[personaldev] The biochemical underpinnings of willpower, and how we can increase it

[mattbell]

There's now a substantial body of work on willpower that shows it is governed by a distinct biochemical pathway.

Some really interesting discoveries:
- Willpower is a limited resource.  If you expend it on one activity (eg putting up with a loud noise) it will be weaker when you need it for another activity (eg not getting mad when someone yells at you).  Thus it';s worth choosing what to focus your willpower on wisely.
- Willpower can be increased with strength training, just like a muscle.
- Low blood sugar decreases willpower.  (I used to tell high school teachers that eating in class helped me stay focused on the lecture.  Now I finally have evidence of this)
- Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is higher during high-willpower tasks.  This is REALLY interesting.  It's not mentioned in the article, but I know that high HRV can be induced by slow-breathing techniques used in meditation.  Biofeedback systems (eg the StressEraser and Journey To Wild Divine) train people to increase HRV. 

http://www.inneridea.com/library/how-to-strengthen-willpower-part-1
http://www.inneridea.com/library/how-to-strengthen-willpower-part-2

(via Christine Peterson)

Comments

[sarcazm.livejournal.com]

this is fantastic. i wonder if low blood sugar and low blood pressure could be interchangeable.

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

Your blood pressure goes up when you're exercising, so you could experiment and find out. :-)

[sarcazm.livejournal.com]

i just pass out most of the time nowadays actually, if don't have a seizure first. it's kind of why i'm curious.

[integreillumine.livejournal.com]

It also seems somewhat logical to suggest that things that take/deserve active attention are also things that require willpower. This is one reason why I don't like to have important conversations while driving.

Being hungry or cold or whatever (uncomfortable) decreases focus ability. So, yeah, it's true that having enough food in you will help you focus. But it's probably better to time between classes if possible, because even the act of eating/sounds of unwrapping can distract you and other people from what you're there to focus on.

[spoonless.livejournal.com]

Neat, thanks for the link.

I used to tell high school teachers that eating in class helped me stay focused on the lecture. Now I finally have evidence of this)

Careful what you eat though. There was a book I read on ADD that complained about speakers often offering people things like donuts, pastries, bagels, and coffee before lectures. The book said that carbohydrates are one of the worst things for attention, and may contribute a lot to people not being able to pay attention during a lecture. I think he even complained about the coffee... I think his complaint was that it tends to increase your focus temporarily and then leave it pretty bad afterwards. So maybe that one depends on whether it is just one lecture or a whole conference.

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

Coffee is a shitty stimulant. I'm really surprised that we, as a civilization, haven't moved on to something better. (and by better, I don't mean stronger. I mean better)