards our goals. One way is to improve our self-awareness. How many food choices do you make a day? While most people would guess around 14, studies reveal the average number is 227.

Self-awarenes...

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Glucose levels and willpower

Glucose levels and willpower

Our brain's normal functions, such as thinking, learning, and memory, relies on glucose. Exerting our willpower uses a considerable amount of this fuel, leaving our brains in a state of alert trying to attain normal blood sugar levels. The drop in blood sugar will generally leave us more and pron...

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The neuroanatomy of willpower

The neuroanatomy of willpower

  • The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the part of our brains situated right behind our forehead. It is responsible for abstract thinking, analyzing thoughts, and regulating behavior.
  • The PFC controls what we think about, what we pay attention to, how we feel. Studies point out that this p...

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What happens to a damaged prefrontal cortex (PFC)

When the PFC gets damaged, it can alter your personality and interfere with your willpower. One recorded case of damage to the PFC was in 1848, when an iron went straight into the skull of Phineas Gage, blowing away his PFC. He survived, but had a complete personality change, became irreveren...

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Benefits of willpower

  • Self-control appears to be a better predictor of academic achievement, a determining factor of effective leadership, and essential for marital satisfaction.
  • People who harness their willpower more effectively are happier, healthier, have better relationship...

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gianrad

Allergic to Brazil nuts. And BS.

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Relying on Willpower

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Willpower should never be a primary strategy for accomplishing difficult things.

Better to avoid temptations in the first place than trying to resist them.

What is happiness?

What is happiness?

We all have our ideas about happiness and how to achieve happiness. 

The main question is: Is it short term happiness? Or is it long term fulfillment?

Of course, we can enjoy the finer things in life, however, we should not forget long term happiness and ful...

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