Q&A about willpower with Frank Ryan

How, in layman’s terms would you define willpower?

The term “willpower” has been in use only since the latter part of the 19th century. I found this a surprisingly short lifespan for such a key word! Willpower certainly relies on self-discipline or self- control moment by moment, but is a more flexible and enduring personal resource or skill. For example, deciding to embark on a degree course, or quit smoking, requires commitment and resilience in the longer term. Another way of defining willpower is to ask what it helps us achieve: Willpower is typically recruited when we need to overcome habits we no longer want or when we strive to achieve long term goals. Ultimately, willpower is the capacity for self –determination.

Is it easy to learn?

It all depends! Some people seem to be endowed with robust willpower from infancy, and this competence predicts success and wellbeing in areas like study, work and personal relationships. As you might expect those with high willpower are also less prone to problems with alcohol, drugs and cigarettes (and sometimes a bit smug!). But what about the rest of us, you might well ask! Most of us struggle with overcoming habits and staying focused on work or study with all the distractions of modern life. For the majority of us it is less a question of “learning willpower”, and more a question of learning how to manage the willpower we are endowed with. If you are on a diet, sometimes it’s better to stay out of the cake shop!

Can it be learned?

The best approach to boosting your willpower is to break it down into its core components, the “nuts and bolts” of willpower. A crucial ingredient is what psychologists call working memory, what is currently in your conscious mind. This guides your behaviour and directs your attention moment by moment. If you keep your goal in mind- being single minded with regard to what you need willpower to achieve- you are less likely to be lured away from it. The biggest enemy of willpower is distraction, so anything that focuses your mind supports your willpower.

Another approach is to practice small acts of self-control such as sitting up straight, or (if you can bear it!) not checking your smart phone or Facebook every minute or so. Research findings suggest this trains your willpower in two possible ways. First, the brain circuits that stop or inhibit actions might strengthen; second, your confidence or self- belief in willpower is increased. This makes it more likely you will persevere with effort with bigger challenges like quitting smoking.

They say it takes about a month to make or break a habit. Could the same be said of developing willpower?

They also say “old habits die hard!” Habits, especially addictive or compulsive ones, do not disappear overnight, or even in a month. Your brain has a long memory for pleasure linked to alcohol, cigarettes, or even the “old flame” from earlier days. Willpower can be developed but entails not just learning new ways of coping with temptation but also making lifestyle changes. Stress or worry can drain your willpower, and certain diets – foods high in Omega 3s and products that release energy slowly- can boost it. In the book, I outline a broad range of strategies aimed at promoting mental and physical wellbeing that create a context for maximising your willpower.

Is willpower not simply discipline?

It’s more than simply discipline, but self-discipline is not that simple in any case. Our brains find it quite difficult to control impulses! Above, I defined willpower as a more flexible resource that, while certainly requiring discipline, can also define our lives. In the book, I used the example of Chris Hadfield, the Canadian born astronaut famous for singing “Space Oddity” (Ground control to Major Tom) from the space lab. This shows the human capacity to stick to a goal through the lifespan. Chris set his mind on becoming an astronaut when he saw the first moon landing aged nine. He overcame immense obstacles (Canada did not have a space exploration programme!) but eventually achieved his goal.

Do some find it easier than others to use their willpower?

Yes. There are individual differences linked to genetics and environmental factors such as exposure to stress or trauma, especially in childhood. In combination, this can make it harder to control impulses and compromises willpower. Extraverts (party animals) tend to be more impulsive and spontaneous than introverts. But there is no “right” or “wrong” personality for promoting willpower. What we all need to learn is how to manage our own unique strengths and weaknesses in the willpower domain.

What are the most common pitfalls regarding willpower?

Being over ambitious: Setting too many goals e.g. . Trying to diet, quit smoking and do well in an exam around the same time is likely to overstretch your willpower. Willpower works best in sequence, not in parallel.

Blaming yourself when you have a setback is another pitfall: it’s better to learn from the setback. Self-blame leads to negative emotions which deplete willpower.

Perfectionism is another pitfall: just because you don’t achieve everything using your willpower does not mean you have failed. Perfectionism can also lead to procrastination, because you never think the time is quite right for change.

Could you give some practical examples of how it can be used to improve your health etc?

This might sound simplistic, but one of the most common reasons willpower fails is we momentarily forget our goals, perhaps because we are distracted. Keeping the long term goal and associated benefits in mind switches your attention away from the immediate gratification. Willpower can also be boosted by commitment in advance, or pre-commitment. Booking a few training sessions in the gym in advance, or just placing your training kit by the front door so you can’t miss it, are examples. In both cases you have to do something that requires willpower or effort (cancelling a gym session or moving your bag) to avoid pursuing your goal of fitness.

Another practical strategy is to rehearse what you will do or say in a situation where your willpower is challenged. If I am offered a cigarette, then I will say “no thanks, I’ve quit” or “If I am offered dessert then I will say “I would love a fruit salad” (assuming there are tempting options such as cheesecake or tiramisu!). The rehearsal gives you a breathing space, or as I say in my lectures, “The road to redemption is paved with good rehearsals!”

Five Tips

Prioritise

Decide what your most important goal is and invest fully in that. Willpower is a limited resource so if you take on too much at once, such as starting a diet and looking for a new job at the same time, you risk failure in both. This does not mean abandoning the secondary goal, but ensures that your priorities determine the sequence.

Train your willpower

Practice small acts of self-control such as maintaining a good posture or resisting the urge to check your phone constantly. This has been shown to lea d to increased success with more demanding willpower challenges such as quitting smoking. This can also boost your confidence in your willpower, which can help you go the extra mile.

Meditate

Willpower relies on the capacity to stay focused on long-term goals in the face of distractions, temptations and fatigue. That is why meditation, the art of controlling your attention, boosts willpower.

Don’t worry!

Worrying wastes willpower. Aim to convert your worries into problems that can be addressed rather than having repetitive negative thoughts. A worry is “I don’t feel well, I might have a serious illness”; a problem is “I’ve been feeling very tired lately, I need to see my doctor for a check-up”.

Look after your brain

Willpower relies on brain power. At any age, your brain benefits from learning new things such as skills, hobbies or languages. It’s important to nourish your brain properly too. Foods rich in Omega 3 like salmon or walnuts are good for you. Foods that release glucose slowly, like lentils or wholemeal bread are also associated with enhanced will power, as you are less likely to be distracted by hunger pangs. You need a steady energy supply for the organ that enables your willpower.

*Frank Ryan is a consultant clinical psychologist in Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust in London, an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College. He is a practising cognitive therapist and an active trainer, lecturer and researcher. Frank was born in Cork. He studied psychology in UCC before training as a clinical psychologist at Edinburgh University.